A €300,000 budget (~AED 1.2M) gets you a one- or two-bedroom apartment in an affordable area, or a smaller unit at a central address. Here are eight options, with figures, and who each one suits.
On this page
- Investing €300,000 in Dubai: what can you really buy?
- Arjan and Dubai Sports City: high yield on a small budget
- Dubailand Residence Complex and Dubai Silicon Oasis: strong past growth under AED 1.3M
- Business Bay and Dubai Marina: an affordable prestige address at around €300,000
- Dubai International City and Damac Riverside: the lowest entry prices
- Summary table: price, rent and yield for options under €300,000
- How to choose the right option for your goal
If you invest €300,000 in Dubai property, around AED 1.2 million, you can buy a one- or two-bedroom apartment in an affordable high-yield area, or a smaller unit at a sought-after central address. The median price of the projects with published pricing in our catalogue is exactly AED 1.2M. This budget covers a large share of the new-build market, where calculated gross yields reach 7.7% in the most affordable areas, according to Bayut data.
The listing price is never your actual budget: transfer fees, agency fees and fixed costs come on top of the property price. Below, we set out what AED 1.2M actually buys, area by area. For each one you get the price per square foot, how it has moved, the gross yield and the type of investor it suits.
Investing €300,000 in Dubai: what can you really buy?
With €300,000, around AED 1.2 million, you can buy a one- or two-bedroom apartment in an affordable or mid-market area, either off-plan or ready. What you can't reach is the Golden Visa threshold of AED 2M set by the UAE government.
This budget lands right in the middle of the new-build market. Projects start between AED 500,000 and AED 2M, with a median of AED 1.2M. So at AED 1.2M you're at the centre of the market, not on its fringes.
Don't confuse the listing price with your real budget. The Dubai Land Department's 4% transfer fee, agency fees and fixed costs all come on top of the property price. We add these up in our guide to purchase costs. Work out the total before you set your target.
The options below are grouped around four goals: maximum yield, long-term capital growth, a balance between yield and prestige, and the lowest entry price. For each area we give Bayut's price per square foot, how it has moved, the calculated gross yield, the type of investor it suits and its drawback.
Arjan and Dubai Sports City: high yield on a small budget
Arjan sells at AED 1,485/sq ft (March 2026) for a calculated gross yield of 7.1%, according to Bayut data. That's one of the best in our selection at this price.
Prices in the area rose +2.9% over 12 months and +52.6% over 60 months, with rents at AED 106/sq ft/year. Next door, Dubai Sports City trades at AED 1,318/sq ft (March 2026). Prices there rose +4.1% over 12 months and +79.4% over 60 months, with rents at AED 89/sq ft/year and a calculated gross yield of 6.8%, according to Bayut.
Several projects fit within €300,000. In Dubai Sports City, Antalya and Aspirz start at AED 900,000. In Arjan, Bond Enclave starts at AED 1.3M and Marquis One at AED 1.5M.
Who it suits: investors who want cash flow on a tight budget and can accept lower capital growth than elsewhere.
Dubailand Residence Complex and Dubai Silicon Oasis: strong past growth under AED 1.3M
Dubailand Residence Complex has both the lowest price per square foot in our selection, at AED 1,277/sq ft (March 2026), and the strongest five-year growth: +110.9% over 60 months, according to Bayut data.
Prices in the area also rose +61% over 36 months, with rents at AED 81/sq ft/year and a calculated gross yield of 6.3%. Dubai Silicon Oasis has followed a similar path: AED 1,370/sq ft (March 2026), +5.7% over 12 months, +77.7% over 36 months and +108.9% over 60 months. Rents are AED 86/sq ft/year and the calculated gross yield is the same 6.3%.
This price range also has the widest choice of projects. Dubailand Residence Complex has the largest catalogue of any area we track, with The Archive, Nuvé and AUM 99 Residences starting from AED 600,000 to 700,000. In Silicon Oasis, DANUBE Oasiz 2 starts at AED 900,000.
Who it suits: long-term investors who put capital growth first but still want a yield above 6%.
The drawback: these areas are further out, and past growth says nothing about future growth.
Business Bay and Dubai Marina: an affordable prestige address at around €300,000
Business Bay is still within reach under AED 1.2M for a small unit, despite a price of AED 2,445/sq ft (February 2026). The calculated gross yield is 5.8%, according to Bayut data.
A central address on the canal, the area has gained +25% over 36 months and +64.9% over 60 months, with rents at AED 143/sq ft/year. Dubai Marina offers a similar yield, 5.8% calculated gross at AED 2,376/sq ft (March 2026), on an established and highly liquid waterfront.
At these prices, the budget buys a studio or a one-bedroom rather than a large unit. Several Business Bay projects come in under AED 1.3M: Canal Heights from AED 1.2M, and the Binghatti Aquarise, Skyhall and Skyrise towers at AED 1.3M.
Many of my clients arrive convinced that a central address takes more than a million euros. With a small unit in Business Bay, you can get in for well below that. The high price per square foot just means less space for your money.
Who it suits: investors who care more about resale liquidity and a prestige address than about maximum yield.
Dubai International City and Damac Riverside: the lowest entry prices
Dubai International City has one of the highest gross yields in the market: 7.7% calculated at AED 1,000/sq ft, according to Bayut data.
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Here, Coventry 2 starts at AED 1M. In Damac Riverside, the price per square foot drops to AED 1,008/sq ft, one of the lowest in this selection, for a calculated gross yield of 7.2%. However, the projects we track in this area start at AED 1.9M, which is above our budget.
What €300,000 changes here: you can buy several small units to spread your risk, or a larger unit than you would get elsewhere. Entry-level projects in Dubai International City start low, and Coventry 2 is available from AED 1M, which still leaves room for the fees.
Who it suits: first-time buyers, investors who want to spread the budget across several properties, or anyone who puts headline gross yield first.
Summary table: price, rent and yield for options under €300,000
The eight areas in this selection have calculated gross yields of 5.8% to 7.7% and prices of AED 1,000 to 2,445/sq ft, according to Bayut data (month shown on each row).
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| Area | Price AED/sq ft | Rent AED/sq ft/yr | Calc. gross yield | 60-month change | Lowest project price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dubai International City | 1,000 (Mar 2026) | — | 7.7% | — | AED 1M |
| Damac Riverside | 1,008 (Mar 2026) | — | 7.2% | — | AED 1.9M |
| Arjan | 1,485 (Mar 2026) | 106 | 7.1% | +52.6% | AED 1.3M |
| Dubai Sports City | 1,318 (Mar 2026) | 89 | 6.8% | +79.4% | AED 900,000 |
| Dubailand Residence Complex | 1,277 (Mar 2026) | 81 | 6.3% | +110.9% | AED 600,000 |
| Dubai Silicon Oasis | 1,370 (Mar 2026) | 86 | 6.3% | +108.9% | AED 900,000 |
| Business Bay | 2,445 (Feb 2026) | 143 | 5.8% | +64.9% | AED 1.2M |
| Dubai Marina | 2,376 (Mar 2026) | — | 5.8% | — | — |
The yield shown is a calculated gross yield (annual rent per square foot divided by price per square foot), before costs and vacancy. It is neither net nor guaranteed. Project prices are the lowest starting price in our catalogue for each area. In Damac Riverside, that starting price exceeds the AED 1.2M budget, even though the price per square foot is among the lowest.
For context, across the 73 areas tracked by Bayut, Dubai has a median price of AED 1,883/sq ft, a median calculated gross yield of 5.6% and a median 12-month change of +2.6%. Six of the eight options above beat the median yield.
How to choose the right option for your goal
The right choice depends on what you want: rental income straight away, capital growth over five years, or an easy resale.
If you want immediate yield
Look at Dubai International City (7.7%), Damac Riverside (7.2%), Arjan (7.1%) or Dubai Sports City (6.8%), the four highest calculated gross yields in the selection according to Bayut. Our guide to high-yield areas goes into this trade-off in more detail.
If you want long-term capital growth
Dubailand Residence Complex (+110.9% over 60 months) and Dubai Silicon Oasis (+108.9% over 60 months) have shown the strongest five-year growth while still yielding more than 6%.
If you put liquidity and prestige first
Business Bay and Dubai Marina give you a central address and an easier resale, as long as you accept a yield of around 5.8%.
At €300,000, two things are out of reach: the AED 2M Golden Visa threshold, covered in our guide to the residency threshold, and ultra-premium areas such as Palm Jumeirah at AED 4,336/sq ft.
On this budget, my clients' first instinct is often to go for the most prestigious address they can get. I always get them to start from how long they plan to hold before deciding. That's what settles the choice between yield and liquidity, not the name of the area.
— Adeline LAUVERNAY, Real Estate Consultant
To go further, see our guides to the full budget beyond the price, choosing off-plan or ready and non-resident financing, or explore the whole Dubai market.
This article is part of our guide
Dubai Property Investment Guide for Foreign Buyers
About the author
Adeline LAUVERNAY
Real Estate Consultant
An expert in luxury sales and marketing, Adeline honed her sense of high-end service at prestigious Houses such as Hermès and Bvlgari. Her expertise allows her to meet the expectations of a demanding clientele by offering a tailor-made experience. Passionate and rigorous, she supports her clients by identifying unique opportunities and offering exceptional properties perfectly aligned with their aspirations.
