How much cash do you need upfront to buy an apartment in Dubai?

For a AED 900,000 apartment in Dubai with a 20% mortgage, you need AED 246,000 in total upfront cash: AED 180,000 as a down payment, plus AED 66,000 in fees — covering the Dubai Land Department transfer fee (4%), buyer's agency fee (2%), mortgage registration (0.25% of loan), bank arrangement fee (1% of loan), and a valuation fee of AED 3,000.

What are the mortgage fees when buying property in Dubai?

On a AED 900,000 purchase with a AED 720,000 mortgage: DLD transfer fee AED 36,000 (4%), buyer's agency fee AED 18,000 (2%), mortgage registration AED 1,800 (0.25% of loan), bank arrangement fee AED 7,200 (1% of loan), and valuation fee AED 3,000. Total fees above the down payment: AED 66,000.

I Ran the Numbers · Episode 2

How much cash do you actually need to buy an AED 900,000 apartment in Dubai?

Last updated June 2026 · Worked example, not a recommendation

Short answer

On a AED 900,000 purchase with a 20% mortgage, you need AED 246,000 in total day-one cash — AED 180,000 as a down payment, plus AED 66,000 in fees covering the DLD transfer fee, agency commission, mortgage registration, bank arrangement, and valuation. Your monthly mortgage payment over 25 years at 4.5% is roughly AED 4,002. Over the full term, the bank collects AED 480,598 in interest — more than half the original purchase price.

The scenario

Property price

AED 900,000

Down payment

20% — AED 180,000

Loan amount

AED 720,000

Interest rate

4.5% per annum

Loan term

25 years

Purchase type

Mortgage (expat)

Day-one cash required

The down payment is only part of what you need on day one. Here are all the costs due before you collect the keys.

Down payment20% of purchase price

AED 180,000

DLD Transfer FeeDubai Land Department — 4%

AED 36,000

Agency feeBuyer's agent commission — 2%

AED 18,000

Mortgage registrationDubai Land Department — 0.25% of loan

AED 1,800

Bank arrangement feeLoan processing — 1% of loan

AED 7,200

Valuation feeBank-required property appraisal

AED 3,000

Fees above down payment

AED 66,000

Total day-one cash required

AED 246,000

The mortgage over 25 years

Monthly payment

AED 4,002

every month for 25 yrs

Loan amount

AED 720,000

financed by bank

Total interest paid

AED 480,598

over full 25-year term

YieldOS read

By the end of the term, you will have repaid AED 1,200,598 on a AED 720,000 loan. The bank collects AED 480,598 — 40% of every dirham you pay goes to interest, not equity. That is the real cost of buying in Dubai with a mortgage. Now you know.

Assumptions & sources

Verified — property price, DLD rate Indicative — agency fee, bank fees Illustrative — interest rate, term, mortgage outputs

Property price AED 900,000: same listing used in Episode 1 (The East Crest by Meteora, JVC, as listed on Property Finder, June 2026).
DLD Transfer Fee 4%: Dubai Land Department standard rate for residential property.
Down payment 20%: minimum for expat buyers in Dubai per UAE Central Bank mortgage regulations.
Agency fee 2%, mortgage registration 0.25%, bank arrangement 1%, valuation AED 3,000: indicative market-standard rates, subject to variation by lender and agent.
Interest rate 4.5%, 25-year term: illustrative assumptions used in the YieldOS Mortgage Calculator. Actual rates vary by bank, profile, and market conditions.
Monthly payment AED 4,002 and total interest AED 480,598: derived from the inputs above; re-running the same figures reproduces these results.

Run your own mortgage → Episode 1 — Rental Yield

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All YieldOS content is for educational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, tax, or legal advice. Figures are a worked example based on the assumptions stated above. Mortgage rates, fees, and regulatory requirements change over time — verify all figures independently and consult a licensed mortgage advisor before making decisions.