Dubai is a "vertical" city, famous for skyscrapers considered technological and architectural masterpieces. However, even in this high-rise metropolis, many people prefer to live in private houses with gardens, swimming pools, lawns, and barbecue areas.
Statistics show that in June 2023, 57.5% of real estate buyers in Dubai were looking for apartments, while the remaining 42.5% were interested in houses. In the latter category, three-bedroom houses were the most popular choice, with 43% of tenants choosing this kind of property, while 36% were looking for options with four or more bedrooms. Owners of small houses with one or two bedrooms account for the remaining share. These data indicate that buyers with large families are primarily interested in detached houses.
As elsewhere in the world, the supply of low-rise properties can be divided into villas and townhouses. Dubai boasts a wide range of villas and townhouses available for buyers with very different budgets.
Prices for Townhouses
A townhouse is not really a detached house but is part of the building that shares one or two walls with adjacent dwelling units. As a rule, each part has a small yard. In Dubai, you can find townhouses for two families (duplexes), and more.
DAMAC HILLS 2 - Camelia Villas (Housearch)
Townhouses in Dubai are a popular type of real estate, especially for families. It is more private than apartments in high-rise buildings, but not as expensive as villas to buy and maintain. Residential complexes with townhouses are usually located at a distance from the business and tourist centre of the city, near good schools and golf courses.
Townhouse communities usually offer slightly less privacy than villa communities, but the infrastructure is usually more developed. Large playgrounds and sports grounds are more common in townhouse communities. There are often public swimming pools and recreation areas.
Prices for townhouses in Dubai start from $200,000. For this amount, you can purchase a unit of 70 square metres in Dubailand with one bedroom, two bathrooms, and one parking space.
The most expensive townhouse is located in Dubai Golf City. It is offered for sale at 9.25 million AED ($2.5 million). Its floor area is 635 square metres and it has six bedrooms and seven bathrooms.
If you are considering buying a townhouse with three to four bedrooms in Dubai, you need to budget for about 1.5 to 2 million AED ($400,000 to $550,000). The return on investment for townhouses in Dubai is about 6%.
Areas to Purchase a Townhouse in Dubai
There are more than a dozen districts in Dubai where townhouses are being built and sold. The most popular ones include Damac Hills 2 (Akoya Oxygen), Dubailand, Jumeirah Village Circle (JVC), Dubai South, Mudon, Dubai Hills Estate, Palm Jumeirah, Arabian Ranches and Al Furjan. Let's learn more about some of them.
Damac Hills 2
Damac Hills 2 (formerly known as Akoya Oxygen) is one of the most popular residential complexes of townhouses in Dubai. There is a golf course right next door, which can be seen from the windows of the houses. This area with parks, landscaped gardens, green boulevards, and fountains is ideal for those who love a quiet lifestyle.
The average price for a three-bedroom townhouse in Damac Hills 2 is 1 million AED ($270,000). The cost of townhouses with four and five bedrooms is 1.3 million AED ($354,000) and 1.6 million AED ($435,000), respectively.
Jumeirah Village Circle (JVC)
This is the second-most popular area of Dubai where townhouses are for sale. The Jumeirah Village Circle area has many advantages: proximity to the popular urban locations of Palm Jumeirah and Dubai Marina, affordable housing, parks, and good schools.
On average, a three-bedroom townhouse in Jumeirah Village Circle will cost 1.7 million AED ($463,000). Four-bedroom properties cost an average of 2.1 million AED ($570,000).
Jumeirah Village Circle (JVC)
Dubailand
This is a large district offering various types of real estate: from houses to blocks of flats. In Dubailand, you can also visit some of the metropolis sights, for example, the IMG Worlds of Adventure amusement park.
On average, buying a three-bedroom townhouse here will cost 1.5 million AED ($400,000). The price for a four-bedroom townhouse averages 1.9 million AED ($517,000).
Mudon
You can purchase both finished townhouses and properties under construction in this area. Mudon is a self-sufficient area with everything you need: shops, cafes, kindergartens, restaurants, parks, and swimming pools. This is a gated community and residents enjoy round-the-clock security.
A three-bedroom townhouse here costs about 2.2 million AED ($544,000). The average price for a four-bedroom townhouse is 2.9 million AED ($806,000).
Mudon Al Ranim (Housearch)
Dubai South
Dubai South is an area of 62 hectares that started to develop in 2006. Due to the close proximity of Al Maktoum International Airport, Dubai South was popular during the Dubai Airshow and Expo 2020. The area is convenient for families with small children. There are many good schools and kindergartens nearby.
The average price for a three-bedroom townhouse is about 1.3 million AED ($354,000). Townhouses with four and five bedrooms cost 1.7 million AED ($463,000) and 2.8 million AED ($762,000), respectively.
This is not a comprehensive list of areas in Dubai where you can buy a good townhouse. There are similar properties in the Jumeirah Golf Estate community, surrounded by green zones, five beautiful lakes and ultra-modern golf courses. Another popular place to buy townhouses is Town Square, a spacious and modern community with family amusement parks. The huge area of Arabian Ranches is also popular among buyers.
Expo Valley (Housearch)
Expensive Villas in Dubai
The Dubai Residential Market Review for the spring of 2023 recognises Dubai as one of the world’s leaders in the luxury residential market. As of the end of 2022, Dubai ranked the world’s fourth-most active market in this segment. During the year, 219 houses over $10 million were sold in the emirate. The total value of sales reached $3.8 billion by the end of the year. The three cities above Dubai on the list were: London (223 sales worth $4.3 billion), Los Angeles (225 sales worth $4.3 billion) and New York (244 sales worth $4.5 billion).
This trend continued in 2023 and Dubai now ranks as the world’s fifth-most active in sales of high-budget residential real estate. A villa worth 460 million AED ($25 million), designed by Viktor Udzenija, was recently put up for sale. The house with a floor area of almost 2000 square metres has six bedrooms and a 28-metre swimming pool. This furnished villa offers the most modern amenities, designer furniture, and collectible art.
The most expensive properties can be found in the areas of Arabian Ranches, Dubai Hills Estate, Damac Hills, Palm Jumeirah, and Jumeirah Park.
According to reports, Arabian Ranches was the most attractive area for property investment in the first half of 2023. The average sale value in the area increased by 17.6%, according to the Dubai Land Department (DLD).
Arabian Ranches lll - JOY (Housearch)
