Bur Dubai vs Al Barsha for a monthly stay is a choice between old Dubai by the Creek and newer Dubai by Mall of the Emirates, and neither is cheaper at every size. On HotelApartments.com a studio’s median asking price is AED 5,500 a month in Bur Dubai (9 units) and AED 5,600 in Al Barsha (6 units); Al Barsha is cheaper for a one-bedroom, at AED 6,700 (11 units) against AED 8,100 (6 units), and Bur Dubai for a two-bedroom, at AED 12,500 (6 units) against AED 13,500 (7 units). Bur Dubai is the closer base for the airport, Deira and the heritage quarter; in Al Barsha, most apartments are a short walk from a Red Line station and from the mall.
The figures are the median monthly asking prices of the 24 Bur Dubai and 26 Al Barsha units live on our site on 1 November 2026, with the number of units behind each. Every unit in both areas has a 30-night minimum stay, and we show a median only where at least five units of that size are listed. We have already set each area against its closest neighbour, in Deira vs Bur Dubai across the Creek and Al Barsha vs Barsha Heights one metro stop apart.
Bur Dubai vs Al Barsha: monthly prices compared
| Median monthly asking price (AED) | Bur Dubai | Al Barsha |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | 5,500 (9 units) | 5,600 (6 units) |
| 1 bedroom | 8,100 (6 units) | 6,700 (11 units) |
| 2 bedrooms | 12,500 (6 units) | 13,500 (7 units) |
| 3+ bedrooms | 3 units, at 15,800 to 17,500 | 2 units, at 16,500 and 17,000 |
| All units | 9,500 (24 units) | 7,975 (26 units) |
| Lowest asking price | 4,500 | 5,000 |
| Buildings | 12 | 8 |
Source: live listings and market rates on HotelApartments.com, 1 November 2026. These are asking prices for stays of 30 nights or more and can change with your dates; VAT, the Tourism Dirham and any event supplement may be added.
Is Bur Dubai or Al Barsha cheaper?
It depends on the size you need. Studios cost about the same in both areas, Al Barsha is AED 1,400 a month cheaper for a one-bedroom, and Bur Dubai is AED 1,000 cheaper for a two-bedroom. Both sit below the medians for monthly rentals across Dubai on our site: AED 7,700 for a studio, AED 10,600 for a one-bedroom and AED 15,000 for a two-bedroom.
The all-unit medians mix sizes, so compare like with like. Bur Dubai’s one-bedrooms ask AED 6,600 to 18,000, with Element Al Mina at the top; its cheapest units are studios at Golden Sands Hotel Apartments 3 and 5 (AED 4,500 and 5,000). Al Barsha’s one-bedrooms ask AED 6,300 to 12,500, with Millennium Al Barsha at the top.
Same brand, both areas. Rose Garden has a building in each, which makes a like-for-like check possible. On 1 November a one-bedroom with a balcony asked AED 7,000 a month at Rose Garden Hotel Apartment Bur Dubai (88 m²) and AED 6,900 at Rose Garden Hotel Apartment Al Barsha (85 m²). A standard two-bedroom asked AED 10,000 in Bur Dubai (114 m²) and AED 9,500 in Al Barsha (125 m²). Within one operator the gap is a few hundred dirhams; the building you choose moves the price more than the area does.
How far apart are Bur Dubai and Al Barsha?
About 18 km in a straight line between their main Red Line stations, ADCB in Bur Dubai and InsuranceMarket in Al Barsha, which are 10 stops apart with no change. Most of our Bur Dubai units are nearer Sharaf DG on the Green Line: from there, ride one stop to BurJuman and change to the Red Line, 12 stops in all.
Where you work matters more than the distance between them. Stops on the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) network map:
| Metro stops to … | From BurJuman (Bur Dubai) | From InsuranceMarket (Al Barsha) |
|---|---|---|
| Union, Deira (Red and Green Line interchange) | 1 | 12 |
| Airport Terminal 1 | 5 | 16 |
| World Trade Centre | 3 | 8 |
| Financial Centre | 5 | 6 |
| Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall | 6 | 5 |
| Business Bay | 7 | 4 |
| Mall of the Emirates | 10 | 1 |
| Dubai Internet City | 12 | 1 |
BurJuman is a median 1.1 km from our Bur Dubai units; from Sharaf DG, add one Green Line stop and a change. For fares and 30-day nol passes, see living in Dubai without a car.
Which is closer to the metro?
Al Barsha, on our listings. 18 of the 22 Al Barsha units we could check are within 500 metres of a Red Line station in a straight line, and all 22 within a kilometre. In Bur Dubai, 4 of 24 are within 500 metres and 20 within a kilometre, most of them nearest Sharaf DG. Walking routes are longer, and we left out Novotel Hotel Al Barsha, whose map location doesn’t match its address.
Which is closer to the airport?
Bur Dubai. Our Bur Dubai units are a median 6.0 km in a straight line from Terminal 1 or Terminal 3 at Dubai International (DXB), and BurJuman is five Red Line stops from Airport Terminal 1 station. Our Al Barsha units are a median 22.0 km away, 16 stops from InsuranceMarket. If flights come first, Deira, Festival City and Al Jaddaf are closer still: see hotel apartments near Dubai Airport.
What are Bur Dubai and Al Barsha like to live in?
Bur Dubai is old Dubai: Dubai’s government portal calls it the city’s oldest neighbourhood, with Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood, Al Shindagha and Al Seef along Dubai Creek. The same portal describes Bur Dubai’s narrow streets and traditional markets, and calls Al Barsha a newer area known for Mall of the Emirates and its indoor ski slope.
- Heritage (Bur Dubai): Dubai Culture describes Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood as a Creekside quarter showing life from the mid-19th century to the 1970s, now home to galleries and museums. It is a median 1.5 km from our Bur Dubai units.
- The Creek (Bur Dubai): Bur Dubai Abra Station is a median 1.3 km from our units; RTA’s abra (route CR1) crosses from there to Deira Old Souq.
- The mall (Al Barsha): Mall of the Emirates is a median 0.9 km from our Al Barsha units, against 17.6 km from our Bur Dubai units.
- A park (Al Barsha): Al Barsha Pond Park is one of the pond parks Dubai Municipality built with jogging tracks, sports yards and children’s play equipment; its centre is 1.3 to 1.8 km from our Al Barsha units.
- The beach (neither): the nearest public beach is a median 2.4 km from our Al Barsha units and 4.1 km from our Bur Dubai units.
What do you get for the money?
Much the same, with small differences. Al Barsha’s apartments are a few square metres larger at each size, every Al Barsha unit lists free parking, and ten list a kids’ club or play area. More Bur Dubai units list a washing machine and a dishwasher, and two at Movenpick Hotel and Apartments Bur Dubai list a heated pool.
Every Bur Dubai unit we list and 25 of the 26 in Al Barsha include a kitchen or kitchenette.
| Units whose listing includes | Bur Dubai (24 units) | Al Barsha (26 units) |
|---|---|---|
| Median size, studio | 39 m² / 425 sq ft (9 units) | 42 m² / 452 sq ft (6 units) |
| Median size, 1 bedroom | 71 m² / 764 sq ft (5 units) | 75 m² / 807 sq ft (11 units) |
| Median size, 2 bedrooms | 116 m² / 1,248 sq ft (5 units) | 121 m² / 1,302 sq ft (7 units) |
| Kitchen (full or kitchenette) | 24 | 25 |
| Washing machine | 24 | 21 |
| Dishwasher | 13 | 3 |
| Free car parking | 22 | 26 |
| Swimming pool | 24 | 22 |
| Housekeeping twice a week | 21 | 21 |
| Kids’ club or play area | 0 | 10 |
Bur Dubai’s one- and two-bedroom sizes leave out one unit each whose size looks mis-entered. Deposits are similar: 13 of 24 Bur Dubai listings and 16 of 26 Al Barsha listings ask for 10% of the total. Icon Delux Hotel Apartments Al Barsha asks a fixed AED 1,000 for a monthly stay, and Al Khoory Hotel Apartments 5%.
Bur Dubai or Al Barsha: which suits you?
- Frequent flights, work in Deira, or old Dubai and the Creek: Bur Dubai.
- Work in Dubai Internet City, a short walk to the metro, or the mall: Al Barsha.
- Work in Downtown, Business Bay or at Financial Centre: either, four to seven stops away.
- The lowest one-bedroom price: Al Barsha (median AED 6,700). The lowest two-bedroom price: Bur Dubai (median AED 12,500).
- Children: Al Barsha lists kids’ facilities at 10 units. Three-bedroom units are few in both: 3 in Bur Dubai from AED 15,800, 2 in Al Barsha from AED 16,500.
Pick the line, then the building Both areas are on the Red Line, so living in one and working near the other is a ride with no change. Check how far your building is from its station before you book: in Bur Dubai the straight-line walk ranges from about 330 metres to 1.5 km.
Before you book a month in Bur Dubai or Al Barsha
- Ask for the total. All 50 listings say their rates are estimates, and all 50 mention an event supplement during major events and exhibitions.
- Check the fees. Ask whether VAT and the Tourism Dirham, where it applies, are included.
- Read the terms. Under our reservation terms, unused nights are not refunded if you leave early.
Browse monthly rentals in Bur Dubai and in Al Barsha, see what a hotel apartment costs per month across Dubai, or send us your dates and where you work and we will suggest buildings in both areas.
Frequently asked questions
Is Bur Dubai or Al Barsha cheaper?
On HotelApartments.com on 1 November 2026, it depends on the size. Studios cost about the same (medians of AED 5,500 and 5,600 a month), Al Barsha is cheaper for a one-bedroom (AED 6,700 against 8,100) and Bur Dubai for a two-bedroom (AED 12,500 against 13,500).
How far is Bur Dubai from Al Barsha by metro?
About 18 km in a straight line between ADCB station in Bur Dubai and InsuranceMarket station in Al Barsha, 10 stops apart on the Red Line with no change. From Sharaf DG, take the Green Line one stop to BurJuman and change to the Red Line.
Is Bur Dubai old Dubai?
Yes. Dubai’s government portal calls Bur Dubai the city’s oldest neighbourhood; it includes Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood, Al Shindagha and Al Seef on Dubai Creek. Al Barsha is a newer district known for Mall of the Emirates.
Is Al Barsha expensive?
Not on our listings. A one-bedroom’s median asking price in Al Barsha is AED 6,700 a month (11 units), against AED 10,600 across the 173 one-bedrooms we list in Dubai, on 1 November 2026.
Is Bur Dubai a good place to stay for a month?
For the airport, Deira and old Dubai, yes: our Bur Dubai units are a median 6.0 km from Terminal 1 or 3, and a two-bedroom’s median asking price is AED 12,500 a month (6 units). Only 4 of its 24 units are within 500 metres of a station.
How were these prices calculated?
They are the medians of the monthly asking prices of every unit live on HotelApartments.com in each area on 1 November 2026, excluding villas and our luxury collection, shown only where at least five units of that size are listed. Distances are straight lines from each listing’s map location.
Sources
- HotelApartments.com: live listings and market rates for Bur Dubai and Al Barsha, and our reservation terms, read on 1 November 2026
- Roads and Transport Authority: Dubai Rail Network map (stations, lines and interchanges; September 2026 edition, checked 1 November 2026)
- Roads and Transport Authority: abra routes (route CR1, Bur Dubai to Deira Old Souq, checked 1 November 2026)
- Dubai.ae: Dubai neighbourhoods (Bur Dubai as the oldest neighbourhood and its landmarks; Mall of the Emirates in Al Barsha, checked 1 November 2026)
- Dubai Culture: Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood (the period it represents and what it houses, checked 1 November 2026)
- Dubai Municipality: Pond Parks (Al Barsha Pond Park and its facilities, checked 1 November 2026)
- OpenStreetMap (station order and positions, landmarks, terminals and beaches, © OpenStreetMap contributors)
Prices and facts checked on 1 November 2026.
Share
