Dubai Maid & Nanny Cost 2026: Live-In, Part-Time & Agency

Legal note: UAE domestic worker employment is governed by Federal Law No. 10 of 2017 and subsequent MOHRE regulations. Minimum wage, rest day entitlements, accommodation standards, and contract requirements apply. This guide covers financial cost. Always verify current legal requirements with MOHRE or a licensed recruitment agency.

Related guides: Dubai cost of living · Emirates ID application · Domestic worker visa process · Moving to Dubai with family

Insider tip: Confirm the maid room has a window and lock before you sign the lease; converting a windowless store after hire typically adds AED 3,000 to 8,000 and delays MOHRE compliance by 2 to 4 weeks.

Live-in domestic help in Dubai is a household operating cost, not a luxury line for dual-income families with school-age children. Invest Gulf models a general live-in maid at AED 1,800 to 3,500 per month in salary, then adds visa amortisation of AED 5,000 to 8,000 in year one, medical insurance of AED 600 to 1,200 per year, one annual return flight of AED 800 to 2,000, and 30 calendar days of paid leave after each completed year. Part-time agency cleaning at AED 35 to 60 per hour avoids sponsorship entirely and suits short leases. Nanny-focused roles often start near AED 2,500 to 5,000 per month live-in, while part-time babysitting commonly runs AED 50 to 100 per hour. Families relocating for property should keep this line separate from service charges when building a Dubai cost of living spreadsheet.

Part-time agency cleaners remain the lowest-friction option when a lease is under 12 months and canceling a sponsored visa on exit would create extra MOHRE paperwork. Invest Gulf still budgets AED 300 to 600 per month for about 8 hours of agency cleaning, versus AED 2,500 to 4,500 all-in for a live-in maid package that includes salary, insurance, and flight amortisation. Overseas recruitment through a licensed agency can add AED 5,000 to 15,000 in fees before the worker arrives, on top of AED 5,000 to 8,000 for UAE visa and medical. End-of-service gratuity after one year accrues at 14 days of pay per year for the first five years. Source-country floors for Filipino hires often sit near AED 1,800 to 2,200 per month, which is a compliance baseline rather than a market ceiling for English-speaking nannies.

Why is domestic help normal for Dubai expat families?

Domestic help is typically budgeted by dual-income Dubai expat households because childcare, heat, and 45 to 90 minute peak commutes make full-time DIY housekeeping costly, and we treat a live-in salary of AED 1,800 to 3,500/month as cheaper than one parent cutting work hours for foreign buyers planning family life.

Sandstorms, pool upkeep, and larger villas also push cleaning hours above what many Western cities expect. Hiring household staff is mainstream across nationalities, which makes pricing and recruitment channels easier to research than in markets where domestic employment is rare.

• Live-in: full-time housekeeping with MOHRE employer duties
• Agency: hourly cleans without visa sponsorship
• Nanny focus: childcare-weighted contracts at higher salary bands

What does a live-in maid or nanny cost per month in Dubai?

A live-in maid salary typically ranges from AED 1,800 to 3,500/month for general housekeeping, while dedicated nannies often cost AED 2,500 to 5,000+ depending on English fluency, and we separate salary from visa, insurance, and flight obligations that UAE law requires sponsors to fund.

Employer obligations beyond salary

UAE law requires sponsors to provide:

Accommodation: A private room with adequate space. Many apartment families use a maid’s room or converted study. Standards are complaint-driven; specify layout before hire.

Meals: Three meals daily or equivalent food allowance.

Annual return flight: One round trip home per year. Philippines routes often run AED 1,200 to 2,000; India, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia routes commonly AED 800 to 1,500.

Medical insurance: Mandatory employer coverage, roughly AED 600 to 1,200/year for basic plans.

Rest and leave: One rest day per week and 30 calendar days annual leave after each completed year of service.

Total annual employer cost (live-in)

First-year sponsors also pay visa processing upfront, typically AED 5,000 to 8,000 on top of the table above. See the domestic worker visa guide for line-item fees.

How much do part-time cleaners and agency staff cost?

Part-time agency cleaners typically cost AED 35 to 60/hour in 2026, with weekly packages often AED 30 to 50/hour and minimum two-hour bookings near AED 80 to 130, and Invest Gulf recommends agency staffing when families want cleaning without MOHRE employer duties for foreign buyers on short leases.

Agency models suit singles, couples, and families who want cleaning without MOHRE employer duties. Platforms such as Justlife, ServiceMarket, and Helping are widely used; quality depends on the individual cleaner, so repeat bookings with the same person help consistency.

What do nannies and part-time childcare cost in Dubai?

Dedicated nannies typically cost more than general maid roles, with English-speaking caregivers and newborn specialists at the top of AED 3,000 to 8,000/month live-in bands, while part-time babysitting often runs AED 50 to 100/hour and we model weekday blocks at AED 1,000 to 2,500/month.

The UAE has no formal au pair visa. Informal cultural-exchange arrangements exist in expat groups but fall outside the domestic worker legal framework and carry compliance risk for both parties.

How do you recruit a maid: overseas hire vs UAE transfer?

Overseas recruitment typically adds AED 5,000 to 15,000 in agency fees plus AED 5,000 to 8,000 for visa and medical, while in-UAE transfers often cost AED 700 to 1,500, and our analysts model year-one all-in near AED 39,000 to 49,000.

In-UAE transfer from an existing domestic worker visa cuts cost and time. Workers advertise in Facebook groups and community networks; meeting in person before signing is standard.

All contracts must be registered with MOHRE and salaries paid through the Wage Protection System (WPS) by the last working day each month. Late payment beyond 10 days triggers MOHRE alerts.

What end-of-service and exit rules apply?

End-of-service gratuity typically accrues after one year of service at 14 days’ pay per year for the first five years, then 30 days’ pay per year, and we budget roughly one extra month of salary per year of service as a provision for foreign buyers sponsoring domestic workers.

When you leave Dubai, cancel the worker’s visa with your own residency cancellation. An active sponsored visa left open keeps employer liability on your file.

Renters with UAE residency (typically income above roughly AED 6,000/month, verify with MOHRE) can sponsor workers; property ownership is not required.

• Cancel worker visa when you cancel your own residency
• Keep WPS payment proofs for the full contract term
• Budget gratuity before you plan an exit year

How do live-in, agency, and nanny options compare?

Live-in maid packages typically run AED 2,200 to 4,500/month all-in with visa on you, while agency cleaning often costs AED 400 to 1,200 part-time with no sponsorship, and we compare those bands with live-in nanny costs of AED 3,500 to 7,000+ for foreign buyers.

How do Dubai maid costs compare with London or New York?

A Dubai live-in package under AED 4,500/month all-in typically costs far less than London nanny bands of GBP 2,500 to 4,000+/month or New York bands of USD 3,000 to 5,000+/month, and we flag visa and MOHRE compliance as the trade-off.

What checklist should you run before you sign a contract?

A pre-hire checklist typically covers MOHRE contract registration, maid room standards, written rest-day rules, and a WPS account before day one, and we also require passport, visa, and insurance copies plus a flight window of AED 800 to 2,000/year.

• Confirm MOHRE-standard contract and registered job description
• Inspect maid room ventilation, lock, and bathroom access
• Agree rest day and phone use rules in writing
• Set WPS bank account for salary before day one
• Keep copies of passport, visa, and insurance policy
• Plan annual flight booking window with worker input on dates

Source-country rules matter: Philippines POEA often floors salaries near AED 1,800 to 2,200/month for OFWs; Sri Lanka and Indonesia have similar protections. Never pass recruitment fees of AED 5,000 to 15,000 to the worker if source-country law assigns them to the employer.

Are there official minimum wage rules for domestic workers?

The UAE does not publish one national minimum for all domestic workers, but source-country recruitment rules often floor salaries around AED 1,800 to 2,200/month for Filipino hires, and our research treats that band as a compliance baseline rather than a market cap for English-speaking nannies.

Experienced English-speaking nannies in Dubai routinely earn far above those floors. Verify current POEA and MOHRE guidance before you lock an overseas recruitment fee of AED 5,000 to 15,000.

What is the legal label for maids, nannies, and drivers?

Federal Law No. 10 of 2017 uses the label domestic worker for housemaids, nannies, drivers, cooks, and similar household roles, and we require the MOHRE job title to match real duties before the first WPS transfer within 30 days.

Misclassified duties create dispute risk at MOHRE if expectations diverge. Keep the duty list specific when a combined maid/nanny role sits between AED 2,200 and 3,500/month.

How do relocation scenarios change the domestic help budget?

Villa households with pools typically need live-in help plus extra deep cleans after sandstorms, while compact apartments often run twice-weekly agency cleans at AED 100 to 200 per session, and we map newborn years toward short-term night nannies then a combined maid/nanny role.

Map scenarios in moving to Dubai with family before you lease a unit without a maid room.

Figures aggregate salary, amortised visa, insurance, and flight; your floor plan and recruitment path move the total.

Update MOHRE and insurance tariffs once per year when you renew contracts; stale budgets are the main reason families underestimate year-one domestic help spend.

If you already hold UAE residency, check MOHRE sponsor income thresholds before you recruit from abroad; rejection after paying source-country agency fees is costly and slow to unwind.

How should you budget domestic help inside a Dubai relocation?

Domestic help should typically be modelled as a lifestyle line of AED 2,500 to 4,500/month all-in for live-in help, separate from service charges, and Invest Gulf plus best practice is to confirming MOHRE sponsor income and insurance before recruitment.

When you model Dubai cost of living, keep maid or nanny costs off the mortgage sheet used for Dubai property investment. Visa rejection after paying AED 5,000 to 15,000 in overseas agency fees wastes both cash and 4 to 8 weeks of timeline.

• Separate domestic help from mortgage and service charges
• Confirm sponsor income thresholds before overseas hire
• Prefer agency cleaning if the lease is under 12 months

If that decision is on your list, Dubai Daily Life covers it in detail.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do employers pay maid visa costs in Dubai? +

Families sponsoring domestic workers typically pay visa, medical, Emirates ID, and insurance costs of roughly AED 5,000 to 8,000 upfront plus monthly salary. Verify current MOHRE fee schedules.

How much does a live-in maid cost in Dubai? +

A live-in maid or domestic worker in Dubai costs AED 1,800 to 3,500/month in salary, plus the employer covers accommodation, meals, annual flights home, and medical insurance. Total employer cost including visa and annual flight is approximately AED 30,000 to 50,000/year.

How much does a part-time cleaner cost in Dubai? +

Part-time home cleaning through an agency in Dubai costs AED 35 to 60 per hour, with typical 2 to 4 hour sessions at AED 120 to 220. Regular booking discounts and monthly packages reduce this to AED 30 to 50/hour.

Do you need a visa to hire a maid in Dubai? +

Yes. If you hire a live-in domestic worker directly, you must sponsor their UAE residency visa as the employer. Visa and medical costs add approximately AED 5,000 to 8,000 upfront. Part-time workers from licensed cleaning agencies do not require you to sponsor a visa.

Can I hire a maid through an agency in Dubai without a visa? +

Yes. Licensed cleaning and domestic staffing agencies in Dubai employ workers directly and dispatch them to clients. You pay the agency rate per hour or session without any visa responsibility. This is the simplest arrangement for part-time or occasional cleaning needs.

See also: Dubai domestic worker visa process · Dubai cost of living guide · Hidden costs in Dubai property.