Sovereign

Tech

Software Engineer Salary · Singapore vs Dubai

Net pay, tax drag, and purchasing power modeled for 2025 offers. Built for relocating teams, expats, and comp committees.

Net pay

Singapore

$189,260

18.8% effective rate

Net pay

Dubai

AED 639,000

0.0% effective rate

Annual delta

Spread

-AED 449,740

Dubai advantage

City

Singapore

Asia’s premier wealth management hub. Known for ultra-low personal income tax and high expatriate demand.

Median professional income

$105,500

Role modeled

Software Engineer

Gross base

$233,000

Net after tax

$189,260

Cost-of-living index

50

Rent index

63

City

Dubai

The leading financial center of the MEASA region. Offers a tax-free salary environment for maximum wealth retention.

Median professional income

AED 289,000

Role modeled

Software Engineer

Gross base

AED 639,000

Net after tax

AED 639,000

Cost-of-living index

55

Rent index

72

Purchasing power

Net income vs lifestyle drag

Singapore

$15,772

Housing$4,732
Essentials$3,154
Discretionary$3,943
Savings$3,943

Dubai

AED 53,250

HousingAED 15,975
EssentialsAED 10,650
DiscretionaryAED 13,313
SavingsAED 13,313

Cost-of-living deep dive

Flip into the COL template for this exact pair. See rent burdens, discretionary drift, and PPP commentary.

Open COL page

Remote benchmark

Need a borderless baseline? Run the remote analyzer across our tier-one city basket.

Remote comparison

More combinations

Interlink into adjacent hubs to keep crawlers following the mesh.

Frequently asked

Who wins for Software Engineer net pay: Singapore or Dubai?+
Dubai keeps about AED 449,740 more after tax (0.0% effective rate) compared to Singapore (18.8%).
How different are the cost-of-living profiles?+
Singapore posts a cost-of-living index of 50 and rent index of 63. Dubai comes in at 55 / 72. The purchasing power gap tightens once you factor in rent and lifestyle drift.
What salary uplift offsets Singapore's taxes?+
You would need roughly $553,680 in additional gross compensation to match the same take-home pay in Dubai.