The financial district on Sheikh Zayed Road, now adding homes to its offices. Most of the new towers are by DIFC itself, with two hotel-branded projects beside them.
0.5 kmin a straight line to Financial Centre metro station on the Red Line
1.4 kmto The Dubai Mall in a straight line
5.9%DLD gross rental yield on 1-bed flats in the area
2027 to 2029when most projects we list are due, three of them in late 2029
DIFC has always been offices, restaurants and galleries. Now it is building homes: three of the five projects we list are by the financial centre itself. Prices run from about AED 1.5 million for a 1-bed at DIFC Living to about AED 33.7 million at Four Seasons Private Residences.
You can walk to work, the metro and dinner. Green space is the weak point: the nearest park is about 0.8 km away in a straight line.
The Gate Avenue
0.2 km
A long row of shops, cafés and restaurants through the middle of DIFC, and the closest thing to a high street here.
Al Satwa Park 3
0.8 km
The nearest park on our map, a neighbourhood park in Al Satwa.
Al Khazzan Park
1.5 km
A neighbourhood park next to City Walk, 1.5 km in a straight line.
Central Park at City Walk
2.1 km
A park inside City Walk, with shops and cafés around it.
Akala Hotels and Residences, image 3
Swim
Most of the towers we list mention a pool. The nearest beach, La Mer, is about 3 km away in a straight line.
Your building's pool
Most projects
Most of the projects we list mention a pool. Four Seasons Private Residences and Akala Hotels and Residences are hotel-branded, so ask what is shared with hotel guests and what it adds to the service charge.
La Mer
3.1 km
A public beach on the Jumeirah coast, the nearest to DIFC. A drive, not a walk.
Akala Hotels and Residences, image 4
Eat
Most of the eating out is in Gate Village and along The Gate Avenue. Nearly every project we list is within 0.5 km of the centre; The Residences DIFC Zabeel District, at 1.2 km, is the exception.
Gate Avenue cafés
Breakfast
Cafés and casual places along The Gate Avenue, 0.2 km from the centre in a straight line.
Gate Village
Dinner
Low buildings around The Gate with restaurants and art galleries, a short walk from most of the new towers.
The Dubai Mall
1.4 km
One Red Line stop from Financial Centre to Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall. The nearest big mall, for the weekly shop.
The Residences DIFC Zabeel District, image 3
A Saturday in DIFC
A weekend day close to home, with the rest of the city one metro stop away.
8:00Breakfast at a café on The Gate Avenue.
10:00A walk round the galleries in Gate Village.
12:00One stop on the metro to Dubai Mall for the weekly shop.
16:00A drive to La Mer for the beach, about 3 km in a straight line.
20:00Dinner in Gate Village.
What homes cost
Off-plan apartments sold most often here, at a median of AED 4,310,000 in the last 12 months.
The median is the middle price: half the homes sold for more, half for less. A sea view or a high floor can cost a lot more than the median.
Source: Dubai Land Department, sales in the 12 months to Sep 30, 2026.
Ready apartments
1 bedroom35 salesAED 2,156,000
2 bedrooms52 salesAED 3,033,000
3 bedrooms32 salesAED 5,200,000
4 bedrooms1 saleNot enough sales for a median. A median needs at least 30 sales in 12 months.
Off-plan apartments
1 bedroom269 salesAED 2,460,000
2 bedrooms305 salesAED 4,649,000
3 bedrooms93 salesAED 7,806,000
4 bedrooms11 salesNot enough sales for a median. A median needs at least 30 sales in 12 months.
5 or more bedrooms3 salesNot enough sales for a median. A median needs at least 30 sales in 12 months.
Off-plan apartments: median price in the 12 months to each dateOff-plan apartments: the median price went from AED 3,401,000 in the 12 months to Dec 31, 2024 to AED 4,310,000 in the 12 months to Sep 30, 2026.
Dec 31, 2024AED 3,401,000
Sep 30, 2026AED 4,310,000
Show as tableShow as chart
12 months to
Median price
Sales
Sep 30, 2026
AED 4,310,000
685 sales
Jun 30, 2026
AED 4,249,000
941 sales
Mar 31, 2026
AED 4,128,000
634 sales
Dec 31, 2025
AED 4,295,000
430 sales
Sep 30, 2025
AED 3,930,000
340 sales
Jun 30, 2025
AED 3,123,000
40 sales
Mar 31, 2025
AED 3,188,000
43 sales
Dec 31, 2024
AED 3,401,000
63 sales
Sales in 12 months
811
Off-plan: 685 sales, against 126 ready homes
84%
Off-plan apartments: median price
AED 4,310,000
Off-plan apartments: median price per sq ft
AED 3,236 per sq ft
Off-plan apartments: median price compared with a year earlier
Up 10%
Sales and rents from Dubai Land Department open data. DLD area: Zaabeel Second.
Rents and yields
The median yearly rent of new Ejari contracts, and the gross yield: a year's rent before costs, as a share of the median price of ready homes. We show a yield only where both have at least 30 contracts and sales.
Ready apartments
Bedrooms
Median rent a year
Contracts
Gross yield
1 bedroom
AED 125,000
190
5.9%
2 bedrooms
AED 185,000
276
5.8%
3 bedrooms
AED 285,000
123
5.4%
Rents from Ejari, Dubai's register of rent contracts, Apr 1, 2025 to Mar 31, 2026. Prices from Dubai Land Department.
It suits couples and people who work here better than families. GEMS Wellington Primary School is the only school within 1 km on our map (0.9 km in a straight line), the nearest park, Al Satwa Park 3, is about 0.8 km away, and Mediclinic is 1.3 km away.
Is there a metro in DIFC?
Yes. Financial Centre station on the Red Line is about 0.5 km in a straight line from the centre, and Emirates Towers station is 0.8 km away. Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall is the next stop towards Business Bay.
What will a 1-bed off-plan flat cost in DIFC?
In the projects we list, flats that start at one bedroom are priced from about AED 1.5 million to AED 3.9 million. DLD figures for Zaabeel Second, the DLD area that covers DIFC, put the median off-plan 1-bed sale at about AED 2.46 million in the year to September 2026, against about AED 2.16 million for a ready one. Prices were checked in November 2026 and change as units sell.
Why is one project priced from AED 33.7 million?
Four Seasons Private Residences, by H&H Investments and Development, has only 3 to 5 bedroom homes, from about 4,850 to 18,440 sq ft. The other projects start at one bedroom. DIFC Living also lists villa and office units next to its flats, so ask the developer what those are.
When will the new DIFC towers be finished?
Four Seasons Private Residences is due soon, in January 2027. DIFC Heights Tower, Akala Hotels and Residences and The Residences DIFC Zabeel District are due in late 2029. DIFC Living had a September 2026 date, which may be out of date, so ask the developer. The DLD register for the area shows one project under way at about 14% complete and two not yet started.
