Dubai Apartment Prices Fall 8.3% in Sept; Villa Price per Sq Ft Rises
Dubai's housing market recorded mixed price movements in September. The median apartment price fell 8.3% year on year, while the median price per square foot for villas rose 7.7%. Townhouse prices also diverged between the primary market, where properties are sold directly by developers, and the resale market, according to DXB Interact data reviewed by Al Masdar Al Aqaari.
Villas in the primary market recorded the sharpest annual increase in price per square foot, at 21.8%. The figures varied by property type and sales channel, however, and changes in median prices do not necessarily reflect like-for-like changes in the value of comparable homes.
The data are based on median transaction prices: half of recorded transactions were above the median and half below it. The median is not the same as the average.
Dubai apartment prices in September 2026
The median apartment price fell 8.3% year on year to about $317,300 (AED 1.17 million). The median price per square foot declined 3.5% to about $456 (AED 1,676).
In the primary market, the median apartment price fell 11.5% to about $309,200 (AED 1.14 million), while the median price per square foot dropped 4.9% to about $464 (AED 1,703).
Resale apartments moved in the opposite direction. Their median price rose 5.4% to about $344,400 (AED 1.26 million), and the median price per square foot increased 2.6% to about $416 (AED 1,528).
The median price per square foot for primary-market apartments was about 11.5% higher than for resales, even though the median resale apartment price was higher.
Over 12 years, the median apartment price rose from about $265,500 (AED 975,000) in September 2014 to $317,300 (AED 1.17 million) in September 2026, an increase of roughly 19.5%.
Dubai villa prices in September 2026
The median price per square foot for villas rose 7.7% year on year to about $427 (AED 1,568). The median villa price, however, fell 3% to about $1.33 million (AED 4.9 million).
Villas in the primary market recorded the strongest increase in price per square foot among the property types covered, with the median rising 21.8% to about $449 (AED 1,650).
The median price of primary-market villas nevertheless fell 3% to about $1.32 million (AED 4.85 million), from AED 5 million in September 2025.
Resale villas recorded declines in both measures. Their median price fell 9.1% to about $1.35 million (AED 4.96 million), while the median price per square foot dropped 6.4% to about $408 (AED 1,497).
The median price per square foot for primary-market villas was about 10.2% higher than for resales, although median villa prices were close across the two segments.
Over 12 years, the median price per square foot for villas increased from AED 687 in September 2014 to AED 1,568 in September 2026, a rise of about 128%.
Dubai townhouse prices in September 2026
Townhouses recorded the steepest decline in median price among the three residential property types. The median fell 13.3% year on year to about $830,800 (AED 3.05 million). The median price per square foot edged up 0.8% to about $401 (AED 1,473).
In the primary market, the median price per square foot rose 5.1% to about $398 (AED 1,462), compared with AED 1,391 in September 2025.
The median price of primary-market townhouses, however, fell sharply from AED 4.15 million to about $474,000 (AED 1.74 million), a decline of roughly 58.1% in a year. That does not necessarily mean comparable homes lost value at the same rate. Differences in the size, location and features of the properties sold can affect the median between periods.
In the resale market, the median townhouse price rose 5.3% to about $939,400 (AED 3.45 million), while the median price per square foot fell 2% to about $405 (AED 1,487). The resale median reached its highest level in the historical series covered by the data.
Did Dubai property prices fall in September 2026?
The September figures do not point to a uniform rise or fall across Dubai's property market. Median prices declined for apartments, villas and townhouses, while the median price per square foot rose for villas and townhouses and fell for apartments.
The strongest increase in price per square foot came from villas in the primary market. In the resale market, median prices rose for apartments and townhouses.
The differences reflect how price trends can vary by property type and sales channel. A shift in the median does not necessarily represent a like-for-like change in home values, since the mix of properties sold—including their size, location and features—can change from one period to another.
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