The kitchen is the most expensive single room in any Dubai apartment or villa renovation, and the one where owners most underestimate the budget. A kitchen renovation in Dubai in 2026 can cost anywhere from AED 25,000 for a cabinet-and-counter refresh to AED 250,000+ for a fully bespoke luxury kitchen. This guide breaks down where every dirham goes. For a fixed-price quote on your own kitchen, our renovation services include a full kitchen scope after one site visit.
The three kitchen renovation tiers
Kitchen pricing in Dubai separates cleanly into three tiers based on what you replace versus reuse:
- Budget refresh (AED 25,000–AED 55,000) — new cabinet doors and counters, new tap, repaint existing carcasses, new lighting. Layout and MEP unchanged.
- Standard rebuild (AED 70,000–AED 140,000) — full new cabinetry, new stone counters, new mid-range appliances, new sink and tap, new tiling, minor MEP adjustment.
- Luxury / bespoke (AED 160,000–AED 280,000+) — custom joinery, premium stone (quartz or marble slabs), high-end appliances, layout reconfiguration, full MEP reroute, feature lighting and pocket doors.
Where the money goes: line-by-line
Cabinetry (30–40% of budget)
Cabinetry is the largest single cost. Off-the-shelf modular cabinets from brands available in Dubai start around AED 18,000 for a standard 3m run. Semi-custom cabinetry runs AED 35,000–AED 70,000. Fully bespoke joinery — built on site or to order — runs AED 80,000–AED 160,000. The difference is material, finish (polyester lacquer vs vinyl wrap vs real wood veneer), and hardware (Blum vs premium lines).
Countertops (12–18% of budget)
Countertop pricing is driven by stone choice and slab size. Engineered quartz is the Dubai default: AED 1,200–AED 2,500 per linear metre installed. Granite runs AED 900–AED 1,800. Marble — Calacatta or Carrara — runs AED 2,500–AED 5,000 per metre and requires more maintenance in a hot, humid kitchen. For a typical 3–4 metre run with an island, budget AED 12,000–AED 40,000.
Appliances (15–25% of budget)
Appliance spend is the most variable line. A mid-range built-in set (oven, hob, extractor, dishwasher, fridge) from Bosch or Smeg runs AED 18,000–AED 35,000. A premium set from Miele, Gaggenau or Wolf runs AED 60,000–AED 120,000. Decide your appliance tier before cabinetry is designed — the cabinets are built around the appliance specs, not the other way round.
MEP — mechanical, electrical, plumbing (12–18% of budget)
If the layout stays the same, MEP is light: AED 6,000–AED 15,000 for new sockets, lighting circuit, and a new sink waste. If you move the sink or hob, you reroute water, drainage and gas — AED 20,000–AED 45,000. Gas relocation in particular requires a Dubai Municipality-approved gas contractor and adds inspection time.
Tiling and flooring (8–12% of budget)
Kitchen floor and splashback tiling runs AED 8,000–AED 25,000 depending on tile choice. Large-format porcelain splashbacks are popular in 2026 because they minimise grout lines and suit UAE humidity.
Lighting and finishes (5–8% of budget)
Under-cabinet LED, pendant lights over an island, and feature lighting run AED 5,000–AED 18,000. Good lighting is what makes a kitchen feel expensive even when the cabinetry is mid-range — do not under-spend here.
Labour and project management (10–15% of budget)
Carpenters, tilers, plumbers, electricians, painters and a site supervisor. On a standard rebuild, labour runs AED 15,000–AED 30,000. Project management is typically 8–12% of the total kitchen cost and is what keeps the trades sequenced correctly.
Apartment vs villa kitchen costs
Apartment kitchens are smaller and usually single-run or L-shaped. A standard apartment kitchen rebuild lands at AED 70,000–AED 120,000. Villa kitchens are larger, often with an island and a separate pantry or dirty kitchen, pushing the standard rebuild to AED 120,000–AED 200,000 and luxury bespoke to AED 250,000+. Our renovation team quotes both.
Hidden kitchen costs in Dubai
- Gas relocation — requires an approved gas contractor and inspection; AED 4,000–AED 12,000.
- Extractor ducting — recirculating is cheaper but charcoal filters need replacing; ducted to facade needs an NOC in many towers.
- Appliance lead times — premium imported appliances can run 6–10 weeks; order at approval stage.
- Stone templating — counters are templated only after cabinets are installed, adding 7–10 days.
How to keep a kitchen renovation on budget
First, fix the layout. Moving the sink or hob is the single biggest cost multiplier in a kitchen. Second, pick appliances before cabinetry is designed. Third, choose stone early — slab selection and lead time drive the critical path. Fourth, use a fixed-price contract with a named appliance and stone schedule, the model we use on every kitchen under our renovation services in Dubai.
The bottom line
A realistic 2026 kitchen renovation budget in Dubai is AED 90,000 for a standard apartment rebuild, AED 150,000 for a villa standard rebuild, and AED 220,000+ for a luxury bespoke kitchen. Add 10% contingency. The kitchen is the room that sells a property and anchors daily life — it is worth budgeting for properly, and worth a fixed-price quote before you start.
