How much does a chauffeur cost in Dubai? Hourly, daily and monthly
What a chauffeur costs in Dubai in 2026: hourly, half-day, full-day and monthly rates by car class, driver-only vs car with driver, and what's included.
Chauffeur operations specialist, Dubai · Updated · 7 min read
A chauffeur with a business sedan costs about AED 90–120 an hour in Dubai, AED 500–850 for a half day and AED 600–1,300 for a full ten-hour day, according to published Dubai rate cards in September 2026. A Mercedes S-Class full day runs AED 1,400–2,500, a large SUV AED 1,300–2,000 and a V-Class AED 1,400–1,600. Those prices include the car. To rent a car with driver in Dubai, you pay for both together.
That last point matters, because half the results for “chauffeur cost” in Dubai are for something else: a driver who drives your own car. We’ll separate the two first, then go through hourly, daily and monthly prices.
Car with chauffeur vs driver-only: two different products
| Car with chauffeur | Driver-only (“safe driver”) | |
|---|---|---|
| Who supplies the car | The chauffeur company | You |
| Fuel, Salik, insurance | Usually in the price (always, with us) | You pay |
| Typical use | Airport runs, meetings, tourists, events | Getting your own car home, a family car with no one to drive it |
| Car standard | Chosen by class: sedan, S-Class, SUV, van | Whatever you own |
A driver-only service looks cheaper on paper because the car, fuel and insurance aren’t in it. Dubai Taxi’s own driver-only service, for example, lists AED 250 for an 8-hour day and AED 3,500 a month (8 hours a day, 22 working days), plus VAT, with the customer supplying an insured car and fuel. If you don’t own a car in Dubai, it’s not an option. We only offer car with chauffeur.
Hourly, half-day and full-day chauffeur rates by car
Market ranges from published Dubai rate cards, September 2026:
| Car | Examples | Per hour | Half day | Full day (10 h) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business sedan | Mercedes E-Class, Lexus ES, BMW 5 Series | AED 90–120 | AED 500–850 | AED 600–1,300 |
| First-class sedan | Mercedes S-Class, BMW 7 Series | – | – | AED 1,400–2,500 |
| Large SUV | GMC Yukon, Cadillac Escalade | – | – | AED 1,300–2,000 |
| Luxury van | Mercedes V-Class | – | – | AED 1,400–1,600 |
| Ultra-luxury | Rolls-Royce Ghost | – | – | about AED 5,000 |
Blank cells are where rate cards didn’t publish consistent figures. An S-Class transfer, for comparison, runs about AED 400–500 one way. Our own rates for every class are on the pricing page.
How much do you pay for a chauffeur in Dubai?
You pay by the way you use the car: per trip, per hour, per day or per month. Each has a sweet spot.
- Per trip (transfer). One fixed price from A to B. Best for airport runs and single journeys.
- Per hour. The car and chauffeur stay with you; there’s a minimum, three hours with us. Best for shopping, dinners and a few meetings.
- Per day. Usually ten hours. Cheaper per hour than hourly hire. Best for full days of meetings or sightseeing.
- Per month. A dedicated chauffeur and car on an agreed schedule. Best when you need a car most working days.
Some worked examples using the market ranges above:
| Plan | Booking | Market cost |
|---|---|---|
| Four hours of shopping in a business sedan | 4 × AED 90–120 an hour | about AED 360–480 |
| A day of meetings, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., business sedan | Full day | AED 600–1,300 |
| Same day in an S-Class | Full day | AED 1,400–2,500 |
| Family of six, full day of sightseeing | V-Class full day | AED 1,400–1,600 |
How much to rent a car with a driver in Dubai for a day?
A full day with a business sedan and chauffeur costs AED 600–1,300 on published Dubai rate cards; an S-Class costs AED 1,400–2,500. The day normally means ten hours with one chauffeur. Going beyond Dubai changes the price: trips into another emirate carry a surcharge of about AED 125–200 per emirate on most cards. We have full local service in Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, so a day that starts in Dubai can include meetings there. See our chauffeur service in Dubai for how day hire works.
What does a monthly chauffeur cost?
A monthly chauffeur is priced as a package: car class, hours a day and days a week. That’s why you won’t find one honest market range. An 8-hour, five-day business sedan package and a 10-hour, six-day S-Class package are different products. Our packages are on the monthly driver service page, with fuel, Salik and VAT included.
If you’re weighing a monthly service against buying a car and hiring a driver, the labour-law limits on driver hours change the sum. We work through it in monthly chauffeur vs company car.
What’s included, and what isn’t
With us, the price includes the chauffeur, fuel, Salik tolls, airport parking, 5% VAT, bottled water and Wi-Fi. There’s no surge pricing and no night surcharge. Airport pickups come with flight tracking, meet and greet in arrivals and 45–60 minutes of free waiting.
What changes the price after booking:
- Extra hours. If the day runs over, the extra time is added.
- Another emirate. An unplanned trip to Abu Dhabi or the Northern Emirates.
- Late cancellation. Free up to 6 hours before pickup, 24 hours for Rolls-Royce and Bentley.
When comparing other quotes, add back anything they exclude. Salik alone is AED 6 per crossing at peak and AED 4 off-peak, plus 5% VAT since June 2026.
How to keep the cost down
- Book a transfer, not an hour, for one journey. An airport run on hourly hire wastes the minimum.
- Cluster your stops. Four meetings in DIFC and Business Bay fit a half day. The same four spread from Jebel Ali to Deira need a full day.
- Size the car to the people. Two people with carry-ons don’t need an SUV. Five people with luggage shouldn’t squeeze into two sedans when one V-Class does it.
- Price a full day once you pass about six hours. Depending on the rate card, the day rate can come out cheaper than paying by the hour.
- Go monthly if you use a car most days. Daily bookings add up faster than a package.
For stretch limousines and ultra-luxury cars, see our limousine price guide.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a private driver cost in Dubai?
A private driver with a car costs about AED 90–120 an hour or AED 600–1,300 for a ten-hour day in a business sedan, on published Dubai rate cards (September 2026). A driver-only service, where you supply the car, costs less but leaves you paying for the car, fuel, insurance and Salik.
How much to rent a car with a driver in Dubai?
Expect AED 500–850 for a half day and AED 600–1,300 for a full day with a business sedan, AED 1,400–2,500 for a full day in an S-Class and AED 1,300–2,000 in a large SUV. Fuel, Salik and VAT are included in our prices; check that they’re included in any quote you compare.
How much do you pay for a chauffeur per hour in Dubai?
About AED 90–120 an hour for a business sedan with chauffeur on published rate cards. Most companies set a minimum booking; ours is three hours. For a single journey, a fixed-price transfer is better value than hourly hire.
Can you hire a driver to drive you around Dubai for a day?
Yes. Book a full day, usually ten hours, and the chauffeur stays with you, waits at every stop and follows your plan. Trips into Abu Dhabi or Sharjah can be part of the same day; tell us when you book.
Do I need to tip a chauffeur in Dubai?
No. Tips aren’t part of the price and aren’t expected. If a chauffeur went out of their way on a long day, a tip is a personal choice.
Written by
Arshad HussainArshad Hussain has run chauffeur and limousine operations in Dubai since 2014: dispatch, fleet allocation, airport pickups and event transport.
LinkedIn