Dubai Metro Fare Calculator – Exact Prices for Every Route
Look up the exact cost of any Dubai Metro journey before you travel — every zone fare for Silver and Gold NOL cards, 30+ real journey examples covering all major routes, daily cap explained, monthly pass break-even calculation, and how to check your fare using the RTA S'hail app.
🥈 Silver NOL Card: Zone 1 AED 4.00 · Zone 2 AED 5.00 · All Zones AED 7.50 · Daily cap AED 18
🥇 Gold NOL Card: Zone 1 AED 8.00 · Zone 2 AED 10.00 · All Zones AED 14.00 · Daily cap AED 36
🔴 Red Ticket: Same zone fares + AED 2 card fee per ticket — no daily cap
🚌 Bus & Tram: AED 3 flat fare (Silver) · AED 3 (Gold, same rate)
📅 Monthly pass: AED 350 Silver / AED 700 Gold — unlimited all zones 30 days
How Dubai Metro Fares Are Calculated
Dubai Metro does not charge per station or per kilometre — it uses a three-tier zone system. The entire network is divided into fare zones, and your fare depends on how many zones your journey crosses between the station where you tap in and the station where you tap out. The system calculates this automatically — you never need to manually determine your zone before boarding.
The practical implication: a short 2-stop journey within the same zone costs the same as a longer 5-stop journey that stays within that same zone. Conversely, crossing into the next zone — even by one station — moves you to the higher fare band. This is why tapping out correctly at your actual destination matters — accidentally not tapping out triggers the maximum All Zones fare regardless of where you boarded.
Zone 1 — Short Journey
Journeys within the same fare zone — typically short hops of 1–4 stations within a contiguous area. Silver: AED 4.00 · Gold: AED 8.00
Examples: Union → BurJuman · Mall of Emirates → Al Barsha · Financial Centre → Business Bay
Zone 2 — Medium Journey
Journeys crossing one zone boundary — medium-distance trips across different parts of the city. Silver: AED 5.00 · Gold: AED 10.00
Examples: Airport T3 → Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall · GGICO → Emirates Towers · Deira City Centre → DIFC
All Zones — Long Journey
Long-distance journeys crossing multiple zone boundaries — typically end-to-end or near end-to-end travel. Silver: AED 7.50 · Gold: AED 14.00
Examples: Airport T3 → Dubai Marina · Rashidiya → UAE Exchange · Mall of Emirates → Creek
Dubai Metro Fare Table – All Card Types
| Fare Zone | 🥈 Silver NOL | 🥇 Gold NOL | 🎓 Student NOL | 🔵 Blue NOL | 🔴 Red Ticket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 1 | AED 4.00 | AED 8.00 | AED 2.00 | AED 1.00 | AED 4.00 + AED 2 card |
| Zone 2 | AED 5.00 | AED 10.00 | AED 2.50 | AED 1.50 | AED 5.00 + AED 2 card |
| All Zones | AED 7.50 | AED 14.00 | AED 4.00 | AED 2.00 | AED 7.50 + AED 2 card |
| Daily Cap | AED 18.00 | AED 36.00 | AED 9.00 | AED 4.00 | No cap |
| Bus (flat fare) | AED 3.00 | AED 3.00 | AED 1.50 | AED 0.75 | AED 3.00 + AED 2 card |
| Tram (flat fare) | AED 3.00 | AED 3.00 | AED 1.50 | AED 0.75 | AED 3.00 + AED 2 card |
Dubai Metro Fare by Route – 35 Common Journeys
Every fare below is the Silver NOL card fare — the most commonly used card. For Gold, multiply metro fares by approximately 1.85–1.87x (zone 1: ×2, zone 2: ×2, all zones: ×1.87). Bus and tram remain AED 3 for both Silver and Gold.
From Dubai Airport
| From | To | Zone | Silver Fare | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airport T3 (R3) | Burj Khalifa / Dubai Mall (R16) | Zone 2 | AED 5.00 | ~20 min |
| Airport T3 (R3) | Union (R7) | Zone 1 | AED 4.00 | ~12 min |
| Airport T3 (R3) | BurJuman (R8) | Zone 2 | AED 5.00 | ~15 min |
| Airport T3 (R3) | Mall of the Emirates (R20) | All Zones | AED 7.50 | ~30 min |
| Airport T3 (R3) | Dubai Marina (R27) | All Zones | AED 7.50 | ~38 min |
| Airport T3 (R3) | UAE Exchange (R35) | All Zones | AED 7.50 | ~55 min |
| Airport T3 (R3) | Gold Souk via Union → Al Ras (G20) | Zone 2 | AED 5.00 | ~25 min |
| Airport T1 (R2) | Burj Khalifa / Dubai Mall (R16) | Zone 2 | AED 5.00 | ~22 min |
Downtown & Sheikh Zayed Road
| From | To | Zone | Silver Fare | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall (R16) | Dubai Marina (R27) | Zone 1 | AED 4.00 | ~15 min |
| Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall (R16) | Mall of the Emirates (R20) | Zone 1 | AED 4.00 | ~10 min |
| Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall (R16) | Union (R7) | Zone 2 | AED 5.00 | ~18 min |
| Financial Centre / DIFC (R15) | Dubai Marina (R27) | Zone 1 | AED 4.00 | ~12 min |
| Business Bay (R17) | Mall of the Emirates (R20) | Zone 1 | AED 4.00 | ~8 min |
| Emirates Towers (R14) | DMCC (R26) | Zone 2 | AED 5.00 | ~18 min |
| World Trade Centre (R13) | Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall (R16) | Zone 1 | AED 4.00 | ~6 min |
Deira, Bur Dubai & Green Line
| From | To | Zone | Silver Fare | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Union (R7/G17) | Al Ras / Gold Souk (G20) | Zone 1 | AED 4.00 | ~8 min |
| BurJuman (R8/G6) | Al Fahidi / Dubai Museum (G5) | Zone 1 | AED 4.00 | ~5 min |
| BurJuman (R8/G6) | Creek / Dubai Frame (G1) | Zone 1 | AED 4.00 | ~12 min |
| Deira City Centre (R5) | Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall (R16) | Zone 2 | AED 5.00 | ~20 min |
| Mall of Emirates (R20) | Creek / Dubai Frame (G1) | All Zones | AED 7.50 | ~35 min |
| Dubai Marina (R27) | Gold Souk via Union → Al Ras (G20) | All Zones | AED 7.50 | ~40 min |
The AED 18 Daily Cap – How It Works in Practice
The daily cap is one of the most valuable features of the NOL card system — once your total fare deductions reach AED 18 in a single calendar day (midnight to midnight), every subsequent metro and bus journey that day is completely free. The cap resets at midnight. This means heavy daily users are automatically protected from paying more than AED 18 regardless of how many trips they take.
| Journey | Fare | Running Total | Cap Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morning: Home → Work (Zone 2) | AED 5.00 | AED 5.00 | Below cap |
| Lunch: Work → Mall + back (Zone 1 × 2) | AED 8.00 | AED 13.00 | Below cap |
| Evening: Work → Home (Zone 2) | AED 5.00 | AED 18.00 | Cap reached ✓ |
| Night: Home → Dinner (Zone 1) | AED 0.00 | AED 18.00 | ✅ Free — cap active |
| Night: Return home (Zone 1) | AED 0.00 | AED 18.00 | ✅ Free — cap active |
Pay-Per-Trip vs Monthly Pass – Which Costs Less?
The decision between pay-per-trip and the AED 350 monthly pass depends entirely on your actual usage pattern. The monthly pass only makes financial sense if your regular monthly spend on pay-per-trip fares would exceed AED 350.
| Commuter Profile | Monthly Pay-Per-Trip Cost | Monthly Pass | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 1 return, 20 working days | AED 4 × 2 × 20 = AED 160 | AED 350 | Pay-per-trip cheaper |
| Zone 2 return, 20 working days | AED 5 × 2 × 20 = AED 200 | AED 350 | Pay-per-trip cheaper |
| All Zones return, 20 working days | AED 7.50 × 2 × 20 = AED 300 | AED 350 | Close — depends on extras |
| Metro + bus daily, Zone 2, 20 days | (AED 5 + AED 3) × 2 × 20 = AED 320 | AED 350 | Near break-even |
| Daily cap hit every day (20 days) | AED 18 × 20 = AED 360 | AED 350 | Monthly pass saves AED 10+ |
| Metro + bus + weekend use | AED 400–500+ | AED 350 | Monthly pass clearly better |
How to Calculate Your Exact Fare Before Travelling
📱 RTA S'hail App (Most Accurate)
Enter your origin and destination — any address or station name — and S'hail calculates the exact fare, journey time, and line changes. Shows real-time departure countdowns. Free on iOS and Android. Most accurate method for exact fares including multi-line journeys.
🗺️ Google Maps Transit
Select transit mode in Google Maps — it shows the metro route, fare estimate, and journey time. Good for quick checks without a dedicated RTA app. Fare estimates are generally accurate for standard journeys.
🏧 Metro TVM
At any metro station TVM, select "Journey Planner" or "Fare Enquiry" — enter origin and destination stations to see exact fare before purchasing a Red Ticket or topping up your NOL card.
📊 This Page's Tables
For the 35 most common Dubai Metro journeys, use the fare tables above — every major route from airport, Downtown, Marina, Deira, and Bur Dubai is listed with confirmed Silver fares and journey times.