Three city markets, different tradeoffs. Compare Dubai, Tbilisi and Batumi, then explore what your purchase could cost.
Evidence viewed 2026-11-02. Benchmarks are converted for reading only; each keeps its published currency and source date. Score unavailable: lower purchase price uses different or unverified measurement bases across these markets. Read the benchmarks separately; your priorities have been kept.
| Question | Dubai | Tbilisi | Batumi |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price / m² | Approx. EUR 4,682 / m² Source price: AED 19,160 / m² | EUR 1,490 / m² | EUR 1,536 / m² |
| Gross rental yield | 5.53% | 7.20% | 7.80% |
| Purchase taxes | Not published | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Foreign ownership | Conditions apply | Generally open | Generally open |
| Nonresident mortgage | Conditions apply | Conditions apply | Conditions apply |
| Residence from ownership | Conditions apply | Conditions apply | Conditions apply |
Investors who can verify foreign-ownership eligibility, price the exact building's annual costs and assess a completed apartment independently of an off-plan sales pitch.
Check before buying: Service charges and purchase fees reduce the cash available after rent.
Read the Dubai researchInvestors prepared to investigate a specific Tbilisi apartment and test its expenses and tenant demand against a dated local sample.
Check before buying: Asking listings can include duplicate or unachievable prices; achieved sales and occupancy are not measured.
Read the Tbilisi researchInvestors prepared to investigate a specific Batumi apartment and test its expenses and tenant demand against a dated local sample.
Check before buying: Asking listings can include duplicate or unachievable prices; achieved sales and occupancy are not measured.
Read the Batumi researchApprox. EUR 4,682 / m²
Source price: AED 19,160 / m²
Converted at 1 AED = 0.244357 EUR. Reference date: AED 2026-10-30. Indicative exchange rates.
Dubai citywide apartment registered-sales price trend; not ready-only or a national UAE average. · July 2026
Registered-transaction price trend; report does not supply a constituent sample count for this series.
EUR 1,490 / m²
Middle 50% of the asking-price sample: EUR 1,196 – EUR 1,822 / m²
Georgia · Tbilisi apartment sample: 372 sale listings and 381 rental listings. Asking listings, not a national average. · 2026-11
Archived Tbilisi asking listings; separate sale and rental samples, not matched properties. · 372 sale listings · 381 rental listings
EUR 1,536 / m²
Middle 50% of the asking-price sample: EUR 1,288 – EUR 1,868 / m²
Georgia · Batumi apartment sample: 382 sale listings and 383 rental listings. Asking listings, not a national average. · 2026-11
Archived Batumi asking listings; separate sale and rental samples, not matched properties. · 382 sale listings · 383 rental listings
5.53%
Dubai apartment asking listings across the locations and sizes in the publisher's table; not all UAE property or holiday accommodation. · Q2 2026
7.20%
Georgia · Tbilisi apartment sample: 372 sale listings and 381 rental listings. Asking listings, not a national average. · 2026-11
Archived Tbilisi asking listings; separate sale and rental samples, not matched properties. · 372 sale listings · 381 rental listings
7.80%
Georgia · Batumi apartment sample: 382 sale listings and 383 rental listings. Asking listings, not a national average. · 2026-11
Archived Batumi asking listings; separate sale and rental samples, not matched properties. · 382 sale listings · 383 rental listings
UAE: ownership rules depend on the emirate
The UAE Government distinguishes ownership rules by emirate. Dubai allows foreign buyers, including nonresidents, to own freehold property in designated areas. Verify the specific title and designated area; this is not permission to buy any UAE land.
Reviewed: 2026-09-09UAE Government — foreign property ownership by emirate
Apartments and non-agricultural property
Georgia's Civil Code permits persons from other countries to participate in private-law property transactions. Acquisition of immovable property requires a written transaction and registration. Check the parcel's actual registered category and encumbrances; a property advertisement is not proof of title.
Reviewed: 2026-09-07Matsne — Civil Code of Georgia, Articles 8 and 183
Agricultural land needs separate legal review
The Organic Law restricts foreign ownership of agricultural land. Exceptions include inheritance and certain Georgian entities with a government-approved investment plan. Forming a local company alone does not remove the restriction. A house situated on agricultural land needs review of the underlying parcel.
Reviewed: 2026-09-07Matsne — Organic Law on Agricultural Land Ownership
Apartments and non-agricultural property
Georgia's Civil Code permits persons from other countries to participate in private-law property transactions. Acquisition of immovable property requires a written transaction and registration. Check the parcel's actual registered category and encumbrances; a property advertisement is not proof of title.
Reviewed: 2026-09-07Matsne — Civil Code of Georgia, Articles 8 and 183
Agricultural land needs separate legal review
The Organic Law restricts foreign ownership of agricultural land. Exceptions include inheritance and certain Georgian entities with a government-approved investment plan. Forming a local company alone does not remove the restriction. A house situated on agricultural land needs review of the underlying parcel.
Reviewed: 2026-09-07Matsne — Organic Law on Agricultural Land Ownership
Dubai: registration is only one part of cash required
DLD lists 2% of sale value for the buyer and 2% for the seller. Confirm the signed agreement's actual allocation before budgeting. Trustee, title/map, applicable VAT on services, broker and other transaction charges are additional. These Dubai fees are not a UAE-wide tax rate or an all-in buying-cost estimate.
Reviewed: 2026-09-09Dubai Land Department — property sale registration
Dubai: check the building's service charge
Use DLD's Service Charge Index for the project, use and budget year, then obtain the unit's current statement and any outstanding or planned charges. A country-average maintenance allowance cannot replace the building's actual annual cost.
Reviewed: 2026-09-09Dubai Land Department — Service Charge Index
Registration is a fee, not an all-in cost
NAPR lists registration of an immovable-property right at GEL 150 within four working days. Faster processing and other services have separate charges. Legal review, translation, surveying and transaction-specific taxes are additional.
Reviewed: 2026-09-07NAPR — Immovable Property Registration fees
Registration is a fee, not an all-in cost
NAPR lists registration of an immovable-property right at GEL 150 within four working days. Faster processing and other services have separate charges. Legal review, translation, surveying and transaction-specific taxes are additional.
Reviewed: 2026-09-07NAPR — Immovable Property Registration fees
A tax rate is not the total cost. Ask for an itemised estimate for the property.
UAE: personal ownership and licensed business differ
FTA guidance distinguishes qualifying real-estate investment by a natural person from activities conducted through, or requiring, a licence. Corporate-tax treatment therefore depends on the ownership and operating arrangement. Holiday accommodation and service VAT need separate checks; your country of tax residence may also tax income or gains.
Reviewed: 2026-09-09Federal Tax Authority — real-estate investment for natural persons
Qualifying residential rent: 5% of income
The Revenue Service describes a 5% income-tax rate for an individual letting residential space for residential purposes without deducting expenses. Eligibility and the actual use matter. This is not a general net-return estimate or a blanket rate for every accommodation business.
Reviewed: 2026-09-07Georgia Revenue Service — residential letting tax guidance
Property and land are assessed separately
The Revenue Service property-tax calculator distinguishes household-income bands up to GEL 40,000, GEL 40,000–100,000 and over GEL 100,000, and separates land from other property. Use the property's municipality, classification and the relevant household-income rules to establish liability.
Reviewed: 2026-09-07Georgia Revenue Service — property-tax calculator
Qualifying residential rent: 5% of income
The Revenue Service describes a 5% income-tax rate for an individual letting residential space for residential purposes without deducting expenses. Eligibility and the actual use matter. This is not a general net-return estimate or a blanket rate for every accommodation business.
Reviewed: 2026-09-07Georgia Revenue Service — residential letting tax guidance
Property and land are assessed separately
The Revenue Service property-tax calculator distinguishes household-income bands up to GEL 40,000, GEL 40,000–100,000 and over GEL 100,000, and separates land from other property. Use the property's municipality, classification and the relevant household-income rules to establish liability.
Reviewed: 2026-09-07Georgia Revenue Service — property-tax calculator
UAE: investment lending needs an individual offer
CBUAE sets loan-to-value, affordability and other limits, with different treatment for owner-occupied and investment property. A regulatory maximum is not a nonresident mortgage offer. Obtain lender confirmation of nationality, income, deposit, property eligibility and total fees before committing.
Reviewed: 2026-09-09CBUAE — mortgage-loan regulations
Borrowing in foreign currency carries a lower loan-to-value ceiling
The National Bank of Georgia's responsible-lending regulation caps payment-to-income and loan-to-value for loans to individuals, and the ceilings differ by currency: the published loan-to-value maximum is 85% for lari lending and 70% for foreign-currency lending, with stricter payment-to-income limits where the borrower's income is not in the loan currency. Expect a larger deposit for a euro or dollar loan than the lari headline suggests.
Reviewed: 2026-09-12National Bank of Georgia — regulation on responsible lending to natural persons
Borrowing in foreign currency carries a lower loan-to-value ceiling
The National Bank of Georgia's responsible-lending regulation caps payment-to-income and loan-to-value for loans to individuals, and the ceilings differ by currency: the published loan-to-value maximum is 85% for lari lending and 70% for foreign-currency lending, with stricter payment-to-income limits where the borrower's income is not in the loan currency. Expect a larger deposit for a euro or dollar loan than the lari headline suggests.
Reviewed: 2026-09-12National Bank of Georgia — regulation on responsible lending to natural persons
Lenders set their own terms. Confirm eligibility and total charges before counting on a mortgage.
Dubai: holiday homes require DET approval
DET requires apartments and villas offered as holiday homes to be registered and approved before listing. This differs from an ordinary long-term tenancy. Verify the unit's eligibility, permit, building restrictions and operating costs; the published apartment yield is not a holiday-let forecast.
Reviewed: 2026-09-09Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism — holiday-home permit
Research implication: check the accommodation category
The sourced tax concession is expressly tied to residential letting. Before modelling a holiday apartment, confirm the accommodation activity's tax and operating treatment and any building restrictions. This dataset has not verified a nationwide short-term-rental licensing position.
Reviewed: 2026-09-07Georgia Revenue Service — residential letting tax guidance
Research implication: check the accommodation category
The sourced tax concession is expressly tied to residential letting. Before modelling a holiday apartment, confirm the accommodation activity's tax and operating treatment and any building restrictions. This dataset has not verified a nationwide short-term-rental licensing position.
Reviewed: 2026-09-07Georgia Revenue Service — residential letting tax guidance
Short-let rules are set locally. Check the specific address before planning nightly rates.
UAE: a purchase does not automatically grant residence
ICP's real-estate investor entry-permit route requires evidence of property ownership worth at least AED 2 million, as well as conditions including full ownership, health insurance and passport validity. Confirm the current route, financing treatment and personal eligibility with the issuing authority before relying on a purchase for residence.
Reviewed: 2026-09-09ICP — real-estate investor residency entry permit
Property can support an application, not automatic residence
The State Services Development Agency lists a short-term residence route for non-agricultural immovable property with an independently assessed market value exceeding USD 150,000 equivalent in GEL. It requires an application, lawful-stay evidence, title and an accredited valuation. Purchase price alone does not establish eligibility.
Reviewed: 2026-09-07State Services Development Agency — residence permits
Property can support an application, not automatic residence
The State Services Development Agency lists a short-term residence route for non-agricultural immovable property with an independently assessed market value exceeding USD 150,000 equivalent in GEL. It requires an application, lawful-stay evidence, title and an accredited valuation. Purchase price alone does not establish eligibility.
Reviewed: 2026-09-07State Services Development Agency — residence permits
Owning property does not by itself grant residence.
FX reference date: 2026-10-30. Conversions stop when required rates are more than 14 days old. Original scenario amounts retain their own currency.
Your next step in Georgia
Request a free call with David Lee, SafeBuy’s co-founder and a British investor in Georgian property and land. Discuss your budget, the practical buying process and the checks a specific property needs.
SafeBuy provides purchase support in Georgia. Our international research is free to use. The call is optional and carries no obligation.
SafeBuy editorial analysis
Investigate Dubai when its particular buildings and ownership structure suit your plans. Ask for the approved service charges and establish who pays each acquisition cost before deciding that a headline yield works for you.
A registered citywide sale-price series adds context, but does not establish the value or rental performance of a ready apartment in one development.
Read the Dubai researchInvestigate Tbilisi through the districts and apartment types in SafeBuy’s local sample. For a long-term rental plan, compare the asking rent with the asking purchase price and then allow for vacancy, repairs and management.
The listing sample is a way to investigate the market. It does not tell you the final negotiated price or confirm that a comparable apartment is currently available.
Explore Tbilisi propertiesInvestigate Batumi separately from Tbilisi. Establish whether the apartment is intended for long-term tenants, personal use or holiday letting, and request evidence for that operating plan.
A holiday-let proposal needs monthly occupancy, management terms and building restrictions. The long-term scenario above does not forecast seasonal bookings or validate a developer’s return guarantee.
Explore Batumi propertiesWe reuse the archived Georgia Property Price Index rather than copying its figures into a second dataset. The observations below stay tied to the cited monthly sample, and the two cities remain separate.
Georgia · Tbilisi apartment sample: 372 sale listings and 381 rental listings. Asking listings, not a national average.
2026-11. The price range shown in the comparison is the middle 50% of asking prices, not a promised minimum and maximum.
Georgia · Batumi apartment sample: 382 sale listings and 383 rental listings. Asking listings, not a national average.
2026-11. The price range shown in the comparison is the middle 50% of asking prices, not a promised minimum and maximum.
A rent-to-price ratio calculated from separate listing samples is a gross proxy. It excludes purchase costs and operating expenses. Differences in source method, city coverage and property mix prevent a precise “this city is X% cheaper” conclusion from these observations alone.
If Georgia fits your shortlist, SafeBuy connects the research to actual properties and local purchase support. Check the property and land classification before committing.
Each figure and rule in the comparison links to its source and review date. The scenario uses your inputs, not a SafeBuy forecast. The analysis is prepared by the SafeBuy research team; our commercial purchase support is in Georgia.