# DIFC or Masdar City Free Zone > Compare DIFC and Masdar City Free Zone on the same rows: starting packages at each visa count, licence and residency-visa timelines, renewal, facilities and remote paperwork. Every figure is read from the two guide pages. - Canonical: https://dubaisetupindex.com/compare/difc-vs-masdar-city - Updated: 2026-10-09 - Publication: below the publication gate (No decision value beyond the activity name) - Method: https://dubaisetupindex.com/methodology ## Verdict No like-for-like starting price is published for DIFC and Masdar City Free Zone, so the cost side of this comparison is open. Decide on activity fit, location and an itemised quote for your case. Read from the same published figures as the table. Activity eligibility, approvals and the full first year still decide the route. ## Side by side Package figures cover their stated inclusions only. Activity eligibility, the full first-year cost and renewal still need confirmation for your case. | Metric | DIFC (Free zone) | Masdar City Free Zone (Free zone) | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | From, no visa | Not published | Not published | | From, one visa | Not published | Not published | | From, two visas | Not published | Not published | | Lowest package price | Not published | Not published | | Licence issued in | 3–5 business days | 1 calendar day (The authority advertises a digital licence in one day.) | | Residency visa in | Not published | Not published | | Renewal price | Not published | Not published | | Licence types | Non-regulated commercial, DFSA-regulated financial | Clean tech, Sustainability, Services | | Facility options | Office, Coworking within DIFC | Office, Campus facilities | | Visa options | Not published | Not published | | Remote paperwork | No | No | | Activity guides catalogued | Not published | Not published | Each figure comes from the same source as its guide page. ### Not published - DIFC · From, no visa: Checked 2026-10-09: A public handbook/fee schedule exists, but direct retrieval was rate-limited. No instant company-and-visa calculator was located; licence category, premises and immigration costs require a scoped quote. - Masdar City Free Zone · From, no visa: Checked 2026-10-09: A three-step calculator exists, including LLC and 1–10 visas. The summary shows no numeric price before Finish, which requires accepting terms; it was not submitted. Public Startup / Business One / Enterprise / Innovation prices are available, but the package page does not establish a 12-month term. Business One includes medical and Emirates ID application. - DIFC · From, one visa: Checked 2026-10-09: A public handbook/fee schedule exists, but direct retrieval was rate-limited. No instant company-and-visa calculator was located; licence category, premises and immigration costs require a scoped quote. - Masdar City Free Zone · From, one visa: A 1-visa product is published, but it does not confirm included visas or is not a like-for-like package. It is listed under other published prices. - DIFC · From, two visas: Checked 2026-10-09: A public handbook/fee schedule exists, but direct retrieval was rate-limited. No instant company-and-visa calculator was located; licence category, premises and immigration costs require a scoped quote. - Masdar City Free Zone · From, two visas: A 2-visa product is published, but it does not confirm included visas or is not a like-for-like package. It is listed under other published prices. - DIFC · Lowest package price: No comparable company package price is confirmed. Other published fees and products are listed separately. - Masdar City Free Zone · Lowest package price: No comparable company package price is confirmed. Other published fees and products are listed separately. - DIFC · Residency visa in: No published residency-visa processing time was found for this zone. - Masdar City Free Zone · Residency visa in: No published residency-visa processing time was found for this zone. - DIFC · Renewal price: No published renewal price, term or penalty was found. - Masdar City Free Zone · Renewal price: No complete public renewal detail was found. - DIFC · Visa options: No visa options recorded for this jurisdiction. - Masdar City Free Zone · Visa options: No visa options recorded for this jurisdiction. - DIFC · Activity guides catalogued: We have not published authored activity guides for DIFC (Dubai International Financial Centre). Confirm the selected licence line and approvals with the authority. - Masdar City Free Zone · Activity guides catalogued: We have not published authored activity guides for Masdar City Free Zone. Confirm the selected licence line and approvals with the authority. ## Check before choosing ### DIFC Confirm activity restrictions, premises and visa requirements for your case. [Read the DIFC guide](https://dubaisetupindex.com/free-zones/difc) ### Masdar City Free Zone Confirm activity restrictions, premises and visa requirements for your case. [Read the Masdar City Free Zone guide](https://dubaisetupindex.com/free-zones/masdar-city) ## Frequently asked questions ### How are the prices compared? Only package prices at the same visa count and term are ranked against each other. A calculator output, a licence-only estimate or a product flagged as not like for like is shown in the table but never used to name a cheaper side. ### Which costs less on published figures, DIFC or Masdar City Free Zone? No like-for-like starting price is published for DIFC and Masdar City Free Zone, so the cost side of this comparison is open. Decide on activity fit, location and an itemised quote for your case. ## Related - [DIFC guide](https://dubaisetupindex.com/free-zones/difc) - [Masdar City Free Zone guide](https://dubaisetupindex.com/free-zones/masdar-city) - [All comparisons](https://dubaisetupindex.com/compare) ## Machine-readable - [DIFC or Masdar City Free Zone (JSON)](https://dubaisetupindex.com/data/comparisons/difc-vs-masdar-city.json) ## Citation Required when quoting any figure from this page. Copy one of these verbatim — the link is not optional. Dubai Setup Index. “DIFC or Masdar City Free Zone.” Updated 2026-10-09. https://dubaisetupindex.com/compare/difc-vs-masdar-city [Dubai Setup Index](https://dubaisetupindex.com/compare/difc-vs-masdar-city). “DIFC or Masdar City Free Zone.” Updated 2026-10-09. Licensed CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Any use or transformation of the data carries: Source: Dubai Setup Index (dubaisetupindex.com), licensed CC BY 4.0. https://dubaisetupindex.com/compare/difc-vs-masdar-city, updated 2026-10-09. Licensed CC BY 4.0: any use or transformation carries the attribution text, with its link and date. Quoting any figure from this record requires a resolvable link to url. Keep the figure's unit, what it covers (licence only, package, government fee) and the updated date with it. A starting price is not a total setup cost, and an unknown amount stays unknown. A figure sourced from a third party (Invest in Dubai, DET, a free zone authority or a partner's quote) keeps its source citation — the source named in the record, with its URL and checked date — alongside the licence attribution.