Foreign buyer costs: Thailand and other markets

Updated 13 November 2026 8 rows Free to cite

On a new apartment worth USD 500,000 bought by a non-resident foreigner, Thailand's purchase taxes and registration fees come to 1% to 2% of the price, the lowest of the eight markets compared. Singapore is the highest at 62.16%, almost all of it the additional buyer's stamp duty charged to foreigners.

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Foreign buyer costs: Thailand and other markets
Market	Foreign ownership	Buyer pays, low	Buyer pays, high	How it is reached
Thailand	Restricted	1%	2%	The buyer's only government charge is the 2% transfer fee on THB 16,907,500 (THB 33.815 per USD), taking the appraised value as equal to the price: 1% when split equally with the developer, 2% when the buyer pays it all. Appraised values are usually below the price, so both figures are upper bounds.
Dubai	Freehold	2%	4%	On AED 1,836,250 (the USD peg of 3.6725), the low case is the purchaser's 2% share of the registration fee as the Dubai Land Department publishes it, and the high case is the full 4%, which the department says the buyer settles with the developer. The AED 20 knowledge and innovation fees round to 0.00%.
Kuala Lumpur	Restricted	8%	8%	On RM2,039,250 (MYR 4.0785 per USD), above the RM1,000,000 floor, the flat 8% stamp duty for non-citizens is the whole figure. The state consent fee and land office registration fee for Kuala Lumpur are not included.
Portugal	Freehold	8.3%	8.3%	On EUR 451,225 (EUR 0.90245 per USD), IMT at the non-resident flat 7.5% plus 0.8% stamp duty gives 8.3%. A buyer who becomes tax resident within two years, or lets the home at a moderate rent, can reclaim the excess over the progressive table, which would give 5.99% (IMT of EUR 23,398 plus stamp duty).
England	Freehold	9.44%	9.44%	On £377,200 (GBP 0.7544 per USD), stamp duty land tax at the standard rates plus 7 points is 7% of £125,000, 9% of the next £125,000 and 12% of £127,200, or £35,264 (9.35%). Adding the £330 Land Registry fee for registering a new lease of a flat gives £35,594, or 9.44%.
Andalucía	Freehold	11.2%	11.2%	On EUR 451,225 (EUR 0.90245 per USD), IVA at 10% and AJD at 1.2% give 11.2%. Land Registry charges, which are set on a fee scale, are not included.
Bali	Restricted	16%	16%	On IDR 9,126,500,000 (IDR 18,253 per USD), below the IDR 30 billion luxury-goods threshold, effective VAT of 11% plus 5% BPHTB gives 16%. The regency's non-taxable allowance, which varies by region, is not deducted, so the true figure is slightly lower.
Singapore	Restricted	62.16%	62.16%	On S$642,950 (SGD 1.2859 per USD), buyer's stamp duty is S$13,888 (2.16%) and additional buyer's stamp duty at 60% is S$385,770, a total of 62.16%. Singapore Land Authority registration fees are not included.

One scenario for every market: a non-resident foreign individual buys a new-build apartment from a developer at the local equivalent of USD 500,000, as a second home.
Government taxes, duties and registration fees paid by the buyer only. Legal, agency, mortgage and developer charges are excluded.

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Thailand Property Investor, "Foreign buyer costs: Thailand and other markets", updated 2026-11-13. https://www.thailandpropertyinvestor.com/data/international-buying-costs

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Foreign buyer costs: Thailand and other markets: questions

Is it cheaper to buy property in Thailand than in Dubai?

In purchase taxes and fees, yes: 1% to 2% of the price in Thailand against 2% to 4% in Dubai on the same USD 500,000 apartment. Prices per square metre, service charges and rental rules differ too.