Insights · Cost & Planning

Planning Your GIFT City Setup: How to Think About Cost Structure

A framework for mapping the components of a GIFT City setup budget — before asking what the number is.

2026-06-305 min readGateway Advisory

The most common question at the start of a GIFT City project is the hardest one to answer generically: what does it cost? The answer depends on entity type, regulatory route, space and team plan.

Before a number is useful, the components have to be mapped.

The components

Almost every setup budget resolves into five buckets.

  • Regulatory application and registration
  • Entity incorporation and statutory setup
  • Office space and its documentation
  • Professional and advisory fees
  • Government, stamp duty and statutory charges

Why generic numbers mislead

Two units in the same building can differ materially in cost because their regulatory route, headcount plan and space arrangement differ. Gateway's calculators therefore map your components first and confirm figures with a specialist rather than publishing a headline rate.