$250,000 a New York home and a $5 million crown to wear: What Miss Universe winners get

Dubai: When the 75th Miss Universe is crowned in Puerto Rico on 24 November, the winner won't just walk away with a title. She'll be starting a year-long job, with a reported package worth well over Dh1 million.

With Abu Dhabi-raised Kaziah Liz Mejo competing for India's fourth crown, here's what the woman who wins can expect, from the cash to the crown she'll wear and the work that comes with it.

The organisation keeps its official figures private, but reports around last year's pageant gave a consistent picture.

Mexico's Fátima Bosch, who won in November 2025, was reported to receive a cash reward of $250,000, around Dh918,000, plus a monthly allowance of $50,000, around Dh183,600, to cover travel-related expenses.

Some reports describe that monthly sum as a salary. The Miss Universe Organization has framed it differently. According to the organisation, the prize is structured so that "the queen can do her work as a global ambassador with an initial fund and a monthly income to cover travel expenses, interviews, and projects."

In other words, a large part of the money is there to pay for the job itself.

Alongside the cash, the winner has traditionally been given a residence in New York City for her year as Miss Universe.

Reports on last year's package also listed complete travel arrangements, a personal stylist, hair and make-up specialists, and beauty and healthcare services among the benefits. For someone who will spend most of the year on planes and in front of cameras, those services are part of the working set-up rather than a luxury.

The most visible perk is the one she doesn't get to keep.

Last year's winner was crowned with the Lumière de l'Infini, created by the jeweller Jewelmer, which was reported to be valued at around $5 million, or about Dh18.4 million. The winner wears it at official appearances throughout her reign, before placing it on her successor's head the following year.

The title comes with a demanding schedule.

As Miss Universe, the winner acts as the organisation's chief ambassador for a year, appearing at media interviews, sponsored events and charity drives around the world. She champions the organisation's causes and travels extensively, which is why so much of the package is built around travel costs.

At the end of her year, she returns to the stage to crown her successor.

It isn't only the global winner who is rewarded. National titles now carry significant packages of their own.

In the US, Miss USA 2026 Justus Kelley received a prize package valued at more than $685,000, around Dh2.5 million. It included a $150,000 salary, a Range Rover, a luxury apartment lease in Miami and a Miss Universe wardrobe. Kelley, 31, also made history as the first married woman and first mother to win the title, after rule changes opened the competition to them.

For many winners, the most valuable part comes after the year ends. The global profile can lead to brand deals, television and film work.

India's previous winners are a case in point. Sushmita Sen, who won in 1994, and Lara Dutta, who won in 2000, both went on to careers in Bollywood, while 2021 winner Harnaaz Sandhu has also moved into acting.

Kaziah has already had a taste of that. Speaking to Gulf News after her national win, she said offers were arriving.

"I've been getting a lot of requests to be brand ambassadors, to have my debut in movies, and everything is just happening all at once," she said.

For now, her focus is on Puerto Rico. "Miss Universe is an opportunity that opens a lot of doors for me, but my first and foremost vision is to bring the crown of Miss Universe back to India."