Cost of Living Comparison Between Abu Dhabi and Sharjah Cost of Living Comparison Between Abu Dhabi and Sharjah

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,149 in Abu Dhabi versus $1,591 in Sharjah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,434 in Abu Dhabi versus $2,266 in Sharjah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,719 in Abu Dhabi versus $2,940 in Sharjah.

Living in Abu Dhabi is roughly 35% more expensive than in Sharjah, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Abu Dhabi 61% above, Sharjah 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.88 AED 39.95

$5.33 AED 19.59

104.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 AED 254

$32.93 AED 121

110.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.70 AED 35.62

$9.28 AED 34.07

4.53%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.68 AED 35.55

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.63 AED 35.38

Cappuccino

$6.00 AED 22.05

$4.29 AED 15.74

39.86%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.26 AED 4.62

$0.96 AED 3.54

31.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 AED 1.61

$0.35 AED 1.28

25.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.93 AED 40.15

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.75 AED 39.48

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 AED 7.02

$1.70 AED 6.26

12.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.60 AED 5.86

$1.19 AED 4.36

34.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.43 AED 8.93

$2.06 AED 7.55

17.96%

Eggs

$3.68 AED 13.52

$2.73 AED 10.01

34.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.59 AED 38.89

$10.48 AED 38.48

1.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 AED 31.17

$6.83 AED 25.08

24.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.28 AED 41.44

$8.58 AED 31.53

31.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.38 AED 8.75

$1.85 AED 6.81

28.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 AED 6.39

$1.55 AED 5.69

12.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.81 AED 6.64

$1.41 AED 5.17

28.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 AED 5.53

$1.17 AED 4.29

29.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 AED 4.28

$1.00 AED 3.68

16.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.40 AED 5.13

$1.17 AED 4.31

19.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.86 AED 6.84

$1.46 AED 5.38

27.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 AED 2.17

$0.65 AED 2.37

-9.23%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$15.77 AED 57.9

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 AED 6.91

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 AED 12.28

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.23 AED 22.90

$6.57 AED 24.14

-5.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.52 AED 49.64

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.32 AED 8.51

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 AED 8.29

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 AED 2.55

$1.61 AED 5.90

-56.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.96 AED 95.3

$41.24 AED 151

-37.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 AED 11.91

$3.73 AED 13.71

-13.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 AED 2.06

$0.65 AED 2.37

-13.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.96 AED 29.22

$5.02 AED 18.42

58.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.75 AED 2.77

$0.82 AED 3.00

-8.54%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$45.8K AED 168.2K

$44.5K AED 163.3K

3.00%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$22.6K AED 83.1K

$22.0K AED 81.0K

2.61%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$143 AED 526

$201 AED 737

-28.66%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$50.1 AED 184

$64.9 AED 238

-22.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$102 AED 376

$104 AED 382

-1.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.2 AED 240

$62.4 AED 229

4.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.30 AED 126

$37.36 AED 137

-8.19%

Cinema Ticket

$13.54 AED 49.73

$12.91 AED 47.41

4.88%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$621 AED 2,282

$276 AED 1,014

125.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K AED 44.3K

$5,972 AED 21.9K

102.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 AED 216

$51.8 AED 190

13.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.1 AED 206

$96.5 AED 354

-41.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 AED 343

$95.8 AED 352

-2.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 AED 326

$80.0 AED 294

10.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,481 AED 5,440

$769 AED 2,825

92.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 AED 4,021

$594 AED 2,180

84.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,073 AED 11.3K

$1,592 AED 5,847

93.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,310 AED 8,485

$1,041 AED 3,822

122.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,810 AED 17.7K

$8,094 AED 29.7K

-40.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,843 AED 10.4K

$2,749 AED 10.1K

3.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,887 AED 10.6K

$2,206 AED 8,104

30.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.19

4.42

17.42%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Abu Dhabi: July 14, 2026

Last update for Sharjah: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,481 in Abu Dhabi and $769 in Sharjah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Abu Dhabi pays 31% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $69.0 in Abu Dhabi vs $33.00 in Sharjah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $188 per month, with Sharjah cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Abu Dhabi vs Sharjah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sharjah wins on cost – living expenses run 35% lower than in Abu Dhabi. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Sharjah the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 31% higher in Abu Dhabi, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,481 in Abu Dhabi versus $769 in Sharjah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Sharjah runs roughly 59% less than in Abu Dhabi. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $621 in Abu Dhabi versus $276 in Sharjah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,591 in Sharjah versus $2,149 in Abu Dhabi, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sharjah but tight or insufficient in Abu Dhabi. The gap between the two cities makes Sharjah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Sharjah delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,591 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Sharjah hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Sharjah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Abu Dhabi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.