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: $2,216 in Abu Dhabi versus $1,547 in Sharjah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,511 in Abu Dhabi versus $2,247 in Sharjah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,805 in Abu Dhabi versus $2,946 in Sharjah.

Living in Abu Dhabi is roughly 43% more expensive than Sharjah, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Abu Dhabi 65% above, Sharjah 15% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.90 AED 40.04

$5.35 AED 19.64

103.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.1 AED 246

$33.06 AED 121

102.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 AED 34.76

$9.53 AED 34.99

-0.63%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.48 AED 34.82

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.41 AED 34.56

Cappuccino

$5.75 AED 21.11

$4.30 AED 15.79

33.72%

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

$1.26 AED 4.64

$0.93 AED 3.42

35.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.41 AED 1.49

$0.37 AED 1.36

10.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.76 AED 39.52

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.91 AED 40.06

Milk (1 liter)

$1.94 AED 7.11

$1.78 AED 6.54

8.99%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 AED 5.69

$1.18 AED 4.34

31.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.38 AED 8.74

$2.03 AED 7.47

17.24%

Eggs

$3.56 AED 13.07

$2.79 AED 10.24

27.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.98 AED 40.32

$10.51 AED 38.61

4.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.77 AED 32.21

$6.69 AED 24.59

31.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.27 AED 41.37

$8.53 AED 31.31

32.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.50 AED 9.19

$1.82 AED 6.70

37.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 AED 6.64

$1.56 AED 5.75

16.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 AED 6.94

$1.47 AED 5.40

28.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 AED 5.48

$1.22 AED 4.47

22.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 AED 4.15

$1.04 AED 3.80

8.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.40 AED 5.13

$1.17 AED 4.30

19.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.86 AED 6.85

$1.45 AED 5.33

28.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 AED 2.17

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$15.46 AED 56.8

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 AED 6.92

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 AED 12.68

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.13 AED 22.51

$6.47 AED 23.75

-5.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 AED 50.2

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 AED 8.64

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 AED 7.96

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 AED 2.58

$1.67 AED 6.14

-58.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.46 AED 93.5

$40.17 AED 148

-36.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 AED 12.15

$3.60 AED 13.21

-8.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 AED 1.93

$0.66 AED 2.42

-21.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.32 AED 30.57

$5.03 AED 18.47

65.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 AED 2.98

$0.81 AED 2.99

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

$45.7K AED 167.7K

$45.4K AED 166.8K

0.53%

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

$22.2K AED 81.5K

$22.3K AED 82.0K

-0.58%

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

$143 AED 524

$195 AED 716

-26.81%

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

$50.7 AED 186

$65.9 AED 242

-22.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$102 AED 373

$102 AED 374

-0.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.4 AED 240

$64.2 AED 236

1.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.65 AED 127

$37.64 AED 138

-7.94%

Cinema Ticket

$13.41 AED 49.24

$13.00 AED 47.76

3.15%

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

$640 AED 2,352

$273 AED 1,002

134.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K AED 45.2K

$5,985 AED 22.0K

105.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 AED 210

$53.0 AED 195

8.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.2 AED 210

$97.4 AED 358

-41.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.0 AED 338

$95.4 AED 350

-3.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 AED 328

$82.6 AED 303

8.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,473 AED 5,409

$755 AED 2,771

95.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,101 AED 4,042

$596 AED 2,190

84.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,047 AED 11.2K

$1,617 AED 5,939

88.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,288 AED 8,403

$1,008 AED 3,702

127.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,700 AED 17.3K

$8,253 AED 30.3K

-43.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,933 AED 10.8K

$2,745 AED 10.1K

6.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,776 AED 10.2K

$2,234 AED 8,203

24.30%

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: May 30, 2026

Last update for Sharjah: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,473 in Abu Dhabi and $755 in Sharjah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Abu Dhabi pays 24% 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: $67.0 in Abu Dhabi vs $33.00 in Sharjah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 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 43% 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.

Abu Dhabi pays 24% more on average, 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: $1,473 in Abu Dhabi versus $755 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 58% less than in Abu Dhabi. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $640 in Abu Dhabi versus $273 in Sharjah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,547 in Sharjah versus $2,216 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 $1,547 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 43% less than in Abu Dhabi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.