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: $2,569 in Abu Dhabi versus $1,864 in Sharjah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,860 in Abu Dhabi versus $2,636 in Sharjah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,150 in Abu Dhabi versus $3,408 in Sharjah.

Living in Abu Dhabi is roughly 38% more expensive than in Sharjah, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Abu Dhabi 86% above, Sharjah 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.26 AED 30.35

$5.87 AED 21.55

40.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.1 AED 224

$37.40 AED 137

63.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.63 AED 35.35

$8.16 AED 29.97

18.01%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.66 AED 35.46

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.28 AED 34.07

Cappuccino

$5.85 AED 21.47

$3.44 AED 12.64

70.06%

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

$1.20 AED 4.39

$0.85 AED 3.11

41.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 AED 1.60

$0.30 AED 1.12

46.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.61 AED 42.63

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.76 AED 39.50

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 AED 7.00

$1.55 AED 5.71

23.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 AED 5.76

$1.17 AED 4.28

34.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.12 AED 7.77

$1.96 AED 7.20

8.16%

Eggs

$3.38 AED 12.43

$2.81 AED 10.31

20.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.15 AED 44.61

$8.64 AED 31.71

40.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.09 AED 37.06

$7.19 AED 26.42

40.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.50 AED 38.58

$11.62 AED 42.67

-9.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.57 AED 9.44

$2.15 AED 7.91

19.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 AED 7.13

$1.73 AED 6.34

12.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 AED 6.80

$1.58 AED 5.79

17.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.48 AED 5.44

$1.32 AED 4.85

12.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 AED 4.37

$1.07 AED 3.93

11.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 AED 4.33

$1.22 AED 4.48

-3.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 AED 6.29

$1.57 AED 5.76

8.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 AED 2.07

$0.57 AED 2.11

-1.75%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$15.48 AED 56.9

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 AED 8.85

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 AED 9.45

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.75 AED 24.77

$6.44 AED 23.63

4.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 AED 49.49

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 AED 9.65

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 AED 9.47

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 AED 2.45

$2.24 AED 8.23

-70.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.76 AED 94.6

$41.06 AED 151

-37.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.32 AED 12.20

$3.68 AED 13.52

-9.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 AED 1.90

$0.64 AED 2.35

-18.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.25 AED 30.29

$12.18 AED 44.74

-32.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 AED 3.29

$0.96 AED 3.52

-7.29%

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

$30.0K AED 110.1K

$46.3K AED 169.9K

-35.21%

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

$22.8K AED 83.7K

$21.9K AED 80.6K

3.86%

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

$182 AED 668

$226 AED 830

-19.56%

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

$58.4 AED 214

$49.64 AED 182

17.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.7 AED 311

$96.1 AED 353

-11.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$91.5 AED 336

$54.3 AED 200

68.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$48.31 AED 177

$22.26 AED 81.8

117.03%

Cinema Ticket

$15.09 AED 55.4

$13.71 AED 50.3

10.07%

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

$739 AED 2,714

$314 AED 1,154

135.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K AED 55.2K

$8,432 AED 31.0K

78.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.2 AED 239

$59.2 AED 217

10.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.33 AED 181

$77.9 AED 286

-36.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 AED 400

$108 AED 398

0.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 AED 414

$95.4 AED 350

18.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,969 AED 7,231

$810 AED 2,976

143.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,357 AED 4,985

$911 AED 3,344

49.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,989 AED 14.7K

$1,822 AED 6,690

118.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,725 AED 10.0K

$1,497 AED 5,498

82.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,953 AED 18.2K

$8,027 AED 29.5K

-38.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,877 AED 10.6K

$2,761 AED 10.1K

4.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,905 AED 10.7K

$2,215 AED 8,134

31.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.58

4.5

1.78%

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

Last update for Abu Dhabi: September 7, 2026

Last update for Sharjah: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,969 in Abu Dhabi and $810 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: $61.0 in Abu Dhabi vs $37.00 in Sharjah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $279 vs $196 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 38% 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: $1,969 in Abu Dhabi versus $810 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 $739 in Abu Dhabi versus $314 in Sharjah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,864 in Sharjah versus $2,569 in Abu Dhabi, a $3,000 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 $1,864 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 38% less than in Abu Dhabi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.