Cost of Living Comparison Between Ajman and Ilford Cost of Living Comparison Between Ajman and Ilford

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,773 in Ajman versus $3,110 in Ilford.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,108 in Ajman versus $4,035 in Ilford.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,444 in Ajman versus $4,960 in Ilford.

Living in Ajman costs roughly 11% less than in Ilford, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ajman 108% above, Ilford 133% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 AED 22.61

$20.67 £15.37

-70.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.30 AED 100

$87.0 £64.7

-68.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.36 AED 30.72

$10.74 £7.98

-22.16%

Cappuccino

$3.81 AED 13.99

$4.66 £3.47

-18.24%

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

$0.84 AED 3.07

$1.51 £1.12

-44.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.38 AED 1.38

$1.05 £0.78

-63.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.84 AED 39.81

$5.47 £4.06

98.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.01 AED 40.44

$6.06 £4.50

81.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.27 AED 8.35

$1.41 £1.05

60.99%

White Bread (500g)

$1.17 AED 4.30

$1.41 £1.05

-17.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.41 AED 5.18

$2.12 £1.58

-33.49%

Eggs

$1.81 AED 6.65

$3.63 £2.70

-50.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.19 AED 33.77

$8.25 £6.14

11.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.69 AED 24.56

$8.10 £6.02

-17.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.50 AED 27.54

$13.21 £9.82

-43.22%

Apples (1kg)

$1.66 AED 6.11

$3.27 £2.43

-49.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 AED 4.62

$1.49 £1.11

-15.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.44 AED 5.29

$3.00 £2.23

-52.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.04 AED 3.82

$2.83 £2.10

-63.25%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 AED 3.44

$1.77 £1.31

-46.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 AED 3.72

$1.52 £1.13

-33.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.80 AED 2.94

$1.30 £0.97

-38.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 AED 2.08

$1.42 £1.06

-59.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.22 AED 22.86

$20.84 £15.49

-70.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.09 AED 40.75

$9.07 £6.74

22.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 AED 5.92

$2.77 £2.06

-41.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 AED 10.03

$2.41 £1.79

13.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.15 AED 15.24

$3.34 £2.49

24.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.2 AED 232

$87.3 £64.9

-27.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.63 AED 13.33

$5.86 £4.36

-38.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.69 AED 2.53

$2.17 £1.62

-68.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.41 AED 30.90

$29.03 £21.58

-71.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.77 AED 2.82

$1.87 £1.39

-58.82%

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

$45.0K AED 165.2K

$38.3K £28.5K

17.54%

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

$23.7K AED 86.9K

$39.9K £29.7K

-40.77%

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

$140 AED 516

$320 £238

-56.07%

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

$60.7 AED 223

$16.32 £12.13

271.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$110 AED 403

$35.52 £26.41

208.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$164 AED 601

$28.72 £21.35

469.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.56 AED 13.06

Cinema Ticket

$13.85 AED 50.9

$20.57 £15.29

-32.67%

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

$597 AED 2,192

$1,910 £1,420

-68.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,646 AED 20.7K

$22.3K £16.6K

-74.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 AED 215

$103 £76.5

-43.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.7 AED 227

$40.30 £29.96

53.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.9 AED 312

$89.8 £66.8

-5.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.1 AED 342

$99.8 £74.2

-6.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,295 AED 12.1K

$1,421 £1,056

131.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,655 AED 6,077

$1,779 £1,323

-7.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,671 AED 20.8K

$3,080 £2,289

84.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,335 AED 19.6K

$2,141 £1,591

149.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,279 AED 8,370

$5,411 £4,023

-57.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,413 AED 5,190

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,235 AED 8,207

$3,500 £2,602

-36.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.53

5.45

-16.88%

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

Last update for Ajman: July 12, 2026

Last update for Ilford: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,295 in Ajman and $1,421 in Ilford. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ilford pays 57% 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: $27.00 in Ajman vs $87.0 in Ilford for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $208 vs $275 per month, with Ajman 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

Ajman vs Ilford: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ajman wins on cost – living expenses run 12% lower than in Ilford. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ajman the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 57% lower in Ilford. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $3,295 in Ajman versus $1,421 in Ilford. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $597 in Ajman versus $1,910 in Ilford. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 32% higher in Ilford. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,773 in Ajman versus $3,110 in Ilford, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ajman but tight or insufficient in Ilford. The gap between the two cities makes Ajman the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Ajman and Ilford 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 Ajman gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Ilford. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.