Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ajman and Ras al-Khaimah

For one person, living costs are similar in Ajman and in Ras al-Khaimah: $1,833 and $1,840 a month, rent and utilities included.

90

Cost of Living Index in Ajman
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Ajman Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Ras al-Khaimah
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Ras al-Khaimah Living Index

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Ajman

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$1,833

/mo nomad

Ras al-Khaimah

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$1,840

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ajman and in Ras al-Khaimah

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ajman and in Ras al-Khaimah actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,833 in Ajman versus $1,840 in Ras al-Khaimah.

Ajman $1,833
Ras al-Khaimah $1,840

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,193 in Ajman versus $2,803 in Ras al-Khaimah.

Ajman $4,193
Ras al-Khaimah $2,803

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,553 in Ajman versus $3,767 in Ras al-Khaimah.

Ajman $6,553
Ras al-Khaimah $3,767

Monthly costs are close between Ajman and Ras al-Khaimah; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ajman 36% above, Ras al-Khaimah 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.71 AED 20.97

$13.76 AED 50.5

-58.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.25 AED 100

$40.26 AED 148

-32.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.24 AED 30.26

$7.53 AED 27.64

9.43%

Cappuccino

$3.73 AED 13.70

$5.51 AED 20.22

-32.30%

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

$0.79 AED 2.91

$1.11 AED 4.08

-28.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 AED 1.45

$0.48 AED 1.76

-16.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.79 AED 39.62

$10.16 AED 37.32

6.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.40 AED 45.53

$9.70 AED 35.63

27.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.99 AED 7.29

$1.63 AED 6.00

22.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.34 AED 4.93

$2.08 AED 7.65

-35.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 AED 5.41

$1.96 AED 7.20

-25.00%

Eggs

$2.06 AED 7.56

$2.35 AED 8.62

-12.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.02 AED 29.45

$12.68 AED 46.57

-36.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.36 AED 23.34

$9.95 AED 36.56

-36.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.20 AED 33.78

$15.46 AED 56.8

-40.49%

Apples (1kg)

$1.97 AED 7.24

$2.01 AED 7.39

-1.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 AED 5.06

$1.67 AED 6.14

-17.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 AED 5.57

$1.55 AED 5.69

-1.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.00 AED 3.66

$1.36 AED 4.98

-26.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.07 AED 3.95

$0.96 AED 3.54

11.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 AED 4.21

$0.87 AED 3.20

32.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 AED 4.35

$1.74 AED 6.39

-32.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 AED 2.02

$0.44 AED 1.61

25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.16 AED 22.62

$6.97 AED 25.61

-11.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.70 AED 39.29

$13.58 AED 49.89

-21.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 AED 6.15

$2.63 AED 9.66

-36.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 AED 8.15

$2.88 AED 10.56

-22.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.17 AED 15.30

$2.12 AED 7.80

96.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.2 AED 250

$114 AED 419

-40.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.60 AED 13.22

$1.69 AED 6.21

113.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 AED 2.45

$0.80 AED 2.93

-16.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.12 AED 29.80

$8.16 AED 29.96

-0.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 AED 3.12

$0.93 AED 3.41

-8.60%

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

$46.3K AED 169.9K

$45.8K AED 168.2K

0.99%

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

$22.4K AED 82.3K

$22.3K AED 82.0K

0.31%

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

$149 AED 549

$121 AED 444

23.54%

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

$49.43 AED 182

$44.73 AED 164

10.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.2 AED 313

$79.4 AED 291

7.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.2 AED 291

$57.9 AED 213

36.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.75 AED 35.80

$40.22 AED 148

-75.76%

Cinema Ticket

$13.72 AED 50.4

$12.72 AED 46.70

7.86%

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

$485 AED 1,782

$299 AED 1,099

62.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,653 AED 20.8K

$4,462 AED 16.4K

26.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 AED 216

$80.6 AED 296

-26.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.3 AED 225

$53.1 AED 195

15.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.3 AED 309

$119 AED 438

-29.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.8 AED 352

$117 AED 430

-18.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 AED 8,979

$767 AED 2,819

218.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$806 AED 2,961

$657 AED 2,413

22.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,724 AED 6,333

$1,660 AED 6,095

3.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,510 AED 16.6K

$1,243 AED 4,563

262.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,244 AED 8,240

$5,007 AED 18.4K

-55.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,401 AED 5,146

$1,962 AED 7,207

-28.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,242 AED 8,234

$1,577 AED 5,791

42.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.92

1.63%

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

Last update for Ajman: October 11, 2026

Last update for Ras al-Khaimah: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Ajman

$806 44%

Ras al-Khaimah

$657 35.7% 18.5% $149

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ajman

$284 15.5%

Ras al-Khaimah

$245 13.3% 13.7% $39

Groceries & Markets

Ajman

$211 11.5%

Ras al-Khaimah

$285 15.5% 34.8% $74

Eating Out

Ajman

$199 10.8%

Ras al-Khaimah

$275 15% 38.6% $77

Clothing & Footwear

Ajman

$135 7.4%

Ras al-Khaimah

$167 9.1% 23.3% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Ajman

$107 5.8%

Ras al-Khaimah

$83 4.5% 21.9% $23

Getting Around

Ajman

$92 5%

Ras al-Khaimah

$128 7% 39.9% $37

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,445 in Ajman and $767 in Ras al-Khaimah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ajman pays 42% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $27.00 in Ajman vs $40.00 in Ras al-Khaimah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $211 vs $285 per month, with Ajman cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇪 Ajman

🇦🇪 Ras al-Khaimah

🕒 Local time

09:43 9:43 AM

Same time as Ajman

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

238,119

241,000

💱 Currency

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

📈 Exchange rate

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.242 EUR

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.242 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Ajman Ras al-Khaimah 65 km

From you

Ajman
Ras al-Khaimah

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Ras al-Khaimah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Average pay runs 42% higher in Ajman, 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: $2,445 in Ajman versus $767 in Ras al-Khaimah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Ajman runs roughly 68% less than in Ras al-Khaimah. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Supermarket bills run roughly 35% higher in Ras al-Khaimah. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,833 in Ajman versus $1,840 in Ras al-Khaimah, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ajman but tight or insufficient in Ras al-Khaimah. The gap between the two cities makes Ajman the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ajman delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,833 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ajman hard to pass up.

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

It comes down to priorities – Ajman wins on affordability, Ras al-Khaimah on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.