Cost of Living Comparison Between Ajman and Sharjah Cost of Living Comparison Between Ajman and Sharjah

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,777 in Ajman versus $1,573 in Sharjah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,152 in Ajman versus $2,253 in Sharjah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,526 in Ajman versus $2,933 in Sharjah.

Living in Ajman is roughly 77% more expensive than Sharjah, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ajman 107% above, Sharjah 17% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.17 AED 22.65

$5.36 AED 19.70

15.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.30 AED 100

$32.97 AED 121

-17.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.13 AED 29.87

$9.06 AED 33.29

-10.26%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.27 AED 34.05

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.64 AED 35.42

Cappuccino

$3.77 AED 13.84

$4.21 AED 15.48

-10.45%

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

$0.83 AED 3.07

$1.01 AED 3.72

-17.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.41 AED 1.49

$0.35 AED 1.28

17.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.83 AED 39.78

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.78 AED 39.58

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 AED 8.05

$1.70 AED 6.24

28.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.18 AED 4.33

$1.19 AED 4.36

-0.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.41 AED 5.17

$2.04 AED 7.50

-30.88%

Eggs

$1.90 AED 6.99

$2.73 AED 10.04

-30.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.95 AED 32.86

$10.18 AED 37.38

-12.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.65 AED 24.41

$6.96 AED 25.56

-4.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.62 AED 27.99

$8.46 AED 31.08

-9.93%

Apples (1kg)

$1.67 AED 6.13

$1.83 AED 6.73

-8.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 AED 4.58

$1.48 AED 5.42

-15.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 AED 5.34

$1.49 AED 5.48

-2.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.05 AED 3.87

$1.23 AED 4.51

-14.63%

Potato (1kg)

$0.92 AED 3.38

$1.01 AED 3.71

-8.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 AED 3.76

$1.21 AED 4.46

-15.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.80 AED 2.94

$1.52 AED 5.60

-47.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 AED 2.23

$0.64 AED 2.35

-4.69%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$15.76 AED 57.9

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 AED 7.06

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.42 AED 12.56

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.29 AED 23.12

$6.29 AED 23.11

Wine (Bottle)

$10.98 AED 40.33

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 AED 5.71

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 AED 9.82

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.20 AED 15.43

$1.60 AED 5.88

162.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 AED 239

$41.57 AED 153

56.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.52 AED 12.93

$3.77 AED 13.84

-6.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 AED 2.40

$0.71 AED 2.59

-8.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 AED 29.46

$5.04 AED 18.49

59.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.77 AED 2.83

$0.82 AED 3.01

-6.10%

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

$45.6K AED 167.5K

$45.1K AED 165.5K

1.21%

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

$23.5K AED 86.4K

$22.1K AED 81.3K

6.25%

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

$140 AED 515

$200 AED 734

-29.83%

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

$62.8 AED 231

$65.9 AED 242

-4.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$108 AED 398

$103 AED 379

4.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$166 AED 611

$62.9 AED 231

164.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.54 AED 13.00

$37.58 AED 138

-90.58%

Cinema Ticket

$13.46 AED 49.44

$12.73 AED 46.75

5.73%

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

$579 AED 2,128

$275 AED 1,011

110.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,745 AED 21.1K

$6,018 AED 22.1K

-4.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 AED 213

$51.4 AED 189

12.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.7 AED 226

$97.2 AED 357

-36.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.1 AED 316

$96.0 AED 353

-10.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.3 AED 350

$80.4 AED 295

18.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,269 AED 12.0K

$775 AED 2,845

322.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,631 AED 5,990

$603 AED 2,215

170.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,713 AED 21.0K

$1,613 AED 5,923

254.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,363 AED 19.7K

$1,026 AED 3,768

422.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,245 AED 8,245

$8,277 AED 30.4K

-72.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,385 AED 5,085

$2,688 AED 9,872

-48.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,241 AED 8,229

$2,281 AED 8,377

-1.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.53

4.42

2.49%

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

Last update for Ajman: June 7, 2026

Last update for Sharjah: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,269 in Ajman and $775 in Sharjah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sharjah pays 2% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $27.00 in Ajman vs $33.00 in Sharjah. Groceries flip the comparison at $207 vs $188, with Sharjah cheaper for home cooking.

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 Sharjah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sharjah wins on cost – living expenses run 77% lower than in Ajman. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Sharjah the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Sharjah earns 2% less. 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: $3,269 in Ajman versus $775 in Sharjah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $579 in Ajman versus $275 in Sharjah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Ajman. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,573 in Sharjah versus $2,777 in Ajman, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sharjah but tight or insufficient in Ajman. 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 $1,573 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Sharjah hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ajman 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 77% less than in Ajman. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.