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: $2,338 in Ajman versus $1,796 in Sharjah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,398 in Ajman versus $2,573 in Sharjah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,459 in Ajman versus $3,349 in Sharjah.

Living in Ajman is roughly 30% more expensive than in Sharjah, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ajman 71% above, Sharjah 31% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.58 AED 20.51

$5.34 AED 19.60

4.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.73 AED 98.2

$36.04 AED 132

-25.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.13 AED 29.87

$8.11 AED 29.78

0.25%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.34 AED 34.31

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.63 AED 35.36

Cappuccino

$3.76 AED 13.80

$3.54 AED 13.00

6.21%

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

$0.77 AED 2.84

$0.80 AED 2.93

-3.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 AED 1.36

$0.32 AED 1.17

15.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.87 AED 39.94

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.36 AED 45.37

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 AED 7.17

$1.50 AED 5.52

30.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.28 AED 4.72

$1.19 AED 4.37

7.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 AED 5.62

$1.82 AED 6.68

-15.93%

Eggs

$2.05 AED 7.54

$2.95 AED 10.85

-30.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.75 AED 28.47

$8.58 AED 31.50

-9.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.40 AED 19.83

$6.98 AED 25.64

-22.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.47 AED 31.10

$11.23 AED 41.24

-24.58%

Apples (1kg)

$1.79 AED 6.59

$2.25 AED 8.28

-20.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 AED 4.60

$1.66 AED 6.08

-24.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 AED 5.46

$1.53 AED 5.63

-2.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.91 AED 3.33

$1.34 AED 4.93

-32.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 AED 3.80

$1.06 AED 3.89

-2.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 AED 3.81

$1.17 AED 4.30

-11.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 AED 3.19

$1.47 AED 5.39

-40.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 AED 1.94

$0.57 AED 2.11

-7.02%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$15.42 AED 56.6

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 AED 9.23

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 AED 9.45

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.07 AED 22.31

$6.55 AED 24.06

-7.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.84 AED 39.80

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 AED 6.17

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 AED 8.47

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.01 AED 14.72

$2.22 AED 8.13

80.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.5 AED 248

$26.81 AED 98.5

151.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.55 AED 13.05

$3.71 AED 13.62

-4.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 AED 2.45

$0.56 AED 2.06

19.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.35 AED 30.68

$12.00 AED 44.07

-30.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 AED 3.23

$0.98 AED 3.58

-10.20%

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

$45.4K AED 166.6K

$45.4K AED 166.8K

-0.10%

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

$22.4K AED 82.4K

$22.1K AED 81.3K

1.38%

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

$151 AED 554

$209 AED 766

-27.72%

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

$50.2 AED 184

$49.53 AED 182

1.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.1 AED 309

$97.8 AED 359

-13.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.6 AED 285

$54.3 AED 200

42.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.25 AED 37.64

$21.66 AED 79.5

-52.68%

Cinema Ticket

$13.34 AED 49.00

$13.45 AED 49.40

-0.82%

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

$482 AED 1,770

$323 AED 1,186

49.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,632 AED 20.7K

$8,883 AED 32.6K

-36.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.5 AED 211

$59.3 AED 218

-3.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.1 AED 221

$77.0 AED 283

-22.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.7 AED 318

$109 AED 401

-20.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.8 AED 348

$94.6 AED 347

0.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,450 AED 8,998

$831 AED 3,053

194.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,368 AED 5,024

$901 AED 3,310

51.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,723 AED 6,327

$1,823 AED 6,694

-5.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,586 AED 16.8K

$1,419 AED 5,211

223.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,233 AED 8,202

$8,211 AED 30.2K

-72.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,431 AED 5,255

$2,718 AED 9,981

-47.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,248 AED 8,254

$2,184 AED 8,020

2.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.5

11.11%

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

Last update for Ajman: September 12, 2026

Last update for Sharjah: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,450 in Ajman and $831 in Sharjah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ajman pays 3% 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 $36.00 in Sharjah. Groceries flip the comparison at $199 vs $193, 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 30% 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.

Average pay runs 3% 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: $2,450 in Ajman versus $831 in Sharjah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $482 in Ajman versus $323 in Sharjah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Ajman. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,796 in Sharjah versus $2,338 in Ajman, a $3,000 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 $1,796 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 30% less than in Ajman. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.