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: $2,787 in Ajman versus $1,584 in Sharjah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,154 in Ajman versus $2,291 in Sharjah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,520 in Ajman versus $2,997 in Sharjah.

Living in Ajman is roughly 76% more expensive than in Sharjah, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ajman 109% above, Sharjah 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.11 AED 22.44

$5.54 AED 20.34

10.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.19 AED 99.9

$32.58 AED 120

-16.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.23 AED 30.21

$9.21 AED 33.84

-10.64%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.55 AED 35.07

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.45 AED 34.72

Cappuccino

$3.69 AED 13.56

$4.44 AED 16.29

-16.89%

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

$0.88 AED 3.23

$0.95 AED 3.50

-7.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.38 AED 1.39

$0.37 AED 1.37

2.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.99 AED 40.35

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.10 AED 40.77

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 AED 8.27

$1.77 AED 6.48

27.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.22 AED 4.50

$1.20 AED 4.41

1.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.46 AED 5.37

$2.04 AED 7.50

-28.43%

Eggs

$1.83 AED 6.71

$2.77 AED 10.16

-33.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.88 AED 32.61

$10.28 AED 37.75

-13.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.73 AED 24.73

$6.82 AED 25.05

-1.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.51 AED 27.58

$8.45 AED 31.03

-11.12%

Apples (1kg)

$1.73 AED 6.35

$1.84 AED 6.75

-5.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.23 AED 4.53

$1.49 AED 5.46

-17.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.44 AED 5.29

$1.42 AED 5.22

1.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.09 AED 3.99

$1.18 AED 4.33

-7.63%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 AED 3.41

$1.00 AED 3.67

-7.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 AED 3.71

$1.18 AED 4.32

-14.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.79 AED 2.91

$1.49 AED 5.48

-46.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 AED 2.26

$0.64 AED 2.33

-3.13%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$15.34 AED 56.3

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 AED 7.18

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 AED 12.14

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.25 AED 22.95

$6.33 AED 23.24

-1.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.96 AED 40.26

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 AED 5.64

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 AED 10.25

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.13 AED 15.15

$1.66 AED 6.11

148.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.3 AED 232

$40.20 AED 148

57.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.59 AED 13.20

$3.60 AED 13.21

-0.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 AED 2.57

$0.66 AED 2.43

6.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.06 AED 29.59

$4.77 AED 17.53

68.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.76 AED 2.78

$0.75 AED 2.77

1.33%

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

$46.3K AED 170.0K

$44.9K AED 165.0K

3.08%

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

$23.6K AED 86.9K

$22.5K AED 82.7K

5.06%

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

$142 AED 520

$197 AED 725

-28.28%

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

$62.4 AED 229

$64.5 AED 237

-3.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$111 AED 409

$101 AED 371

10.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$164 AED 604

$62.4 AED 229

163.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.72 AED 13.65

$38.49 AED 141

-90.34%

Cinema Ticket

$13.78 AED 50.6

$12.90 AED 47.36

6.82%

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

$585 AED 2,149

$274 AED 1,005

113.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,771 AED 21.2K

$6,120 AED 22.5K

-5.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 AED 213

$51.2 AED 188

13.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.8 AED 227

$98.6 AED 362

-37.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.7 AED 311

$96.2 AED 353

-11.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.4 AED 343

$82.3 AED 302

13.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,357 AED 12.3K

$752 AED 2,763

346.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,625 AED 5,968

$603 AED 2,214

169.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,750 AED 21.1K

$1,609 AED 5,908

257.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,267 AED 19.3K

$1,041 AED 3,823

405.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,272 AED 8,346

$8,029 AED 29.5K

-71.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,423 AED 5,227

$2,747 AED 10.1K

-48.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,226 AED 8,177

$2,246 AED 8,251

-0.90%

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: July 28, 2026

Last update for Sharjah: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,357 in Ajman and $752 in Sharjah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sharjah pays 1% 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 $209 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 76% 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, salaries run 1% lower in Sharjah. 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: $3,357 in Ajman versus $752 in Sharjah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $585 in Ajman versus $274 in Sharjah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Ajman. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,584 in Sharjah versus $2,787 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 $1,584 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 76% less than in Ajman. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.