Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fujairah and Sharjah

For one person, living is cheaper in Fujairah: $1,446 a month against $1,838 in Sharjah, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Sharjah outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

70

Cost of Living Index in Fujairah
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Fujairah Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Sharjah
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Sharjah Living Index

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Fujairah

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$1,446

/mo nomad

Sharjah

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$1,838

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Fujairah and in Sharjah

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

A single person spends $1,446 per month in Fujairah vs $1,838 in Sharjah, rent included.

Fujairah $1,446
Sharjah $1,838

A couple spends around $4,001 per month in Fujairah vs $2,578 in Sharjah, rent included.

Fujairah $4,001
Sharjah $2,578

A family of three spends $6,556 per month in Fujairah vs $3,318 in Sharjah, rent included.

Fujairah $6,556
Sharjah $3,318

Fujairah is about 21% cheaper than Sharjah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Fujairah and Sharjah sit above the global median – Fujairah by 7%, Sharjah by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.70 AED 28.27

$5.96 AED 21.90

29.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.48 AED 152

$33.28 AED 122

24.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.74 AED 28.44

$7.96 AED 29.22

-2.76%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.68 AED 35.54

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.54 AED 35.05

Cappuccino

$5.62 AED 20.63

$3.17 AED 11.64

77.29%

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

$1.11 AED 4.08

$0.78 AED 2.87

42.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.43 AED 1.57

$0.29 AED 1.06

48.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.94 AED 32.83

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.40 AED 34.53

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 AED 6.06

$1.53 AED 5.63

7.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.33 AED 4.88

$1.14 AED 4.18

16.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.95 AED 7.17

$1.83 AED 6.71

6.56%

Eggs

$2.39 AED 8.78

$3.33 AED 12.22

-28.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.58 AED 46.22

$8.93 AED 32.80

40.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.66 AED 35.47

$6.82 AED 25.03

41.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.94 AED 29.15

$11.29 AED 41.46

-29.67%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 AED 6.65

$2.17 AED 7.99

-16.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 AED 5.93

$1.68 AED 6.15

-4.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 AED 5.49

$1.35 AED 4.98

11.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.99 AED 3.63

$1.24 AED 4.56

-20.16%

Potato (1kg)

$0.85 AED 3.11

$1.03 AED 3.80

-17.48%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 AED 3.41

$1.08 AED 3.96

-13.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 AED 3.06

$1.49 AED 5.47

-44.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 AED 1.59

$0.60 AED 2.21

-28.33%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$15.47 AED 56.8

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 AED 8.85

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 AED 9.80

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.38 AED 19.75

$6.38 AED 23.42

-15.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.51 AED 49.62

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 AED 8.18

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 AED 9.04

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.34 AED 12.26

$2.23 AED 8.18

49.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.43 AED 152

$27.05 AED 99.3

53.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.88 AED 10.57

$3.66 AED 13.45

-21.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 AED 1.90

$0.55 AED 2.03

-5.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.34 AED 30.64

$11.78 AED 43.26

-29.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 AED 3.08

$0.93 AED 3.40

-9.68%

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

$25.6K AED 94.0K

$46.1K AED 169.4K

-44.47%

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

$20.1K AED 73.8K

$21.7K AED 79.9K

-7.61%

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

$126 AED 461

$211 AED 774

-40.42%

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

$46.21 AED 170

$49.45 AED 182

-6.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.5 AED 284

$98.0 AED 360

-20.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.35 AED 178

$53.9 AED 198

-10.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.48 AED 49.52

$22.30 AED 81.9

-39.55%

Cinema Ticket

$10.81 AED 39.70

$13.86 AED 50.9

-22.01%

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

$262 AED 963

$329 AED 1,210

-20.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,560 AED 16.7K

$8,480 AED 31.1K

-46.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$21.80 AED 80.1

$59.1 AED 217

-63.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.77 AED 50.6

$77.7 AED 285

-82.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.3 AED 280

$110 AED 404

-30.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.7 AED 223

$96.4 AED 354

-37.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$598 AED 2,195

$826 AED 3,033

-27.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$524 AED 1,924

$894 AED 3,285

-41.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,366 AED 19.7K

$1,832 AED 6,730

192.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,622 AED 17.0K

$1,423 AED 5,228

224.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,099 AED 29.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 AED 10.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,677 AED 13.5K

$2,187 AED 8,031

68.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.5

4.5

-44.44%

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

Last update for Fujairah: October 11, 2026

Last update for Sharjah: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Fujairah

$524 36.2%

Sharjah

$894 48.7% 70.7% $371

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fujairah

$249 17.3%

Sharjah

$358 19.5% 43.7% $109

Groceries & Markets

Fujairah

$243 16.8%

Sharjah

$193 10.5% 20.5% $50

Eating Out

Fujairah

$222 15.4%

Sharjah

$114 6.2% 48.7% $108

Clothing & Footwear

Fujairah

$78 5.4%

Sharjah

$154 8.4% 98.8% $77

Sport & Entertainment

Fujairah

$70 4.8%

Sharjah

$82 4.4% 16.6% $12

Getting Around

Fujairah

$60 4.2%

Sharjah

$42 2.3% 29.7% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $598 in Fujairah versus $826 in Sharjah. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 68% higher in Fujairah, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $41.00 in Fujairah versus $33.00 in Sharjah. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $243 vs $193 – making Sharjah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇪 Fujairah

🇦🇪 Sharjah

🕒 Local time

02:52 2:52 AM

Same time as Fujairah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

93,673

1,400,000

💱 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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Fujairah Sharjah 95 km

From you

Fujairah
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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

Fujairah vs Sharjah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,446 in Fujairah, $1,838 in Sharjah – roughly 27% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,169 per month in Fujairah and $2,757 in Sharjah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Fujairah, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $262 per month in Fujairah and $329 in Sharjah. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 26% cheaper in Sharjah – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Fujairah, where all-in costs run around $1,446, than in Sharjah at $1,838. In Fujairah it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sharjah it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Sharjah has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,446 in Fujairah to $1,838 in Sharjah. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Fujairah. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sharjah makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.