Cost of Living Comparison Between Ilford and Ajman Cost of Living Comparison Between Ilford and Ajman

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,110 in Ilford versus $2,773 in Ajman.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,035 in Ilford versus $5,108 in Ajman.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,960 in Ilford versus $7,444 in Ajman.

Living in Ilford is roughly 12% more expensive than in Ajman, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ilford 133% above, Ajman 108% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.67 £15.37

$6.16 AED 22.61

235.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.0 £64.7

$27.30 AED 100

218.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.74 £7.98

$8.36 AED 30.72

28.47%

Cappuccino

$4.66 £3.47

$3.81 AED 13.99

22.31%

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

$1.51 £1.12

$0.84 AED 3.07

79.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.05 £0.78

$0.38 AED 1.38

176.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.47 £4.06

$10.84 AED 39.81

-49.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.06 £4.50

$11.01 AED 40.44

-44.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 £1.05

$2.27 AED 8.35

-37.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 £1.05

$1.17 AED 4.30

20.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.12 £1.58

$1.41 AED 5.18

50.35%

Eggs

$3.63 £2.70

$1.81 AED 6.65

100.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.25 £6.14

$9.19 AED 33.77

-10.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.10 £6.02

$6.69 AED 24.56

21.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.21 £9.82

$7.50 AED 27.54

76.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.27 £2.43

$1.66 AED 6.11

96.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 £1.11

$1.26 AED 4.62

18.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 £2.23

$1.44 AED 5.29

108.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.83 £2.10

$1.04 AED 3.82

172.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 £1.31

$0.94 AED 3.44

88.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.52 £1.13

$1.01 AED 3.72

50.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 £0.97

$0.80 AED 2.94

62.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 £1.06

$0.57 AED 2.08

149.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.84 £15.49

$6.22 AED 22.86

235.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.07 £6.74

$11.09 AED 40.75

-18.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.77 £2.06

$1.61 AED 5.92

72.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 £1.79

$2.73 AED 10.03

-11.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.34 £2.49

$4.15 AED 15.24

-19.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.3 £64.9

$63.2 AED 232

38.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.86 £4.36

$3.63 AED 13.33

61.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 £1.62

$0.69 AED 2.53

214.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.03 £21.58

$8.41 AED 30.90

245.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 £1.39

$0.77 AED 2.82

142.86%

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

$38.3K £28.5K

$45.0K AED 165.2K

-14.92%

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

$39.9K £29.7K

$23.7K AED 86.9K

68.82%

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

$320 £238

$140 AED 516

127.62%

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

$16.32 £12.13

$60.7 AED 223

-73.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.52 £26.41

$110 AED 403

-67.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.72 £21.35

$164 AED 601

-82.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.56 AED 13.06

Cinema Ticket

$20.57 £15.29

$13.85 AED 50.9

48.52%

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

$1,910 £1,420

$597 AED 2,192

220.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K £16.6K

$5,646 AED 20.7K

295.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 £76.5

$58.6 AED 215

75.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.30 £29.96

$61.7 AED 227

-34.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.8 £66.8

$84.9 AED 312

5.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.8 £74.2

$93.1 AED 342

7.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,421 £1,056

$3,295 AED 12.1K

-56.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,779 £1,323

$1,655 AED 6,077

7.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,080 £2,289

$5,671 AED 20.8K

-45.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,141 £1,591

$5,335 AED 19.6K

-59.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,411 £4,023

$2,279 AED 8,370

137.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,413 AED 5,190

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,500 £2,602

$2,235 AED 8,207

56.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.45

4.53

20.31%

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

Last update for Ilford: July 14, 2026

Last update for Ajman: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,421 in Ilford and $3,295 in Ajman. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ilford pays 57% 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: $87.0 in Ilford vs $27.00 in Ajman for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $208 per month, with Ajman cheaper across the board.

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

Ilford vs Ajman: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ajman wins on cost – living expenses run 12% lower than in Ilford. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ajman the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 57% higher in Ilford, 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: $1,421 in Ilford versus $3,295 in Ajman. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,910 in Ilford versus $597 in Ajman. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 32% higher in Ilford. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,773 in Ajman versus $3,110 in Ilford, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ajman but tight or insufficient in Ilford. The gap between the two cities makes Ajman the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Ilford and Ajman 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 Ajman gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Ilford. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.