Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sharjah Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sharjah

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,223 in Phuket versus $1,544 in Sharjah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,237 in Phuket versus $2,237 in Sharjah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,251 in Phuket versus $2,930 in Sharjah.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 21% less than in Sharjah, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 8% below, Sharjah is 16% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.51 ฿147

$5.59 AED 20.55

-19.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.62 ฿1,515

$32.42 AED 119

43.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 ฿276

$9.25 AED 33.96

-8.22%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.74 AED 35.79

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.78 AED 35.90

Cappuccino

$3.08 ฿100

$4.40 AED 16.15

-30.00%

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

$0.68 ฿22.07

$0.99 AED 3.64

-31.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.75

$0.37 AED 1.37

-2.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿78.8

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿118

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ฿71.1

$1.68 AED 6.17

30.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿59.0

$1.14 AED 4.19

58.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ฿72.5

$2.04 AED 7.49

9.31%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿72.7

$2.76 AED 10.15

-18.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.60 ฿637

$10.12 AED 37.17

93.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 ฿121

$6.73 AED 24.70

-44.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 ฿438

$8.72 AED 32.03

54.47%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 ฿109

$1.91 AED 7.00

75.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿52.5

$1.55 AED 5.68

4.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.3

$1.48 AED 5.44

62.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.6

$1.22 AED 4.46

63.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.76

$1.04 AED 3.81

47.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ฿47.19

$1.23 AED 4.52

17.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿32.96

$1.44 AED 5.30

-29.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.73

$0.59 AED 2.17

-18.64%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$15.67 AED 57.6

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 AED 7.19

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 AED 12.16

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿139

$6.36 AED 23.36

-32.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 ฿621

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿59.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ฿89.1

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿46.06

$1.59 AED 5.82

-10.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.72 ฿381

$41.41 AED 152

-71.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ฿97.6

$3.65 AED 13.42

-17.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 ฿34.00

$0.65 AED 2.39

61.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.90 ฿452

$4.86 AED 17.85

186.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿41.94

$0.81 AED 2.98

59.26%

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

$28.0K ฿911.1K

$45.4K AED 166.7K

-38.24%

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

$33.5K ฿1.1M

$22.2K AED 81.7K

50.67%

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

$122 ฿3,964

$199 AED 731

-38.76%

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

$13.93 ฿453

$65.1 AED 239

-78.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.87 ฿613

$103 AED 378

-81.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 ฿1,992

$63.4 AED 233

-3.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

$37.45 AED 138

-55.03%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿289

$13.04 AED 47.91

-31.83%

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

$691 ฿22.5K

$280 AED 1,027

147.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K ฿525.2K

$6,073 AED 22.3K

166.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,878

$51.3 AED 189

12.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.39 ฿1,150

$98.6 AED 362

-64.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,685

$95.7 AED 351

18.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 ฿2,698

$82.5 AED 303

0.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ฿19.7K

$761 AED 2,795

-20.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.6K

$603 AED 2,213

-25.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,029 ฿66.0K

$1,647 AED 6,050

23.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 ฿48.5K

$1,020 AED 3,747

46.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,585 ฿116.5K

$8,260 AED 30.3K

-56.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,585 ฿84.0K

$2,673 AED 9,816

-3.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ฿16.4K

$2,217 AED 8,143

-77.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.42

20.59%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 13, 2026

Last update for Sharjah: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $607 in Phuket and $761 in Sharjah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sharjah pays 339% 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: $47.00 in Phuket vs $32.00 in Sharjah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $187 per month, with Sharjah 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

Phuket vs Sharjah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 26% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Sharjah earns 339% 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: $607 in Phuket versus $761 in Sharjah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $691 in Phuket versus $280 in Sharjah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Sharjah pay roughly 56% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,223 in Phuket versus $1,544 in Sharjah, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Sharjah. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Sharjah, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Sharjah. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.