Cost of Living Comparison Between Ruwais and Ras al-Khaimah Cost of Living Comparison Between Ruwais and Ras al-Khaimah

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,929 per month in Ruwais vs $1,806 in Ras al-Khaimah, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,453 per month in Ruwais vs $2,813 in Ras al-Khaimah, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,977 per month in Ruwais vs $3,820 in Ras al-Khaimah, rent included.

Ruwais costs about 7% more than Ras al-Khaimah, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Ruwais and Ras al-Khaimah sit above the global median – Ruwais by 40%, Ras al-Khaimah by 31%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.29 AED 34.11

$13.78 AED 50.6

-32.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.1 AED 199

$40.42 AED 148

33.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.63 AED 31.71

$7.60 AED 27.93

13.55%

Cappuccino

$4.75 AED 17.46

$5.64 AED 20.73

-15.78%

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

$0.69 AED 2.52

$1.10 AED 4.04

-37.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 AED 1.19

$0.44 AED 1.63

-27.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.11 AED 29.78

$10.37 AED 38.08

-21.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.72 AED 24.68

$9.25 AED 33.96

-27.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 AED 6.62

$1.65 AED 6.05

9.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.59 AED 5.85

$2.01 AED 7.40

-20.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.32 AED 8.53

$1.94 AED 7.13

19.59%

Eggs

$2.81 AED 10.30

$2.38 AED 8.73

18.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.47 AED 34.78

$12.67 AED 46.52

-25.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.02 AED 40.47

$9.56 AED 35.12

15.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 AED 33.45

$15.80 AED 58.0

-42.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 AED 10.93

$2.08 AED 7.65

43.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 AED 7.24

$1.65 AED 6.06

19.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 AED 7.12

$1.54 AED 5.67

25.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 AED 5.75

$1.37 AED 5.03

13.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 AED 4.16

$0.93 AED 3.43

21.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.31 AED 4.79

$0.88 AED 3.23

48.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.79 AED 2.92

$1.75 AED 6.42

-54.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 AED 2.04

$0.47 AED 1.71

19.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.24 AED 22.93

$6.92 AED 25.41

-9.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.26 AED 45.04

$13.72 AED 50.4

-10.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 AED 10.01

$2.64 AED 9.70

3.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 AED 10.26

$2.91 AED 10.70

-4.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.49 AED 9.15

$2.21 AED 8.11

12.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.78 AED 142

$115 AED 421

-66.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.30 AED 8.44

$1.64 AED 6.01

40.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.15 AED 4.21

$0.81 AED 2.96

41.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.83 AED 28.77

$8.24 AED 30.25

-4.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 AED 2.89

$0.82 AED 3.01

-3.66%

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

$44.8K AED 164.7K

$45.7K AED 167.9K

-1.91%

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

$21.7K AED 79.7K

$21.7K AED 79.6K

0.22%

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

$112 AED 412

$122 AED 447

-7.94%

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

$47.44 AED 174

$45.02 AED 165

5.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$95.6 AED 351

$77.6 AED 285

23.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.0 AED 220

$56.6 AED 208

6.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.99 AED 103

$40.55 AED 149

-30.97%

Cinema Ticket

$13.72 AED 50.4

$13.12 AED 48.20

4.57%

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

$560 AED 2,057

$298 AED 1,093

88.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,558 AED 27.8K

$4,580 AED 16.8K

65.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.72 AED 161

$82.1 AED 301

-46.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.8 AED 201

$52.5 AED 193

4.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.6 AED 259

$118 AED 432

-39.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 AED 368

$117 AED 428

-13.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$873 AED 3,208

$732 AED 2,689

19.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$866 AED 3,182

$644 AED 2,364

34.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,688 AED 6,200

$1,660 AED 6,096

1.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,680 AED 9,844

$1,274 AED 4,679

110.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,670 AED 20.8K

$4,857 AED 17.8K

16.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,306 AED 8,468

$1,953 AED 7,173

18.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,769 AED 10.2K

$1,603 AED 5,887

72.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.92

1.63%

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

Last update for Ruwais: September 6, 2026

Last update for Ras al-Khaimah: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $873 in Ruwais versus $732 in Ras al-Khaimah. 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 73% higher in Ruwais, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $54.0 in Ruwais versus $40.00 in Ras al-Khaimah. Groceries tell a different story – $267 in Ruwais vs $284 in Ras al-Khaimah – so Ruwais wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Ruwais vs Ras al-Khaimah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Ruwais is pricier by about 7%, and the gap shows up most in Getting Around. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,893 per month in Ruwais and $2,710 in Ras al-Khaimah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Interestingly, groceries are about 6% cheaper in Ruwais – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $54.0 in Ruwais and $40.00 in Ras al-Khaimah. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Ras al-Khaimah, where all-in costs run around $1,806, than in Ruwais at $1,929. In Ras al-Khaimah it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ruwais it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ras al-Khaimah – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Ras al-Khaimah. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ruwais makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.