Cost of Living Comparison Between Ruwais and Sharjah Cost of Living Comparison Between Ruwais and Sharjah

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,668 in Ruwais versus $1,573 in Sharjah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,463 in Ruwais versus $2,253 in Sharjah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,257 in Ruwais versus $2,933 in Sharjah.

Living in Ruwais is roughly 6% more expensive than Sharjah, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ruwais 24% above, Sharjah 17% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.56 AED 24.11

$5.36 AED 19.70

22.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.72 AED 142

$32.97 AED 121

17.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.77 AED 28.55

$9.06 AED 33.29

-14.24%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.27 AED 34.05

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.64 AED 35.42

Cappuccino

$4.80 AED 17.64

$4.21 AED 15.48

14.01%

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

$0.75 AED 2.77

$1.01 AED 3.72

-25.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 AED 1.27

$0.35 AED 1.28

-2.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.61 AED 38.96

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.74 AED 35.78

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 AED 6.56

$1.70 AED 6.24

5.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.52 AED 5.60

$1.19 AED 4.36

27.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 AED 7.07

$2.04 AED 7.50

-5.88%

Eggs

$3.10 AED 11.38

$2.73 AED 10.04

13.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.77 AED 10.18

$10.18 AED 37.38

-72.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.57 AED 27.81

$6.96 AED 25.56

8.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.62 AED 24.32

$8.46 AED 31.08

-21.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 AED 10.53

$1.83 AED 6.73

56.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 AED 6.05

$1.48 AED 5.42

11.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.40 AED 5.13

$1.49 AED 5.48

-6.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.79 AED 2.89

$1.23 AED 4.51

-35.77%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 AED 2.55

$1.01 AED 3.71

-30.69%

Onion (1kg)

$0.43 AED 1.58

$1.21 AED 4.46

-64.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.66 AED 6.09

$1.52 AED 5.60

9.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 AED 2.46

$0.64 AED 2.35

4.69%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$15.76 AED 57.9

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 AED 7.06

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.42 AED 12.56

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.36 AED 23.35

$6.29 AED 23.11

1.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.06 AED 44.30

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 AED 4.92

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 AED 10.13

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.62 AED 5.94

$1.60 AED 5.88

1.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.1 AED 191

$41.57 AED 153

25.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.76 AED 10.13

$3.77 AED 13.84

-26.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 AED 2.62

$0.71 AED 2.59

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.34 AED 30.65

$5.04 AED 18.49

65.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 AED 2.97

$0.82 AED 3.01

-1.22%

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

$46.2K AED 169.7K

$45.1K AED 165.5K

2.57%

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

$21.9K AED 80.6K

$22.1K AED 81.3K

-0.96%

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

$92.6 AED 340

$200 AED 734

-53.65%

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

$52.3 AED 192

$65.9 AED 242

-20.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$96.5 AED 355

$103 AED 379

-6.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.8 AED 234

$62.9 AED 231

1.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$38.95 AED 143

$37.58 AED 138

3.65%

Cinema Ticket

$11.33 AED 41.61

$12.73 AED 46.75

-11.00%

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

$584 AED 2,145

$275 AED 1,011

112.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,753 AED 13.8K

$6,018 AED 22.1K

-37.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$21.60 AED 79.3

$51.4 AED 189

-57.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$81.6 AED 300

$97.2 AED 357

-16.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.7 AED 296

$96.0 AED 353

-15.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.9 AED 202

$80.4 AED 295

-31.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$731 AED 2,685

$775 AED 2,845

-5.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$748 AED 2,749

$603 AED 2,215

24.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,556 AED 9,389

$1,613 AED 5,923

58.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,340 AED 4,920

$1,026 AED 3,768

30.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,662 AED 17.1K

$8,277 AED 30.4K

-43.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,166 AED 7,957

$2,688 AED 9,872

-19.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,736 AED 10.0K

$2,281 AED 8,377

19.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.71

4.42

6.56%

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

Last update for Ruwais: June 9, 2026

Last update for Sharjah: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $731 in Ruwais and $775 in Sharjah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ruwais pays 20% 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: $39.00 in Ruwais vs $33.00 in Sharjah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $207 vs $188 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

Ruwais vs Sharjah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sharjah wins on cost – living expenses run 6% lower than in Ruwais. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Sharjah the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Ruwais pays 20% more on average, 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: $731 in Ruwais versus $775 in Sharjah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $584 in Ruwais versus $275 in Sharjah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Ruwais. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,573 in Sharjah versus $1,668 in Ruwais, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sharjah but tight or insufficient in Ruwais. 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 $1,573 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Sharjah hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ruwais 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 6% less than in Ruwais. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.