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: $1,929 in Ruwais versus $1,864 in Sharjah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,453 in Ruwais versus $2,636 in Sharjah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,977 in Ruwais versus $3,408 in Sharjah.

Living in Ruwais is roughly 3% more expensive than in Sharjah, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ruwais 40% above, Sharjah 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.29 AED 34.11

$5.87 AED 21.56

58.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.1 AED 199

$37.40 AED 137

44.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.63 AED 31.71

$8.16 AED 29.97

5.76%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.66 AED 35.46

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.28 AED 34.07

Cappuccino

$4.75 AED 17.46

$3.44 AED 12.64

38.08%

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

$0.69 AED 2.52

$0.85 AED 3.11

-18.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 AED 1.19

$0.30 AED 1.12

6.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.11 AED 29.78

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.72 AED 24.68

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 AED 6.62

$1.55 AED 5.71

16.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.59 AED 5.85

$1.17 AED 4.28

35.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.32 AED 8.53

$1.96 AED 7.20

18.37%

Eggs

$2.81 AED 10.30

$2.81 AED 10.31

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.47 AED 34.78

$8.64 AED 31.72

9.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.02 AED 40.47

$7.19 AED 26.42

53.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 AED 33.45

$11.62 AED 42.67

-21.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 AED 10.93

$2.15 AED 7.91

38.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 AED 7.24

$1.73 AED 6.34

13.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 AED 7.12

$1.58 AED 5.79

22.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 AED 5.75

$1.32 AED 4.85

18.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 AED 4.16

$1.07 AED 3.93

5.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.31 AED 4.79

$1.22 AED 4.48

7.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.79 AED 2.92

$1.57 AED 5.76

-49.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 AED 2.04

$0.57 AED 2.11

-1.75%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$15.48 AED 56.9

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 AED 8.85

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 AED 9.45

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.24 AED 22.93

$6.44 AED 23.63

-3.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.26 AED 45.04

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 AED 10.01

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 AED 10.26

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.49 AED 9.15

$2.24 AED 8.24

11.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.78 AED 142

$41.06 AED 151

-5.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.30 AED 8.44

$3.68 AED 13.52

-37.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.15 AED 4.21

$0.64 AED 2.35

79.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.83 AED 28.77

$12.18 AED 44.74

-35.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 AED 2.89

$0.96 AED 3.52

-17.71%

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

$44.8K AED 164.7K

$46.3K AED 169.9K

-3.09%

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

$21.7K AED 79.7K

$21.9K AED 80.6K

-1.03%

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

$112 AED 412

$226 AED 830

-50.41%

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

$47.44 AED 174

$49.64 AED 182

-4.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$95.6 AED 351

$96.1 AED 353

-0.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.0 AED 220

$54.3 AED 200

10.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.99 AED 103

$22.26 AED 81.8

25.74%

Cinema Ticket

$13.72 AED 50.4

$13.71 AED 50.3

0.07%

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

$560 AED 2,057

$314 AED 1,154

78.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,558 AED 27.8K

$8,432 AED 31.0K

-10.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.72 AED 161

$59.2 AED 217

-26.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.8 AED 201

$77.9 AED 286

-29.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.6 AED 259

$108 AED 398

-34.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 AED 368

$95.4 AED 350

5.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$873 AED 3,208

$810 AED 2,976

7.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$866 AED 3,182

$911 AED 3,344

-4.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,688 AED 6,200

$1,822 AED 6,691

-7.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,680 AED 9,844

$1,497 AED 5,498

79.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,670 AED 20.8K

$8,027 AED 29.5K

-29.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,306 AED 8,468

$2,761 AED 10.1K

-16.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,769 AED 10.2K

$2,215 AED 8,134

25.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.5

11.11%

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

Last update for Ruwais: September 6, 2026

Last update for Sharjah: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $873 in Ruwais and $810 in Sharjah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ruwais pays 25% 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: $54.0 in Ruwais vs $37.00 in Sharjah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $196 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 3% 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.

Average pay runs 25% higher in Ruwais, 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: $873 in Ruwais versus $810 in Sharjah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $560 in Ruwais versus $314 in Sharjah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 36% higher in Ruwais. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,864 in Sharjah versus $1,929 in Ruwais, a $3,000 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 $1,864 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 3% less than in Ruwais. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.