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: $1,686 in Ruwais versus $1,549 in Sharjah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,520 in Ruwais versus $2,243 in Sharjah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,355 in Ruwais versus $2,938 in Sharjah.

Living in Ruwais is roughly 9% more expensive than Sharjah, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ruwais 26% above, Sharjah 16% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.79 AED 24.91

$5.55 AED 20.36

22.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.03 AED 140

$33.18 AED 122

14.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.60 AED 27.89

$9.36 AED 34.36

-18.80%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.47 AED 34.76

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.33 AED 34.23

Cappuccino

$4.85 AED 17.79

$4.25 AED 15.60

14.12%

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

$0.81 AED 2.97

$1.03 AED 3.77

-21.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 AED 1.27

$0.35 AED 1.28

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.42 AED 38.22

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.72 AED 35.68

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 AED 6.84

$1.78 AED 6.53

4.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 AED 5.46

$1.15 AED 4.21

29.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.84 AED 6.76

$2.03 AED 7.46

-9.36%

Eggs

$3.14 AED 11.51

$2.73 AED 10.02

15.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.78 AED 10.22

$10.39 AED 38.13

-73.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.64 AED 28.05

$7.05 AED 25.89

8.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.88 AED 25.25

$8.87 AED 32.56

-22.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 AED 10.51

$1.84 AED 6.76

55.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 AED 5.86

$1.49 AED 5.47

7.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.35 AED 4.94

$1.49 AED 5.47

-9.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.78 AED 2.87

$1.23 AED 4.52

-36.59%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 AED 2.61

$0.99 AED 3.64

-28.28%

Onion (1kg)

$0.42 AED 1.55

$1.18 AED 4.32

-64.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.67 AED 6.12

$1.45 AED 5.33

15.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 AED 2.47

$0.64 AED 2.36

4.69%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$15.73 AED 57.7

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 AED 6.91

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.42 AED 12.54

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.51 AED 23.90

$6.27 AED 23.01

3.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.35 AED 45.34

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 AED 5.13

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 AED 10.17

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.66 AED 6.07

$1.65 AED 6.07

0.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$51.7 AED 190

$40.17 AED 147

28.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 AED 10.03

$3.72 AED 13.64

-26.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 AED 2.60

$0.70 AED 2.56

1.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.26 AED 30.31

$4.91 AED 18.03

68.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 AED 2.96

$0.76 AED 2.78

6.58%

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

$46.1K AED 169.2K

$45.4K AED 166.6K

1.54%

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

$22.6K AED 83.0K

$22.2K AED 81.5K

1.77%

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

$91.0 AED 334

$194 AED 711

-53.06%

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

$53.0 AED 195

$66.6 AED 244

-20.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$99.0 AED 363

$103 AED 379

-4.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.0 AED 231

$63.7 AED 234

-1.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.17 AED 147

$38.43 AED 141

4.53%

Cinema Ticket

$11.26 AED 41.32

$12.98 AED 47.64

-13.25%

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

$580 AED 2,130

$272 AED 998

113.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,856 AED 14.2K

$6,086 AED 22.3K

-36.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.21 AED 81.5

$53.0 AED 195

-58.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$80.0 AED 293

$97.0 AED 356

-17.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.6 AED 292

$97.0 AED 356

-17.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.7 AED 201

$81.4 AED 299

-32.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$758 AED 2,780

$769 AED 2,823

-1.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$747 AED 2,743

$602 AED 2,208

24.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,544 AED 9,337

$1,635 AED 5,999

55.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,382 AED 5,073

$1,023 AED 3,756

35.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,267 AED 19.3K

$8,263 AED 30.3K

-36.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,058 AED 7,551

$2,682 AED 9,841

-23.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,757 AED 10.1K

$2,283 AED 8,378

20.77%

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Sharjah: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $758 in Ruwais and $769 in Sharjah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ruwais pays 21% 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: $38 in Ruwais vs $33 in Sharjah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $209 vs $190 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 9% 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 21% 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: $758 in Ruwais versus $769 in Sharjah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $580 in Ruwais versus $272 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 $1,549 in Sharjah versus $1,686 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 $1,549 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 9% less than in Ruwais. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.