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: $1,706 in Ruwais versus $1,584 in Sharjah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,478 in Ruwais versus $2,291 in Sharjah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,251 in Ruwais versus $2,997 in Sharjah.

Living in Ruwais is roughly 8% more expensive than in Sharjah, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ruwais 28% above, Sharjah 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.77 AED 24.85

$5.54 AED 20.34

22.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.18 AED 140

$32.58 AED 120

17.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.41 AED 27.23

$9.21 AED 33.84

-19.54%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.55 AED 35.07

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.45 AED 34.71

Cappuccino

$4.61 AED 16.92

$4.44 AED 16.29

3.83%

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

$0.74 AED 2.72

$0.95 AED 3.50

-22.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.38 AED 1.38

$0.37 AED 1.37

2.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.56 AED 38.78

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.51 AED 34.93

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 AED 6.65

$1.77 AED 6.48

2.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 AED 5.40

$1.20 AED 4.41

22.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.95 AED 7.15

$2.04 AED 7.50

-4.41%

Eggs

$3.08 AED 11.32

$2.77 AED 10.16

11.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.79 AED 10.26

$10.28 AED 37.75

-72.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 AED 29.05

$6.82 AED 25.05

15.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.75 AED 24.80

$8.45 AED 31.03

-20.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 AED 10.83

$1.84 AED 6.75

60.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 AED 5.89

$1.49 AED 5.46

7.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.33 AED 4.90

$1.42 AED 5.22

-6.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.85 AED 3.13

$1.18 AED 4.33

-27.97%

Potato (1kg)

$0.66 AED 2.44

$1.00 AED 3.67

-34.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.40 AED 1.46

$1.18 AED 4.32

-66.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 AED 5.93

$1.49 AED 5.48

8.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 AED 2.28

$0.64 AED 2.33

-3.13%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$15.34 AED 56.3

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 AED 7.18

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 AED 12.13

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.48 AED 23.79

$6.33 AED 23.24

2.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.33 AED 45.28

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 AED 4.89

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 AED 10.09

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.67 AED 6.13

$1.66 AED 6.11

0.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.2 AED 195

$40.20 AED 148

32.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 AED 9.81

$3.60 AED 13.21

-25.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 AED 2.56

$0.66 AED 2.43

6.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.40 AED 30.86

$4.77 AED 17.52

76.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.76 AED 2.79

$0.75 AED 2.77

1.33%

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

$45.0K AED 165.2K

$44.9K AED 165.0K

0.17%

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

$22.4K AED 82.2K

$22.5K AED 82.7K

-0.52%

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

$90.6 AED 333

$197 AED 725

-54.13%

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

$52.3 AED 192

$64.5 AED 237

-18.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$95.4 AED 350

$101 AED 371

-5.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.1 AED 232

$62.4 AED 229

1.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$38.81 AED 143

$38.49 AED 141

0.83%

Cinema Ticket

$11.35 AED 41.70

$12.90 AED 47.36

-12.02%

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

$592 AED 2,174

$274 AED 1,005

116.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,844 AED 14.1K

$6,120 AED 22.5K

-37.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$21.48 AED 78.9

$51.2 AED 188

-58.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$79.2 AED 291

$98.6 AED 362

-19.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.7 AED 296

$96.2 AED 353

-16.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.2 AED 199

$82.3 AED 302

-34.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$741 AED 2,720

$752 AED 2,763

-1.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$747 AED 2,743

$603 AED 2,214

23.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,483 AED 9,121

$1,609 AED 5,908

54.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,363 AED 5,004

$1,041 AED 3,823

30.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,453 AED 16.4K

$8,029 AED 29.5K

-44.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,519 AED 9,251

$2,747 AED 10.1K

-8.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,670 AED 9,807

$2,246 AED 8,250

18.87%

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: July 26, 2026

Last update for Sharjah: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $741 in Ruwais and $752 in Sharjah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ruwais pays 19% 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: $38.00 in Ruwais vs $33.00 in Sharjah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $209 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 8% 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 19% 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: $741 in Ruwais versus $752 in Sharjah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $592 in Ruwais versus $274 in Sharjah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Ruwais. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,584 in Sharjah versus $1,706 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 $1,584 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 8% less than in Ruwais. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.