Cost of Living Comparison Between Sharjah and Abu Dhabi Cost of Living Comparison Between Sharjah and Abu Dhabi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,864 in Sharjah versus $2,569 in Abu Dhabi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,636 in Sharjah versus $3,860 in Abu Dhabi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,408 in Sharjah versus $5,150 in Abu Dhabi.

Living in Sharjah costs roughly 27% less than in Abu Dhabi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sharjah 35% above, Abu Dhabi 86% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.87 AED 21.55

$8.26 AED 30.35

-28.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.40 AED 137

$61.1 AED 224

-38.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.16 AED 29.97

$9.63 AED 35.35

-15.26%

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

$3.44 AED 12.64

$5.85 AED 21.47

-41.20%

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

$0.85 AED 3.11

$1.20 AED 4.39

-29.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 AED 1.12

$0.44 AED 1.60

-31.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.61 AED 42.63

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.76 AED 39.50

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 AED 5.71

$1.91 AED 7.00

-18.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.17 AED 4.28

$1.57 AED 5.76

-25.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 AED 7.20

$2.12 AED 7.77

-7.55%

Eggs

$2.81 AED 10.31

$3.38 AED 12.43

-16.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.64 AED 31.71

$12.15 AED 44.61

-28.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.19 AED 26.42

$10.09 AED 37.06

-28.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 AED 42.67

$10.50 AED 38.58

10.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 AED 7.91

$2.57 AED 9.44

-16.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 AED 6.34

$1.94 AED 7.13

-10.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 AED 5.79

$1.85 AED 6.80

-14.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.32 AED 4.85

$1.48 AED 5.44

-10.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.07 AED 3.93

$1.19 AED 4.37

-10.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.22 AED 4.48

$1.18 AED 4.33

3.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 AED 5.76

$1.71 AED 6.29

-8.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 AED 2.11

$0.56 AED 2.07

1.79%

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)

$6.44 AED 23.63

$6.75 AED 24.77

-4.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 AED 49.49

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 AED 9.65

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 AED 9.47

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.24 AED 8.23

$0.67 AED 2.45

234.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.06 AED 151

$25.76 AED 94.6

59.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.68 AED 13.52

$3.32 AED 12.20

10.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 AED 2.35

$0.52 AED 1.90

23.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.18 AED 44.74

$8.25 AED 30.29

47.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 AED 3.52

$0.89 AED 3.29

7.87%

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

$46.3K AED 169.9K

$30.0K AED 110.1K

54.34%

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

$21.9K AED 80.6K

$22.8K AED 83.7K

-3.72%

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

$226 AED 830

$182 AED 668

24.32%

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

$49.64 AED 182

$58.4 AED 214

-15.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$96.1 AED 353

$84.7 AED 311

13.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 AED 200

$91.5 AED 336

-40.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.26 AED 81.8

$48.31 AED 177

-53.92%

Cinema Ticket

$13.71 AED 50.3

$15.09 AED 55.4

-9.15%

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

$314 AED 1,154

$739 AED 2,714

-57.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,432 AED 31.0K

$15.0K AED 55.2K

-43.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.2 AED 217

$65.2 AED 239

-9.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$77.9 AED 286

$49.33 AED 181

58.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 AED 398

$109 AED 400

-0.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.4 AED 350

$113 AED 414

-15.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$810 AED 2,976

$1,969 AED 7,231

-58.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$911 AED 3,344

$1,357 AED 4,985

-32.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,822 AED 6,690

$3,989 AED 14.7K

-54.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,497 AED 5,498

$2,725 AED 10.0K

-45.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,027 AED 29.5K

$4,953 AED 18.2K

62.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,761 AED 10.1K

$2,877 AED 10.6K

-4.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,215 AED 8,134

$2,905 AED 10.7K

-23.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.5

4.58

-1.75%

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

Last update for Sharjah: September 7, 2026

Last update for Abu Dhabi: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $810 in Sharjah and $1,969 in Abu Dhabi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Abu Dhabi pays 31% 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: $37.00 in Sharjah vs $61.0 in Abu Dhabi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $196 vs $279 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

Sharjah vs Abu Dhabi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sharjah wins on cost – living expenses run 38% lower than in Abu Dhabi. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Sharjah the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 31% lower in Abu Dhabi. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $810 in Sharjah versus $1,969 in Abu Dhabi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Sharjah runs roughly 59% less than in Abu Dhabi. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $314 in Sharjah versus $739 in Abu Dhabi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,864 in Sharjah versus $2,569 in Abu Dhabi, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Sharjah but tight or insufficient in Abu Dhabi. 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, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi 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 38% less than in Abu Dhabi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.