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: $1,547 in Sharjah versus $2,216 in Abu Dhabi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,247 in Sharjah versus $3,511 in Abu Dhabi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,946 in Sharjah versus $4,805 in Abu Dhabi.

Living in Sharjah costs roughly 30% less than in Abu Dhabi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sharjah 15% above, Abu Dhabi 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.35 AED 19.64

$10.90 AED 40.04

-50.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.06 AED 121

$67.1 AED 246

-50.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.53 AED 34.99

$9.47 AED 34.76

0.63%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.48 AED 34.82

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.41 AED 34.56

Cappuccino

$4.30 AED 15.79

$5.75 AED 21.11

-25.22%

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

$0.93 AED 3.42

$1.26 AED 4.64

-26.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 AED 1.36

$0.41 AED 1.49

-9.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.76 AED 39.52

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.91 AED 40.06

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 AED 6.54

$1.94 AED 7.11

-8.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.18 AED 4.34

$1.55 AED 5.69

-23.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.03 AED 7.47

$2.38 AED 8.74

-14.71%

Eggs

$2.79 AED 10.24

$3.56 AED 13.07

-21.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.51 AED 38.61

$10.98 AED 40.32

-4.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.69 AED 24.59

$8.77 AED 32.21

-23.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.53 AED 31.31

$11.27 AED 41.37

-24.31%

Apples (1kg)

$1.82 AED 6.70

$2.50 AED 9.19

-27.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 AED 5.75

$1.81 AED 6.64

-13.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 AED 5.40

$1.89 AED 6.94

-22.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.22 AED 4.47

$1.49 AED 5.48

-18.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 AED 3.80

$1.13 AED 4.15

-7.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 AED 4.30

$1.40 AED 5.13

-16.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 AED 5.33

$1.86 AED 6.85

-22.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 AED 2.17

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$15.46 AED 56.8

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 AED 6.92

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 AED 12.68

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.47 AED 23.75

$6.13 AED 22.51

5.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 AED 50.2

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 AED 8.64

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 AED 7.96

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.67 AED 6.14

$0.70 AED 2.58

138.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.17 AED 148

$25.46 AED 93.5

57.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.60 AED 13.21

$3.31 AED 12.15

8.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.66 AED 2.42

$0.52 AED 1.93

26.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.03 AED 18.47

$8.32 AED 30.57

-39.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 AED 2.99

$0.81 AED 2.98

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

$45.4K AED 166.8K

$45.7K AED 167.7K

-0.53%

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

$22.3K AED 82.0K

$22.2K AED 81.5K

0.58%

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

$195 AED 716

$143 AED 524

36.64%

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

$65.9 AED 242

$50.7 AED 186

29.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$102 AED 374

$102 AED 373

0.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.2 AED 236

$65.4 AED 240

-1.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.64 AED 138

$34.65 AED 127

8.63%

Cinema Ticket

$13.00 AED 47.76

$13.41 AED 49.24

-3.06%

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

$273 AED 1,002

$640 AED 2,352

-57.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,985 AED 22.0K

$12.3K AED 45.2K

-51.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.0 AED 195

$57.3 AED 210

-7.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$97.4 AED 358

$57.2 AED 210

70.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 AED 350

$92.0 AED 338

3.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.6 AED 303

$89.3 AED 328

-7.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$755 AED 2,771

$1,473 AED 5,409

-48.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$596 AED 2,190

$1,101 AED 4,042

-45.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,617 AED 5,939

$3,047 AED 11.2K

-46.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 AED 3,702

$2,288 AED 8,403

-55.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,253 AED 30.3K

$4,700 AED 17.3K

75.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,745 AED 10.1K

$2,933 AED 10.8K

-6.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,234 AED 8,203

$2,776 AED 10.2K

-19.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.42

5.19

-14.84%

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

Last update for Sharjah: May 30, 2026

Last update for Abu Dhabi: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $755 in Sharjah and $1,473 in Abu Dhabi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Abu Dhabi pays 24% 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: $33.00 in Sharjah vs $67.0 in Abu Dhabi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $272 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 43% 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, Abu Dhabi earns 24% less. 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: $755 in Sharjah versus $1,473 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 58% less than in Abu Dhabi. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $273 in Sharjah versus $640 in Abu Dhabi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,547 in Sharjah versus $2,216 in Abu Dhabi, a $2,000 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 $1,547 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 43% less than in Abu Dhabi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.