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: $1,591 in Sharjah versus $2,149 in Abu Dhabi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,266 in Sharjah versus $3,434 in Abu Dhabi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,940 in Sharjah versus $4,719 in Abu Dhabi.

Living in Sharjah costs roughly 26% less than in Abu Dhabi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sharjah 19% above, Abu Dhabi 61% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.33 AED 19.59

$10.88 AED 39.95

-51.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.93 AED 121

$69.2 AED 254

-52.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.28 AED 34.07

$9.70 AED 35.62

-4.33%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.68 AED 35.55

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.63 AED 35.38

Cappuccino

$4.29 AED 15.74

$6.00 AED 22.05

-28.50%

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

$0.96 AED 3.54

$1.26 AED 4.62

-23.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 AED 1.28

$0.44 AED 1.61

-20.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.93 AED 40.15

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.75 AED 39.48

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 AED 6.26

$1.91 AED 7.02

-10.99%

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 AED 4.36

$1.60 AED 5.86

-25.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.06 AED 7.55

$2.43 AED 8.93

-15.23%

Eggs

$2.73 AED 10.01

$3.68 AED 13.52

-25.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.48 AED 38.48

$10.59 AED 38.89

-1.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.83 AED 25.08

$8.49 AED 31.17

-19.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.58 AED 31.53

$11.28 AED 41.44

-23.94%

Apples (1kg)

$1.85 AED 6.81

$2.38 AED 8.75

-22.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 AED 5.69

$1.74 AED 6.39

-10.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.41 AED 5.17

$1.81 AED 6.64

-22.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.17 AED 4.29

$1.51 AED 5.53

-22.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 AED 3.68

$1.16 AED 4.28

-13.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 AED 4.31

$1.40 AED 5.13

-16.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 AED 5.38

$1.86 AED 6.84

-21.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 AED 2.37

$0.59 AED 2.17

10.17%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$15.77 AED 57.9

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 AED 6.91

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 AED 12.28

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.57 AED 24.14

$6.23 AED 22.90

5.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.52 AED 49.64

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.32 AED 8.51

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 AED 8.29

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.61 AED 5.90

$0.70 AED 2.55

130.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.24 AED 151

$25.96 AED 95.3

58.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.73 AED 13.71

$3.24 AED 11.91

15.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 AED 2.37

$0.56 AED 2.06

16.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.02 AED 18.42

$7.96 AED 29.22

-36.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 AED 3.00

$0.75 AED 2.77

9.33%

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

$44.5K AED 163.3K

$45.8K AED 168.2K

-2.91%

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

$22.0K AED 81.0K

$22.6K AED 83.1K

-2.55%

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

$201 AED 737

$143 AED 526

40.18%

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

$64.9 AED 238

$50.1 AED 184

29.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$104 AED 382

$102 AED 376

1.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.4 AED 229

$65.2 AED 240

-4.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.36 AED 137

$34.30 AED 126

8.92%

Cinema Ticket

$12.91 AED 47.41

$13.54 AED 49.73

-4.65%

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

$276 AED 1,014

$621 AED 2,282

-55.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,972 AED 21.9K

$12.1K AED 44.3K

-50.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.8 AED 190

$58.9 AED 216

-12.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$96.5 AED 354

$56.1 AED 206

72.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.8 AED 352

$93.4 AED 343

2.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.0 AED 294

$88.6 AED 326

-9.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$769 AED 2,825

$1,481 AED 5,440

-48.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$594 AED 2,180

$1,095 AED 4,021

-45.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,592 AED 5,847

$3,073 AED 11.3K

-48.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,041 AED 3,822

$2,310 AED 8,485

-54.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,094 AED 29.7K

$4,810 AED 17.7K

68.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,749 AED 10.1K

$2,843 AED 10.4K

-3.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,206 AED 8,104

$2,887 AED 10.6K

-23.57%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Abu Dhabi: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $769 in Sharjah and $1,481 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: $33.00 in Sharjah vs $69.0 in Abu Dhabi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $269 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 35% 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: $769 in Sharjah versus $1,481 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 $276 in Sharjah versus $621 in Abu Dhabi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,591 in Sharjah versus $2,149 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 $1,591 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 35% less than in Abu Dhabi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.