Cost of Living Comparison Between Sharjah and Ajman Cost of Living Comparison Between Sharjah and Ajman

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,544 in Sharjah versus $2,752 in Ajman.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,237 in Sharjah versus $5,097 in Ajman.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,930 in Sharjah versus $7,442 in Ajman.

Living in Sharjah costs roughly 44% less than in Ajman, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sharjah 16% above, Ajman 106% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.59 AED 20.55

$5.87 AED 21.54

-4.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.42 AED 119

$27.35 AED 100

18.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.25 AED 33.96

$8.16 AED 29.96

13.36%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.74 AED 35.79

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.78 AED 35.90

Cappuccino

$4.40 AED 16.15

$3.68 AED 13.52

19.57%

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

$0.99 AED 3.64

$0.82 AED 3.02

20.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 AED 1.37

$0.40 AED 1.47

-7.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.03 AED 40.50

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.79 AED 39.61

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 AED 6.17

$2.26 AED 8.28

-25.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.14 AED 4.19

$1.23 AED 4.52

-7.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.04 AED 7.49

$1.46 AED 5.35

39.73%

Eggs

$2.76 AED 10.15

$1.89 AED 6.95

46.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.12 AED 37.17

$9.23 AED 33.90

9.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.73 AED 24.70

$6.39 AED 23.45

5.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.72 AED 32.03

$7.34 AED 26.95

18.80%

Apples (1kg)

$1.91 AED 7.00

$1.66 AED 6.08

15.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 AED 5.68

$1.24 AED 4.57

25.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.48 AED 5.44

$1.38 AED 5.06

7.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.22 AED 4.46

$1.05 AED 3.84

16.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 AED 3.81

$0.97 AED 3.57

7.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 AED 4.52

$0.99 AED 3.63

24.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 AED 5.30

$0.76 AED 2.79

89.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 AED 2.17

$0.61 AED 2.25

-3.28%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$15.67 AED 57.6

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 AED 7.19

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 AED 12.16

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.36 AED 23.36

$6.33 AED 23.24

0.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.91 AED 40.07

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 AED 5.92

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 AED 10.20

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.59 AED 5.82

$4.19 AED 15.39

-62.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.41 AED 152

$64.8 AED 238

-36.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.65 AED 13.42

$3.62 AED 13.30

0.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 AED 2.39

$0.71 AED 2.59

-8.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.86 AED 17.85

$8.26 AED 30.34

-41.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 AED 2.98

$0.77 AED 2.83

5.19%

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

$45.4K AED 166.7K

$44.9K AED 164.8K

1.14%

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

$22.2K AED 81.7K

$23.1K AED 85.0K

-3.88%

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

$199 AED 731

$141 AED 517

41.42%

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

$65.1 AED 239

$61.3 AED 225

6.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$103 AED 378

$109 AED 399

-5.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.4 AED 233

$166 AED 608

-61.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.45 AED 138

$3.66 AED 13.43

923.22%

Cinema Ticket

$13.04 AED 47.91

$13.64 AED 50.1

-4.40%

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

$280 AED 1,027

$586 AED 2,151

-52.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,073 AED 22.3K

$5,632 AED 20.7K

7.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 AED 189

$59.3 AED 218

-13.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$98.6 AED 362

$60.8 AED 223

61.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.7 AED 351

$86.7 AED 318

10.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 AED 303

$95.7 AED 351

-13.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$761 AED 2,795

$3,355 AED 12.3K

-77.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$603 AED 2,213

$1,648 AED 6,053

-63.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,647 AED 6,050

$5,803 AED 21.3K

-71.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,020 AED 3,747

$5,213 AED 19.1K

-80.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,260 AED 30.3K

$2,272 AED 8,344

263.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,673 AED 9,816

$1,420 AED 5,217

88.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,217 AED 8,143

$2,224 AED 8,169

-0.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.42

4.53

-2.43%

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

Last update for Sharjah: June 15, 2026

Last update for Ajman: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $761 in Sharjah and $3,355 in Ajman. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ajman pays 0% 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: $32.00 in Sharjah vs $27.00 in Ajman. Groceries flip the comparison at $187 vs $207, with Sharjah cheaper for home cooking.

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 Ajman: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sharjah wins on cost – living expenses run 78% lower than in Ajman. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Sharjah the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Ajman earns 0% 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: $761 in Sharjah versus $3,355 in Ajman. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $280 in Sharjah versus $586 in Ajman. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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

At $1,544 in Sharjah versus $2,752 in Ajman, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sharjah but tight or insufficient in Ajman. 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 $1,544 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Sharjah hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Sharjah and Ajman 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 78% less than in Ajman. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.