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: $1,584 in Sharjah versus $2,787 in Ajman.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,291 in Sharjah versus $5,154 in Ajman.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,997 in Sharjah versus $7,520 in Ajman.

Living in Sharjah costs roughly 43% less than in Ajman, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sharjah 19% above, Ajman 109% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.54 AED 20.34

$6.11 AED 22.44

-9.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.58 AED 120

$27.19 AED 99.9

19.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.21 AED 33.84

$8.23 AED 30.21

11.91%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.55 AED 35.07

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.45 AED 34.72

Cappuccino

$4.44 AED 16.29

$3.69 AED 13.56

20.33%

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

$0.95 AED 3.50

$0.88 AED 3.23

7.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 AED 1.37

$0.38 AED 1.39

-2.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.99 AED 40.35

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.10 AED 40.77

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 AED 6.48

$2.25 AED 8.27

-21.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.20 AED 4.41

$1.22 AED 4.50

-1.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.04 AED 7.50

$1.46 AED 5.37

39.73%

Eggs

$2.77 AED 10.16

$1.83 AED 6.71

51.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.28 AED 37.75

$8.88 AED 32.61

15.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.82 AED 25.05

$6.73 AED 24.73

1.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.45 AED 31.03

$7.51 AED 27.58

12.52%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 AED 6.75

$1.73 AED 6.35

6.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 AED 5.46

$1.23 AED 4.53

21.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.42 AED 5.22

$1.44 AED 5.29

-1.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.18 AED 4.33

$1.09 AED 3.99

8.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 AED 3.67

$0.93 AED 3.41

7.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 AED 4.32

$1.01 AED 3.71

16.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 AED 5.48

$0.79 AED 2.91

88.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 AED 2.33

$0.62 AED 2.26

3.23%

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 12.14

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.33 AED 23.24

$6.25 AED 22.95

1.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.96 AED 40.26

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 AED 5.64

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 AED 10.25

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.66 AED 6.11

$4.13 AED 15.15

-59.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.20 AED 148

$63.3 AED 232

-36.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.60 AED 13.21

$3.59 AED 13.20

0.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.66 AED 2.43

$0.70 AED 2.57

-5.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.77 AED 17.53

$8.06 AED 29.59

-40.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.75 AED 2.77

$0.76 AED 2.78

-1.32%

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

$44.9K AED 165.0K

$46.3K AED 170.0K

-2.99%

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

$22.5K AED 82.7K

$23.6K AED 86.9K

-4.82%

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

$197 AED 725

$142 AED 520

39.43%

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

$64.5 AED 237

$62.4 AED 229

3.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$101 AED 371

$111 AED 409

-9.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.4 AED 229

$164 AED 604

-62.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$38.49 AED 141

$3.72 AED 13.65

934.68%

Cinema Ticket

$12.90 AED 47.36

$13.78 AED 50.6

-6.39%

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

$274 AED 1,005

$585 AED 2,149

-53.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,120 AED 22.5K

$5,771 AED 21.2K

6.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.2 AED 188

$57.9 AED 213

-11.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$98.6 AED 362

$61.8 AED 227

59.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 AED 353

$84.7 AED 311

13.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.3 AED 302

$93.4 AED 343

-11.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$752 AED 2,763

$3,357 AED 12.3K

-77.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$603 AED 2,214

$1,625 AED 5,968

-62.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,609 AED 5,908

$5,750 AED 21.1K

-72.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,041 AED 3,823

$5,267 AED 19.3K

-80.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,029 AED 29.5K

$2,272 AED 8,346

253.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,747 AED 10.1K

$1,423 AED 5,227

93.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,246 AED 8,251

$2,226 AED 8,177

0.90%

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: July 26, 2026

Last update for Ajman: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $752 in Sharjah and $3,357 in Ajman. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sharjah pays 1% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Sharjah vs $27.00 in Ajman. Groceries flip the comparison at $188 vs $209, 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 76% 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.

Average pay runs 1% higher in Sharjah, 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: $752 in Sharjah versus $3,357 in Ajman. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $274 in Sharjah versus $585 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 $1,584 in Sharjah versus $2,787 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 $1,584 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 76% less than in Ajman. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.