Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sharjah and Ajman

For one person, living is cheaper in Sharjah: $1,726 a month against $1,842 in Ajman, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. The total is higher in Ajman despite lower rent and utilities.

83

Cost of Living Index in Sharjah
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Sharjah Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Ajman
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Ajman Living Index

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Sharjah

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$1,726

/mo nomad

Ajman

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$1,842

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sharjah and in Ajman

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Sharjah and in Ajman actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,726 in Sharjah versus $1,842 in Ajman.

Sharjah $1,726
Ajman $1,842

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,594 in Sharjah versus $3,306 in Ajman.

Sharjah $2,594
Ajman $3,306

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,462 in Sharjah versus $4,769 in Ajman.

Sharjah $3,462
Ajman $4,769

Living in Sharjah costs roughly 6% less than in Ajman, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sharjah 27% above, Ajman 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.88 AED 21.58

$5.66 AED 20.79

3.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.16 AED 118

$26.78 AED 98.4

20.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.13 AED 29.87

$8.13 AED 29.86

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.57 AED 35.13

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.29 AED 34.12

Cappuccino

$3.12 AED 11.46

$3.72 AED 13.65

-16.13%

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

$0.75 AED 2.75

$0.80 AED 2.93

-6.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 AED 1.15

$0.40 AED 1.46

-22.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.77 AED 39.55

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.48 AED 45.83

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 AED 5.84

$1.95 AED 7.14

-18.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.20 AED 4.40

$1.35 AED 4.97

-11.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.82 AED 6.70

$1.46 AED 5.35

24.66%

Eggs

$3.32 AED 12.20

$2.08 AED 7.65

59.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.65 AED 31.77

$7.91 AED 29.05

9.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.54 AED 24.01

$6.59 AED 24.20

-0.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.46 AED 42.09

$9.51 AED 34.92

20.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 AED 8.28

$1.94 AED 7.12

16.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 AED 6.44

$1.33 AED 4.87

31.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.32 AED 4.83

$1.56 AED 5.73

-15.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.23 AED 4.50

$1.03 AED 3.79

19.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 AED 3.96

$1.03 AED 3.77

4.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 AED 4.06

$1.14 AED 4.17

-3.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 AED 5.20

$1.18 AED 4.34

20.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 AED 2.18

$0.51 AED 1.87

15.69%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$15.45 AED 56.8

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 AED 9.16

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 AED 9.88

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.57 AED 24.14

$6.34 AED 23.30

3.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.02 AED 40.45

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 AED 5.88

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 AED 8.45

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.12 AED 7.79

$4.07 AED 14.94

-47.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.55 AED 101

$69.4 AED 255

-60.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.61 AED 13.26

$3.48 AED 12.77

3.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 AED 2.07

$0.66 AED 2.42

-15.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.03 AED 44.19

$8.41 AED 30.89

43.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 AED 3.58

$0.83 AED 3.05

16.87%

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

$44.1K AED 162.1K

$45.4K AED 166.8K

-2.81%

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

$21.0K AED 77.1K

$22.0K AED 80.7K

-4.48%

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

$212 AED 779

$154 AED 565

38.01%

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

$48.90 AED 180

$49.88 AED 183

-1.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$98.0 AED 360

$85.4 AED 314

14.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 AED 199

$76.9 AED 282

-29.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.44 AED 82.4

$9.74 AED 35.79

130.39%

Cinema Ticket

$13.82 AED 50.8

$13.64 AED 50.1

1.32%

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

$340 AED 1,250

$492 AED 1,806

-30.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,356 AED 30.7K

$5,741 AED 21.1K

45.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.8 AED 216

$58.4 AED 214

0.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$78.4 AED 288

$61.1 AED 224

28.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 AED 396

$84.9 AED 312

27.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.8 AED 344

$94.8 AED 348

-1.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$816 AED 2,996

$2,283 AED 8,386

-64.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$784 AED 2,879

$812 AED 2,982

-3.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,831 AED 6,723

$1,619 AED 5,946

13.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 AED 5,795

$2,727 AED 10.0K

-42.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,442 AED 27.3K

$2,272 AED 8,343

227.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,551 AED 9,368

$1,366 AED 5,015

86.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,219 AED 8,149

$2,259 AED 8,297

-1.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.5

-10.00%

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

Last update for Sharjah: October 26, 2026

Last update for Ajman: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Sharjah

$784 45.4%

Ajman

$812 44.1% 3.6% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sharjah

$359 20.8%

Ajman

$289 15.7% 19.5% $70

Groceries & Markets

Sharjah

$193 11.2%

Ajman

$212 11.5% 10% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Sharjah

$152 8.8%

Ajman

$135 7.3% 11.7% $18

Eating Out

Sharjah

$113 6.6%

Ajman

$198 10.7% 75% $85

Sport & Entertainment

Sharjah

$82 4.8%

Ajman

$104 5.7% 27.2% $22

Getting Around

Sharjah

$42 2.5%

Ajman

$92 5% 118% $50

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $816 in Sharjah and $2,283 in Ajman. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32 in Sharjah vs $27 in Ajman. Groceries flip the comparison at $193 vs $212, with Sharjah cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇦🇪 Sharjah

🇦🇪 Ajman

🕒 Local time

21:01 9:01 PM

Same time as Sharjah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,400,000

238,119

💱 Currency

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

📈 Exchange rate

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.244 EUR

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.244 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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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 6% 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.

You’d need roughly $2,589 in Sharjah and $2,764 in Ajman to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $816 in Sharjah versus $2,283 in Ajman. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $340 in Sharjah versus $492 in Ajman. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Ajman. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Sharjah gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Sharjah and Ajman are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.