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: $1,573 in Sharjah versus $2,777 in Ajman.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,253 in Sharjah versus $5,152 in Ajman.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,933 in Sharjah versus $7,526 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 17% above, Ajman 107% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.36 AED 19.70

$6.17 AED 22.65

-13.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.97 AED 121

$27.30 AED 100

20.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.06 AED 33.29

$8.13 AED 29.87

11.44%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.27 AED 34.05

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.64 AED 35.42

Cappuccino

$4.21 AED 15.48

$3.77 AED 13.84

11.67%

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

$1.01 AED 3.72

$0.83 AED 3.07

21.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 AED 1.28

$0.41 AED 1.49

-14.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.83 AED 39.78

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.78 AED 39.58

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 AED 6.24

$2.19 AED 8.05

-22.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 AED 4.36

$1.18 AED 4.33

0.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.04 AED 7.50

$1.41 AED 5.17

44.68%

Eggs

$2.73 AED 10.04

$1.90 AED 6.99

43.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.18 AED 37.38

$8.95 AED 32.86

13.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.96 AED 25.56

$6.65 AED 24.41

4.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.46 AED 31.08

$7.62 AED 27.99

11.02%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 AED 6.73

$1.67 AED 6.13

9.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 AED 5.42

$1.25 AED 4.58

18.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 AED 5.48

$1.45 AED 5.34

2.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.23 AED 4.51

$1.05 AED 3.87

17.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.01 AED 3.71

$0.92 AED 3.38

9.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.21 AED 4.46

$1.02 AED 3.76

18.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 AED 5.60

$0.80 AED 2.94

90.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 AED 2.35

$0.61 AED 2.23

4.92%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$15.76 AED 57.9

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 AED 7.06

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.42 AED 12.56

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.29 AED 23.11

$6.29 AED 23.12

Wine (Bottle)

$10.98 AED 40.33

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 AED 5.71

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 AED 9.82

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 AED 5.88

$4.20 AED 15.43

-61.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.57 AED 153

$65.2 AED 239

-36.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.77 AED 13.84

$3.52 AED 12.93

7.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 AED 2.59

$0.65 AED 2.40

9.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.04 AED 18.49

$8.02 AED 29.46

-37.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 AED 3.01

$0.77 AED 2.83

6.49%

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

$45.1K AED 165.5K

$45.6K AED 167.5K

-1.20%

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

$22.1K AED 81.3K

$23.5K AED 86.4K

-5.88%

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

$200 AED 734

$140 AED 515

42.50%

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

$65.9 AED 242

$62.8 AED 231

4.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$103 AED 379

$108 AED 398

-4.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.9 AED 231

$166 AED 611

-62.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.58 AED 138

$3.54 AED 13.00

961.58%

Cinema Ticket

$12.73 AED 46.75

$13.46 AED 49.44

-5.42%

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

$275 AED 1,011

$579 AED 2,128

-52.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,018 AED 22.1K

$5,745 AED 21.1K

4.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.4 AED 189

$58.0 AED 213

-11.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$97.2 AED 357

$61.7 AED 226

57.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 AED 353

$86.1 AED 316

11.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.4 AED 295

$95.3 AED 350

-15.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$775 AED 2,845

$3,269 AED 12.0K

-76.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$603 AED 2,215

$1,631 AED 5,990

-63.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,613 AED 5,923

$5,713 AED 21.0K

-71.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,026 AED 3,768

$5,363 AED 19.7K

-80.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,277 AED 30.4K

$2,245 AED 8,245

268.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,688 AED 9,872

$1,385 AED 5,085

94.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,281 AED 8,377

$2,241 AED 8,229

1.80%

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 9, 2026

Last update for Ajman: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $775 in Sharjah and $3,269 in Ajman. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sharjah pays 2% 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 $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 77% 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.

Sharjah pays 2% more on average, 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: $775 in Sharjah versus $3,269 in Ajman. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $275 in Sharjah versus $579 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.

At $1,573 in Sharjah versus $2,777 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 $1,573 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 77% less than in Ajman. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.