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: $1,796 in Sharjah versus $2,338 in Ajman.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,573 in Sharjah versus $4,398 in Ajman.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,349 in Sharjah versus $6,459 in Ajman.

Living in Sharjah costs roughly 23% less than in Ajman, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sharjah 31% above, Ajman 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.34 AED 19.60

$5.58 AED 20.51

-4.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.04 AED 132

$26.73 AED 98.2

34.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.11 AED 29.78

$8.13 AED 29.87

-0.25%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.34 AED 34.31

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.63 AED 35.36

Cappuccino

$3.54 AED 13.00

$3.76 AED 13.80

-5.85%

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

$0.80 AED 2.93

$0.77 AED 2.84

3.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 AED 1.17

$0.37 AED 1.36

-13.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.87 AED 39.94

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.36 AED 45.37

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 AED 5.52

$1.95 AED 7.17

-23.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 AED 4.37

$1.28 AED 4.72

-7.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.82 AED 6.68

$1.53 AED 5.62

18.95%

Eggs

$2.95 AED 10.85

$2.05 AED 7.54

43.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.58 AED 31.50

$7.75 AED 28.47

10.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.98 AED 25.64

$5.40 AED 19.83

29.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.23 AED 41.24

$8.47 AED 31.10

32.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 AED 8.28

$1.79 AED 6.59

25.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 AED 6.08

$1.25 AED 4.60

32.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 AED 5.63

$1.49 AED 5.46

2.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.34 AED 4.93

$0.91 AED 3.33

47.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.06 AED 3.89

$1.03 AED 3.80

2.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 AED 4.30

$1.04 AED 3.81

12.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 AED 5.39

$0.87 AED 3.19

68.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 AED 2.11

$0.53 AED 1.94

7.55%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$15.42 AED 56.6

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 AED 9.23

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 AED 9.45

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 AED 24.06

$6.07 AED 22.31

7.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.84 AED 39.80

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 AED 6.17

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 AED 8.47

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 AED 8.13

$4.01 AED 14.72

-44.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.81 AED 98.5

$67.5 AED 248

-60.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.71 AED 13.62

$3.55 AED 13.05

4.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 AED 2.06

$0.67 AED 2.45

-16.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.00 AED 44.07

$8.35 AED 30.68

43.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 AED 3.58

$0.88 AED 3.23

11.36%

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

$45.4K AED 166.8K

$45.4K AED 166.6K

0.10%

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

$22.1K AED 81.3K

$22.4K AED 82.4K

-1.37%

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

$209 AED 766

$151 AED 554

38.34%

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

$49.53 AED 182

$50.2 AED 184

-1.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$97.8 AED 359

$84.1 AED 309

16.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 AED 200

$77.6 AED 285

-29.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.66 AED 79.5

$10.25 AED 37.64

111.32%

Cinema Ticket

$13.45 AED 49.40

$13.34 AED 49.00

0.82%

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

$323 AED 1,186

$482 AED 1,770

-33.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,883 AED 32.6K

$5,632 AED 20.7K

57.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 AED 218

$57.5 AED 211

3.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$77.0 AED 283

$60.1 AED 221

28.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 AED 401

$86.7 AED 318

25.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.6 AED 347

$94.8 AED 348

-0.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$831 AED 3,053

$2,450 AED 8,998

-66.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$901 AED 3,310

$1,368 AED 5,024

-34.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,823 AED 6,694

$1,723 AED 6,327

5.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 AED 5,211

$4,586 AED 16.8K

-69.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,211 AED 30.2K

$2,233 AED 8,202

267.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,718 AED 9,981

$1,431 AED 5,255

89.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,184 AED 8,020

$2,248 AED 8,254

-2.83%

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: September 13, 2026

Last update for Ajman: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $831 in Sharjah and $2,450 in Ajman. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ajman pays 3% 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: $36.00 in Sharjah vs $27.00 in Ajman. Groceries flip the comparison at $193 vs $199, 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 30% 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, salaries run 3% lower in Ajman. 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: $831 in Sharjah versus $2,450 in Ajman. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $323 in Sharjah versus $482 in Ajman. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Ajman. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,796 in Sharjah versus $2,338 in Ajman, a $3,000 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 $1,796 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 30% less than in Ajman. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.