Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sharjah and Al Fujayrah

For one person, living is cheaper in Sharjah: $1,726 a month against $3,206 in Al Fujayrah, rent and utilities included – about $17,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

83

Cost of Living Index in Sharjah
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Sharjah Living Index
155

Cost of Living Index in Al Fujayrah
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Al Fujayrah Living Index

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Sharjah

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$1,726

/mo nomad

Al Fujayrah

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$3,206

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sharjah and in Al Fujayrah

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 Al Fujayrah actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,726 per month in Sharjah vs $3,206 in Al Fujayrah, rent included.

Sharjah $1,726
Al Fujayrah $3,206

A couple spends around $2,594 per month in Sharjah vs $4,790 in Al Fujayrah, rent included.

Sharjah $2,594
Al Fujayrah $4,790

A family of three spends $3,462 per month in Sharjah vs $6,373 in Al Fujayrah, rent included.

Sharjah $3,462
Al Fujayrah $6,373

Sharjah is about 46% cheaper than Al Fujayrah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Sharjah and Al Fujayrah sit above the global median – Sharjah by 27%, Al Fujayrah by 136%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.88 AED 21.58

$7.96 AED 29.22

-26.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.16 AED 118

$59.9 AED 220

-46.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.13 AED 29.87

$9.74 AED 35.76

-16.53%

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

$5.81 AED 21.34

-46.30%

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

$0.75 AED 2.75

$1.42 AED 5.20

-47.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 AED 1.15

$0.60 AED 2.21

-48.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.72 AED 50.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.88 AED 51.0

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 AED 5.84

$1.84 AED 6.76

-13.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.20 AED 4.40

$1.16 AED 4.27

3.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.82 AED 6.70

$2.52 AED 9.24

-27.78%

Eggs

$3.32 AED 12.20

$3.52 AED 12.93

-5.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.65 AED 31.77

$5.50 AED 20.19

57.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.54 AED 24.01

$5.22 AED 19.19

25.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.46 AED 42.09

$7.78 AED 28.57

47.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 AED 8.28

$1.73 AED 6.34

30.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 AED 6.44

$1.33 AED 4.90

31.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.32 AED 4.83

$1.30 AED 4.76

1.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.23 AED 4.50

$1.42 AED 5.20

-13.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 AED 3.96

$0.99 AED 3.62

9.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 AED 4.06

$1.05 AED 3.84

4.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 AED 5.20

$1.10 AED 4.05

29.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 AED 2.18

$0.66 AED 2.43

-10.61%

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

$6.39 AED 23.46

2.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.41 AED 60.3

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 AED 9.63

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 AED 11.03

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.12 AED 7.79

$2.88 AED 10.57

-26.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.55 AED 101

$16.16 AED 59.3

70.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.61 AED 13.26

$2.77 AED 10.19

30.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 AED 2.07

$0.28 AED 1.04

100.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.03 AED 44.19

$2.69 AED 9.90

347.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 AED 3.58

$0.78 AED 2.86

24.36%

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

$44.1K AED 162.1K

$26.3K AED 96.7K

67.56%

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

$21.0K AED 77.1K

$22.0K AED 80.7K

-4.42%

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

$212 AED 779

$239 AED 878

-11.30%

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

$48.90 AED 180

$44.28 AED 163

10.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$98.0 AED 360

$91.6 AED 336

6.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 AED 199

$96.6 AED 355

-43.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.44 AED 82.4

$29.57 AED 109

-24.11%

Cinema Ticket

$13.82 AED 50.8

$9.95 AED 36.55

38.89%

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

$340 AED 1,250

$275 AED 1,009

23.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,356 AED 30.7K

$4,443 AED 16.3K

88.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.8 AED 216

$29.39 AED 108

99.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$78.4 AED 288

$55.0 AED 202

42.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 AED 396

$103 AED 378

4.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.8 AED 344

$80.9 AED 297

15.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$816 AED 2,996

$2,379 AED 8,739

-65.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$784 AED 2,879

$2,077 AED 7,628

-62.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,831 AED 6,723

$5,048 AED 18.5K

-63.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 AED 5,795

$4,064 AED 14.9K

-61.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,442 AED 27.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,551 AED 9,368

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,219 AED 8,149

$3,673 AED 13.5K

-39.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.5

125.00%

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

Last update for Sharjah: October 26, 2026

Last update for Al Fujayrah: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sharjah

$784 45.4%

Al Fujayrah

$2.1K 64.8% 165% $1.3K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sharjah

$359 20.8%

Al Fujayrah

$375 11.7% 4.5% $16

Groceries & Markets

Sharjah

$193 11.2%

Al Fujayrah

$218 6.8% 13.2% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Sharjah

$152 8.8%

Al Fujayrah

$121 3.8% 20.8% $32

Eating Out

Sharjah

$113 6.6%

Al Fujayrah

$267 8.3% 136% $154

Sport & Entertainment

Sharjah

$82 4.8%

Al Fujayrah

$116 3.6% 42.2% $35

Getting Around

Sharjah

$42 2.5%

Al Fujayrah

$32 1% 25% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $816 in Sharjah versus $2,379 in Al Fujayrah. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 66% higher in Al Fujayrah, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Sharjah versus $60 in Al Fujayrah. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $193 vs $218 – making Sharjah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇪 Sharjah

🇦🇪 Al Fujayrah

🕒 Local time

22:57 10:57 PM

Same time as Sharjah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,400,000

118,933

💱 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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Sharjah Al Fujayrah 87 km

From you

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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Al Fujayrah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al Fujayrah costs about 86% more than Sharjah, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,589 per month in Sharjah and $4,810 in Al Fujayrah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sharjah, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $816 there versus $2,379 in Al Fujayrah.

Kindergarten costs $340 per month in Sharjah and $275 in Al Fujayrah. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 13% more in Al Fujayrah, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Sharjah, where all-in costs run around $1,726, than in Al Fujayrah at $3,206. In Sharjah it covers expenses comfortably, while in Al Fujayrah it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Sharjah. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Al Fujayrah makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.