Cost of Living Comparison Between Sharjah and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Sharjah and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,573 in Sharjah versus $2,337 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,253 in Sharjah versus $3,468 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,933 in Sharjah versus $4,599 in Barcelona.

Living in Sharjah costs roughly 33% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sharjah 17% above, Barcelona 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.36 AED 19.70

$17.08 €14.72

-68.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.97 AED 121

$69.2 €59.7

-52.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.06 AED 33.29

$13.78 €11.87

-34.25%

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

$2.76 €2.37

52.54%

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

$1.01 AED 3.72

$2.79 €2.40

-63.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 AED 1.28

$1.99 €1.72

-82.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 AED 6.24

$1.29 €1.11

31.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 AED 4.36

$2.05 €1.77

-41.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.04 AED 7.50

$1.99 €1.71

2.51%

Eggs

$2.73 AED 10.04

$3.39 €2.92

-19.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.18 AED 37.38

$18.81 €16.21

-45.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.96 AED 25.56

$9.36 €8.07

-25.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.46 AED 31.08

$19.12 €16.48

-55.75%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 AED 6.73

$2.70 €2.32

-32.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 AED 5.42

$2.34 €2.02

-36.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 AED 5.48

$2.12 €1.83

-29.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.23 AED 4.51

$2.85 €2.46

-56.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.01 AED 3.71

$1.97 €1.70

-48.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.21 AED 4.46

$1.80 €1.55

-32.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 AED 5.60

$1.45 €1.25

4.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 AED 2.35

$0.86 €0.74

-25.58%

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

$6.78 €5.84

-7.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 AED 5.88

$2.92 €2.52

-45.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.57 AED 153

$28.69 €24.72

44.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.77 AED 13.84

$4.46 €3.84

-15.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 AED 2.59

$2.05 €1.77

-65.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.04 AED 18.49

$29.55 €25.46

-82.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 AED 3.01

$1.82 €1.56

-54.95%

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

$45.1K AED 165.5K

$38.8K €33.5K

16.03%

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

$22.1K AED 81.3K

$33.1K €28.5K

-33.10%

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

$200 AED 734

$189 €163

5.54%

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

$65.9 AED 242

$22.80 €19.65

188.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$103 AED 379

$37.59 €32.39

174.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.9 AED 231

$57.7 €49.75

8.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.58 AED 138

$20.74 €17.87

81.20%

Cinema Ticket

$12.73 AED 46.75

$10.82 €9.33

17.65%

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

$275 AED 1,011

$728 €628

-62.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,018 AED 22.1K

$14.8K €12.7K

-59.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.4 AED 189

$88.6 €76.4

-41.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$97.2 AED 357

$36.85 €31.75

163.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 AED 353

$102 €87.9

-5.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.4 AED 295

$116 €100

-30.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$775 AED 2,845

$1,569 €1,352

-50.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$603 AED 2,215

$1,218 €1,050

-50.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,613 AED 5,923

$2,795 €2,409

-42.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,026 AED 3,768

$1,975 €1,702

-48.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,277 AED 30.4K

$7,754 €6,680

6.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,688 AED 9,872

$5,176 €4,460

-48.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,281 AED 8,377

$2,343 €2,019

-2.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.42

3.39

30.38%

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

Last update for Sharjah: June 9, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $775 in Sharjah and $1,569 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona 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: $33.00 in Sharjah vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $319 per month, with Sharjah cheaper across the board.

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 Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sharjah and Barcelona differ by about 49% in total monthly costs ($1,573 vs $2,337 including rent). Sharjah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Barcelona earns 3% less. 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: $775 in Sharjah versus $1,569 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $275 in Sharjah versus $728 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 70% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,573 in Sharjah versus $2,337 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sharjah but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Sharjah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Barcelona 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 49% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.