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: $1,865 in Sharjah versus $2,434 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,636 in Sharjah versus $3,473 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,406 in Sharjah versus $4,512 in Barcelona.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sharjah 36% above, Barcelona 78% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.05 AED 22.22

$18.80 €16.09

-67.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.05 AED 118

$69.5 €59.4

-53.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.20 AED 30.10

$14.08 €12.05

-41.76%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.72 AED 35.68

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.50 AED 34.90

Cappuccino

$3.41 AED 12.52

$3.12 €2.66

9.29%

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

$0.87 AED 3.20

$2.91 €2.49

-70.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 AED 1.05

$1.87 €1.60

-84.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.42

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.64 €3.97

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 AED 5.71

$1.19 €1.02

30.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.15 AED 4.24

$2.13 €1.82

-46.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 AED 6.81

$1.84 €1.57

0.54%

Eggs

$2.83 AED 10.39

$5.13 €4.39

-44.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.13 AED 33.52

$16.39 €14.02

-44.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.92 AED 25.43

$9.71 €8.31

-28.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.55 AED 42.43

$19.65 €16.81

-41.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 AED 7.91

$3.13 €2.68

-31.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 AED 6.02

$2.18 €1.87

-24.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 AED 5.51

$2.46 €2.11

-39.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.32 AED 4.84

$2.77 €2.37

-52.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.10 AED 4.03

$2.12 €1.82

-48.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.14 AED 4.18

$2.23 €1.90

-48.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 AED 5.69

$1.49 €1.27

4.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 AED 2.13

$0.91 €0.78

-36.26%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$15.78 AED 58.0

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.45 AED 9.01

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 AED 9.65

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 AED 24.05

$7.26 €6.21

-9.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.29 €7.09

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.32

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 €2.30

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.20 AED 8.06

$3.07 €2.63

-28.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.36 AED 152

$25.93 €22.18

59.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.63 AED 13.31

$3.34 €2.86

8.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 AED 2.19

$1.88 €1.61

-68.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.74 AED 43.13

$34.98 €29.92

-66.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 AED 3.29

$1.74 €1.49

-48.28%

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

$45.6K AED 167.6K

$36.5K €31.2K

24.99%

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

$21.9K AED 80.3K

$31.5K €27.0K

-30.65%

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

$225 AED 827

$183 €156

23.12%

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

$49.27 AED 181

$15.70 €13.43

213.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$94.8 AED 348

$36.73 €31.42

158.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.7 AED 201

$53.5 €45.76

2.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.35 AED 82.1

$17.13 €14.65

30.47%

Cinema Ticket

$13.60 AED 49.94

$11.51 €9.85

18.16%

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

$308 AED 1,130

$952 €815

-67.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,375 AED 30.8K

$16.2K €13.8K

-48.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.8 AED 216

$82.5 €70.5

-28.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$76.3 AED 280

$40.47 €34.62

88.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 AED 403

$108 €92.2

1.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.3 AED 343

$125 €107

-25.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$761 AED 2,795

$1,668 €1,426

-54.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$859 AED 3,155

$1,288 €1,101

-33.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,753 AED 6,436

$2,663 €2,278

-34.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,464 AED 5,378

$1,904 €1,628

-23.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,048 AED 29.6K

$7,513 €6,427

7.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,705 AED 9,933

$5,178 €4,429

-47.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,191 AED 8,045

$2,451 €2,096

-10.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.5

3.12

44.23%

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

Last update for Sharjah: August 16, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: August 17, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $761 in Sharjah and $1,668 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 12% 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: $32.00 in Sharjah vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $194 vs $328 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 31% in total monthly costs ($1,865 vs $2,434 including rent). Sharjah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 12% lower in Barcelona. 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: $761 in Sharjah versus $1,668 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $308 in Sharjah versus $952 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 69% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,865 in Sharjah versus $2,434 in Barcelona, a $3,000 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 31% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.