Cost of Living Comparison Between Sharjah and Dibba Al-Fujairah Cost of Living Comparison Between Sharjah and Dibba Al-Fujairah

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,573 in Sharjah versus $2,026 in Dibba Al-Fujairah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,253 in Sharjah versus $3,057 in Dibba Al-Fujairah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,933 in Sharjah versus $4,088 in Dibba Al-Fujairah.

Living in Sharjah costs roughly 22% less than in Dibba Al-Fujairah, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sharjah 17% above, Dibba Al-Fujairah 51% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.36 AED 19.70

$10.87 AED 39.94

-50.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.97 AED 121

$80.2 AED 294

-58.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.06 AED 33.29

$9.29 AED 34.10

-2.48%

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

$5.46 AED 20.04

-22.89%

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

$1.01 AED 3.72

$1.24 AED 4.57

-18.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 AED 1.28

$0.95 AED 3.51

-63.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.47 AED 45.79

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.47 AED 49.48

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 AED 6.24

$1.94 AED 7.11

-12.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 AED 4.36

$1.38 AED 5.07

-13.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.04 AED 7.50

$2.25 AED 8.27

-9.33%

Eggs

$2.73 AED 10.04

$3.29 AED 12.09

-17.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.18 AED 37.38

$10.22 AED 37.52

-0.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.96 AED 25.56

$9.33 AED 34.28

-25.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.46 AED 31.08

$12.65 AED 46.48

-33.12%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 AED 6.73

$2.27 AED 8.34

-19.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 AED 5.42

$1.86 AED 6.83

-20.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 AED 5.48

$1.91 AED 7.02

-21.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.23 AED 4.51

$1.53 AED 5.63

-19.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.01 AED 3.71

$1.22 AED 4.49

-17.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.21 AED 4.46

$1.25 AED 4.61

-3.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 AED 5.60

$1.45 AED 5.31

4.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 AED 2.35

$0.69 AED 2.54

-7.25%

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

$6.56 AED 24.10

-4.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.18 AED 59.5

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 AED 9.55

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 AED 12.40

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 AED 5.88

$1.67 AED 6.13

-4.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.57 AED 153

$53.4 AED 196

-22.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.77 AED 13.84

$3.35 AED 12.30

12.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 AED 2.59

$0.52 AED 1.92

36.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.04 AED 18.49

$8.31 AED 30.53

-39.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 AED 3.01

$0.79 AED 2.88

3.80%

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

$45.1K AED 165.5K

$32.7K AED 120.1K

37.76%

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

$22.1K AED 81.3K

$23.0K AED 84.5K

-3.73%

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

$200 AED 734

$213 AED 784

-6.44%

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

$65.9 AED 242

$61.9 AED 227

6.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$103 AED 379

$102 AED 374

1.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.9 AED 231

$63.4 AED 233

-0.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.58 AED 138

$39.14 AED 144

-3.99%

Cinema Ticket

$12.73 AED 46.75

$15.13 AED 55.6

-15.86%

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

$275 AED 1,011

$854 AED 3,137

-67.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,018 AED 22.1K

$5,760 AED 21.2K

4.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.4 AED 189

$83.0 AED 305

-38.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$97.2 AED 357

$62.8 AED 230

54.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 AED 353

$115 AED 423

-16.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.4 AED 295

$119 AED 439

-32.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$775 AED 2,845

$742 AED 2,726

4.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$603 AED 2,215

$769 AED 2,823

-21.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,613 AED 5,923

$2,463 AED 9,048

-34.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,026 AED 3,768

$1,351 AED 4,962

-24.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,277 AED 30.4K

$4,430 AED 16.3K

86.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,688 AED 9,872

$2,219 AED 8,151

21.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,281 AED 8,377

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.42

4.49

-1.56%

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

Last update for Sharjah: June 9, 2026

Last update for Dibba Al-Fujairah: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $775 in Sharjah and $742 in Dibba Al-Fujairah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Sharjah vs $80.0 in Dibba Al-Fujairah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $281 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 Dibba Al-Fujairah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sharjah and Dibba Al-Fujairah differ by about 29% in total monthly costs ($1,573 vs $2,026 including rent). Sharjah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,360 in Sharjah and $3,039 in Dibba Al-Fujairah to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $775 in Sharjah versus $742 in Dibba Al-Fujairah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Sharjah runs roughly 29% less than in Dibba Al-Fujairah. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $275 in Sharjah versus $854 in Dibba Al-Fujairah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,573 in Sharjah versus $2,026 in Dibba Al-Fujairah, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sharjah but tight or insufficient in Dibba Al-Fujairah. 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 Dibba Al-Fujairah 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 29% less than in Dibba Al-Fujairah. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.