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: $1,864 in Sharjah versus $2,050 in Dibba Al-Fujairah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,636 in Sharjah versus $3,588 in Dibba Al-Fujairah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,408 in Sharjah versus $5,126 in Dibba Al-Fujairah.

Living in Sharjah costs roughly 9% less than in Dibba Al-Fujairah, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sharjah 35% above, Dibba Al-Fujairah 49% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.87 AED 21.56

$6.61 AED 24.26

-11.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.40 AED 137

$82.9 AED 305

-54.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.16 AED 29.97

$8.02 AED 29.46

1.75%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.66 AED 35.46

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.28 AED 34.07

Cappuccino

$3.44 AED 12.64

$6.33 AED 23.26

-45.66%

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

$0.85 AED 3.11

$0.78 AED 2.88

8.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 AED 1.12

$0.28 AED 1.03

7.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.36 AED 49.08

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.78 AED 50.6

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 AED 5.71

$1.33 AED 4.87

16.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.17 AED 4.28

$1.06 AED 3.91

10.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 AED 7.20

$2.44 AED 8.95

-19.67%

Eggs

$2.81 AED 10.31

$2.19 AED 8.06

28.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.64 AED 31.72

$12.60 AED 46.29

-31.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.19 AED 26.42

$6.66 AED 24.48

7.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 AED 42.67

$6.73 AED 24.73

72.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 AED 7.91

$1.61 AED 5.92

33.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 AED 6.34

$1.39 AED 5.10

24.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 AED 5.79

$1.93 AED 7.10

-18.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.32 AED 4.85

$1.40 AED 5.13

-5.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.07 AED 3.93

$0.79 AED 2.89

35.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.22 AED 4.48

$0.85 AED 3.11

43.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 AED 5.76

$1.37 AED 5.04

14.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 AED 2.11

$0.55 AED 2.02

3.64%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$15.48 AED 56.9

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 AED 8.85

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 AED 9.45

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.44 AED 23.63

$6.00 AED 22.05

7.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.60 AED 61.0

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 AED 10.24

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 AED 9.77

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.24 AED 8.24

$2.51 AED 9.20

-10.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.06 AED 151

$45.14 AED 166

-9.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.68 AED 13.52

$1.12 AED 4.12

228.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 AED 2.35

$0.68 AED 2.50

-5.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.18 AED 44.74

$8.09 AED 29.71

50.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 AED 3.52

$0.69 AED 2.54

39.13%

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

$46.3K AED 169.9K

$27.5K AED 100.8K

68.53%

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

$21.9K AED 80.6K

$22.1K AED 81.3K

-0.90%

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

$226 AED 830

$248 AED 911

-8.88%

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

$49.64 AED 182

$52.7 AED 194

-5.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$96.1 AED 353

$81.1 AED 298

18.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 AED 200

$56.8 AED 208

-4.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.26 AED 81.8

$29.70 AED 109

-25.05%

Cinema Ticket

$13.71 AED 50.3

$16.18 AED 59.4

-15.27%

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

$314 AED 1,154

$839 AED 3,083

-62.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,432 AED 31.0K

$5,810 AED 21.3K

45.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.2 AED 217

$76.4 AED 281

-22.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$77.9 AED 286

$57.3 AED 210

36.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 AED 398

$102 AED 375

6.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.4 AED 350

$101 AED 370

-5.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$810 AED 2,976

$803 AED 2,948

0.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$911 AED 3,344

$909 AED 3,338

0.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,822 AED 6,691

$1,815 AED 6,668

0.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,497 AED 5,498

$2,709 AED 9,949

-44.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,027 AED 29.5K

$4,367 AED 16.0K

83.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,761 AED 10.1K

$2,311 AED 8,488

19.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,215 AED 8,134

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.5

4.54

-0.88%

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

Last update for Sharjah: September 7, 2026

Last update for Dibba Al-Fujairah: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $810 in Sharjah and $803 in Dibba Al-Fujairah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $37.00 in Sharjah vs $83.0 in Dibba Al-Fujairah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $196 vs $234 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 10% in total monthly costs ($1,864 vs $2,050 including rent). Sharjah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,797 in Sharjah and $3,075 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: $810 in Sharjah versus $803 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 10% less than in Dibba Al-Fujairah. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $314 in Sharjah versus $839 in Dibba Al-Fujairah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,864 in Sharjah versus $2,050 in Dibba Al-Fujairah, a $3,000 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 10% less than in Dibba Al-Fujairah. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.