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: $1,549 in Sharjah versus $2,066 in Dibba Al-Fujairah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,243 in Sharjah versus $3,118 in Dibba Al-Fujairah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,938 in Sharjah versus $4,170 in Dibba Al-Fujairah.

Living in Sharjah costs roughly 25% less than in Dibba Al-Fujairah, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sharjah 16% above, Dibba Al-Fujairah 54% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.55 AED 20.36

$10.80 AED 39.64

-48.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.18 AED 122

$80.4 AED 295

-58.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.36 AED 34.36

$9.26 AED 33.97

1.08%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.47 AED 34.76

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.33 AED 34.23

Cappuccino

$4.25 AED 15.60

$5.48 AED 20.13

-22.45%

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

$1.03 AED 3.77

$1.24 AED 4.54

-16.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 AED 1.28

$0.90 AED 3.30

-61.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.04 AED 44.19

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.75 AED 50.5

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 AED 6.53

$2.00 AED 7.35

-11.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.15 AED 4.21

$1.37 AED 5.03

-16.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.03 AED 7.46

$2.24 AED 8.23

-9.38%

Eggs

$2.73 AED 10.02

$3.33 AED 12.21

-18.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.39 AED 38.13

$10.20 AED 37.43

1.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.05 AED 25.89

$9.18 AED 33.69

-23.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.87 AED 32.56

$12.46 AED 45.72

-28.81%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 AED 6.76

$2.29 AED 8.41

-19.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 AED 5.47

$1.97 AED 7.21

-24.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 AED 5.47

$1.93 AED 7.08

-22.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.23 AED 4.52

$1.56 AED 5.74

-21.15%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 AED 3.64

$1.25 AED 4.57

-20.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 AED 4.32

$1.26 AED 4.63

-6.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 AED 5.33

$1.39 AED 5.09

4.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 AED 2.36

$0.68 AED 2.50

-5.88%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$15.73 AED 57.7

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 AED 6.91

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.42 AED 12.54

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.27 AED 23.01

$6.61 AED 24.26

-5.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.31 AED 70.9

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.64 AED 9.68

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.56 AED 13.06

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.65 AED 6.07

$1.62 AED 5.95

1.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.17 AED 147

$51.5 AED 189

-21.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.72 AED 13.64

$3.26 AED 11.96

14.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 AED 2.56

$0.56 AED 2.04

25.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.91 AED 18.03

$8.05 AED 29.55

-39.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.76 AED 2.78

$0.74 AED 2.70

2.70%

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

$45.4K AED 166.6K

$32.6K AED 119.6K

39.32%

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

$22.2K AED 81.5K

$22.9K AED 84.1K

-3.10%

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

$194 AED 711

$215 AED 787

-9.68%

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

$66.6 AED 244

$62.5 AED 229

6.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$103 AED 379

$102 AED 375

0.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.7 AED 234

$64.0 AED 235

-0.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$38.43 AED 141

$39.99 AED 147

-3.90%

Cinema Ticket

$12.98 AED 47.64

$14.78 AED 54.3

-12.18%

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

$272 AED 998

$844 AED 3,097

-67.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,086 AED 22.3K

$5,669 AED 20.8K

7.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.0 AED 195

$82.4 AED 302

-35.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$97.0 AED 356

$63.1 AED 231

53.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.0 AED 356

$112 AED 411

-13.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.4 AED 299

$122 AED 447

-33.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$769 AED 2,823

$755 AED 2,771

1.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$602 AED 2,208

$747 AED 2,741

-19.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,635 AED 5,999

$2,556 AED 9,380

-36.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 AED 3,756

$1,353 AED 4,965

-24.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,263 AED 30.3K

$4,985 AED 18.3K

65.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,682 AED 9,841

$2,058 AED 7,551

30.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,283 AED 8,378

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Dibba Al-Fujairah: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $769 in Sharjah and $755 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 $190 vs $288 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 33% in total monthly costs ($1,549 vs $2,066 including rent). Sharjah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,324 in Sharjah and $3,099 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: $769 in Sharjah versus $755 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 28% less than in Dibba Al-Fujairah. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $272 in Sharjah versus $844 in Dibba Al-Fujairah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,549 in Sharjah versus $2,066 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 33% less than in Dibba Al-Fujairah. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.