Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sharjah and Mussaffah

For one person, living is cheaper in Sharjah: $1,726 a month against $1,881 in Mussaffah, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

83

Cost of Living Index in Sharjah
Learn more

Sharjah Living Index
91

Cost of Living Index in Mussaffah
Learn more

Mussaffah Living Index

Jump to prices

Sharjah

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$1,726

/mo nomad

Mussaffah

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$1,881

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sharjah and in Mussaffah

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Sharjah and in Mussaffah actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,726 per month in Sharjah vs $1,881 in Mussaffah, rent included.

Sharjah $1,726
Mussaffah $1,881

A couple spends around $2,594 per month in Sharjah vs $3,357 in Mussaffah, rent included.

Sharjah $2,594
Mussaffah $3,357

A family of three spends $3,462 per month in Sharjah vs $4,833 in Mussaffah, rent included.

Sharjah $3,462
Mussaffah $4,833

Sharjah is about 8% cheaper than Mussaffah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Sharjah and Mussaffah sit above the global median – Sharjah by 27%, Mussaffah by 38%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.88 AED 21.58

$6.89 AED 25.32

-14.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.16 AED 118

$32.36 AED 119

-0.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.13 AED 29.87

$9.61 AED 35.30

-15.40%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.57 AED 35.13

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.29 AED 34.12

Cappuccino

$3.12 AED 11.46

$4.82 AED 17.70

-35.27%

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

$0.75 AED 2.75

$0.74 AED 2.71

1.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 AED 1.15

$0.29 AED 1.06

6.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.70 AED 35.64

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.44 AED 34.69

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 AED 5.84

$1.77 AED 6.49

-10.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.20 AED 4.40

$1.15 AED 4.24

4.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.82 AED 6.70

$1.94 AED 7.11

-6.19%

Eggs

$3.32 AED 12.20

$3.21 AED 11.79

3.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.65 AED 31.77

$8.53 AED 31.33

1.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.54 AED 24.01

$6.55 AED 24.06

-0.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.46 AED 42.09

$10.27 AED 37.73

11.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 AED 8.28

$2.27 AED 8.33

-0.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 AED 6.44

$1.73 AED 6.37

1.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.32 AED 4.83

$1.32 AED 4.85

Tomato (1kg)

$1.23 AED 4.50

$1.29 AED 4.73

-4.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 AED 3.96

$1.04 AED 3.81

3.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 AED 4.06

$1.10 AED 4.05

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 AED 5.20

$1.48 AED 5.42

-4.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 AED 2.18

$0.58 AED 2.14

1.72%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$15.45 AED 56.8

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 AED 9.17

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 AED 9.88

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.57 AED 24.15

$6.28 AED 23.06

4.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.77 AED 50.6

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 AED 9.26

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 AED 9.06

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.12 AED 7.79

$2.17 AED 7.96

-2.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.55 AED 101

$33.63 AED 124

-18.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.61 AED 13.26

$3.26 AED 11.96

10.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 AED 2.07

$0.56 AED 2.05

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.03 AED 44.20

$8.39 AED 30.81

43.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 AED 3.58

$0.94 AED 3.47

3.19%

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

$44.1K AED 162.1K

$25.5K AED 93.5K

73.30%

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

$21.0K AED 77.1K

$21.3K AED 78.2K

-1.46%

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

$212 AED 779

$189 AED 695

12.14%

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

$48.90 AED 180

$58.4 AED 214

-16.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$98.0 AED 360

$93.6 AED 344

4.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 AED 199

$56.7 AED 208

-4.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.44 AED 82.4

$28.09 AED 103

-20.11%

Cinema Ticket

$13.82 AED 50.8

$13.85 AED 50.9

-0.22%

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

$340 AED 1,250

$685 AED 2,516

-50.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,356 AED 30.7K

$8,383 AED 30.8K

-0.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.8 AED 216

0.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$78.4 AED 288

$48.13 AED 177

62.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 AED 396

$109 AED 399

-0.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.8 AED 344

$96.3 AED 354

-2.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$816 AED 2,996

$805 AED 2,958

1.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$784 AED 2,879

$818 AED 3,005

-4.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,831 AED 6,723

$1,818 AED 6,678

0.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 AED 5,795

$2,720 AED 9,989

-41.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,442 AED 27.3K

$4,854 AED 17.8K

53.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,551 AED 9,369

$2,376 AED 8,727

7.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,219 AED 8,150

$2,910 AED 10.7K

-23.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.5

4.55

-1.10%

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

Last update for Sharjah: October 26, 2026

Last update for Mussaffah: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Sharjah

$784 45.4%

Mussaffah

$818 43.5% 4.3% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sharjah

$359 20.8%

Mussaffah

$341 18.1% 5% $18

Groceries & Markets

Sharjah

$193 11.2%

Mussaffah

$236 12.5% 22.2% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Sharjah

$152 8.8%

Mussaffah

$140 7.5% 8% $12

Eating Out

Sharjah

$113 6.6%

Mussaffah

$213 11.3% 88.6% $100

Sport & Entertainment

Sharjah

$82 4.8%

Mussaffah

$84 4.5% 3% $2.5

Getting Around

Sharjah

$42 2.5%

Mussaffah

$48 2.6% 13.8% $5.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $816 in Sharjah versus $805 in Mussaffah. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 31% higher in Mussaffah. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Sharjah versus $32 in Mussaffah. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $193 vs $236 – making Sharjah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇪 Sharjah

🇦🇪 Mussaffah

🕒 Local time

23:51 11:51 PM

Same time as Sharjah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,400,000

243,341

💱 Currency

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

📈 Exchange rate

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.243 EUR

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.243 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sharjah Mussaffah 140 km

From you

Sharjah
Mussaffah

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Mussaffah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Mussaffah is pricier by about 9%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,589 per month in Sharjah and $2,822 in Mussaffah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $816 in Sharjah and $805 in Mussaffah. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,726 in Sharjah and $1,881 in Mussaffah. That makes Sharjah about 8% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $340 per month in Sharjah and $685 in Mussaffah. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,726 in Sharjah and $1,881 in Mussaffah, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Sharjah has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,726 in Sharjah to $1,881 in Mussaffah. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Sharjah. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mussaffah makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.