Cost of Living Comparison Between Sharjah and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Sharjah and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,584 in Sharjah versus $1,264 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,291 in Sharjah versus $2,256 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,997 in Sharjah versus $3,248 in Phuket.

Living in Sharjah is roughly 25% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sharjah is 19% above, Phuket is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.54 AED 20.34

$4.48 ฿150

23.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.58 AED 120

$45.59 ฿1,521

-28.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.21 AED 33.84

$8.76 ฿292

5.14%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.55 AED 35.07

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.45 AED 34.72

Cappuccino

$4.44 AED 16.29

$2.97 ฿99.0

49.49%

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

$0.95 AED 3.50

$0.69 ฿22.90

37.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 AED 1.37

$0.39 ฿13.04

-5.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 AED 6.48

$2.15 ฿71.6

-17.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.20 AED 4.41

$1.82 ฿60.6

-34.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.04 AED 7.50

$2.18 ฿72.9

-6.42%

Eggs

$2.77 AED 10.16

$2.25 ฿75.0

23.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.28 AED 37.75

$20.00 ฿667

-48.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.82 AED 25.05

$3.63 ฿121

87.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.45 AED 31.03

$13.56 ฿452

-37.68%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 AED 6.75

$3.24 ฿108

-43.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 AED 5.46

$1.64 ฿54.6

-9.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.42 AED 5.22

$2.33 ฿77.8

-39.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.18 AED 4.33

$2.07 ฿69.1

-43.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 AED 3.67

$1.55 ฿51.6

-35.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 AED 4.32

$1.46 ฿48.54

-19.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 AED 5.48

$0.98 ฿32.86

52.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 AED 2.33

$0.48 ฿16.09

33.33%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$15.34 AED 56.3

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 AED 7.18

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 AED 12.14

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.33 AED 23.24

$4.35 ฿145

45.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.66 AED 6.11

$1.42 ฿47.28

16.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.20 AED 148

$11.57 ฿386

247.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.60 AED 13.21

$3.17 ฿106

13.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.66 AED 2.43

$1.03 ฿34.41

-35.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.77 AED 17.53

$13.89 ฿463

-65.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.75 AED 2.77

$1.34 ฿44.84

-44.03%

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

$44.9K AED 165.0K

$27.8K ฿927.1K

61.62%

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

$22.5K AED 82.7K

$33.4K ฿1.1M

-32.57%

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

$197 AED 725

$123 ฿4,105

60.46%

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

$64.5 AED 237

$13.77 ฿459

368.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$101 AED 371

$18.33 ฿611

450.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.4 AED 229

$60.7 ฿2,025

2.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$38.49 AED 141

$17.16 ฿573

124.30%

Cinema Ticket

$12.90 AED 47.36

$8.87 ฿296

45.43%

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

$274 AED 1,005

$688 ฿22.9K

-60.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,120 AED 22.5K

$15.8K ฿526.4K

-61.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.2 AED 188

$59.3 ฿1,978

-13.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$98.6 AED 362

$34.69 ฿1,157

184.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 AED 353

$115 ฿3,843

-16.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.3 AED 302

$83.8 ฿2,794

-1.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$752 AED 2,763

$621 ฿20.7K

21.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$603 AED 2,214

$446 ฿14.9K

35.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,609 AED 5,908

$2,034 ฿67.8K

-20.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,041 AED 3,823

$1,496 ฿49.9K

-30.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,029 AED 29.5K

$3,455 ฿115.3K

132.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,747 AED 10.1K

$2,531 ฿84.4K

8.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,246 AED 8,251

$494 ฿16.5K

355.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.42

5.33

-17.07%

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

Last update for Sharjah: July 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $752 in Sharjah and $621 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sharjah pays 355% 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: $33.00 in Sharjah vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $291 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 Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Monthly Utilities & Internet, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 25% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 355% higher in Sharjah, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $752 in Sharjah versus $621 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $274 in Sharjah versus $688 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Sharjah pay roughly 55% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,584 in Sharjah, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Sharjah. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Sharjah, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Sharjah and Phuket 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Sharjah. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.