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: $1,573 in Sharjah versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,253 in Sharjah versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,933 in Sharjah versus $3,310 in Phuket.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Sharjah is 17% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.36 AED 19.70

$4.56 ฿149

17.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.97 AED 121

$46.63 ฿1,519

-29.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.06 AED 33.29

$8.47 ฿276

6.97%

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

$3.03 ฿98.6

38.94%

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

$1.01 AED 3.72

$0.69 ฿22.45

46.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 AED 1.28

$0.37 ฿11.92

-5.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 AED 6.24

$2.18 ฿71.0

-22.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 AED 4.36

$1.90 ฿62.0

-37.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.04 AED 7.50

$2.20 ฿71.6

-7.27%

Eggs

$2.73 AED 10.04

$2.22 ฿72.4

22.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.18 AED 37.38

$19.99 ฿651

-49.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.96 AED 25.56

$3.66 ฿119

90.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.46 AED 31.08

$13.25 ฿432

-36.15%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 AED 6.73

$3.23 ฿105

-43.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 AED 5.42

$1.70 ฿55.3

-12.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 AED 5.48

$2.39 ฿78.0

-37.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.23 AED 4.51

$2.08 ฿67.7

-40.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.01 AED 3.71

$1.59 ฿51.8

-36.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.21 AED 4.46

$1.48 ฿48.31

-18.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 AED 5.60

$1.03 ฿33.54

47.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 AED 2.35

$0.52 ฿16.83

23.08%

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

$4.25 ฿138

48.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 AED 5.88

$1.36 ฿44.32

17.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.57 AED 153

$11.36 ฿370

265.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.77 AED 13.84

$3.14 ฿102

20.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 AED 2.59

$1.04 ฿33.74

-31.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.04 AED 18.49

$13.77 ฿448

-63.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 AED 3.01

$1.34 ฿43.79

-38.81%

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

$45.1K AED 165.5K

$27.7K ฿901.4K

62.78%

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

$22.1K AED 81.3K

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-34.61%

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

$200 AED 734

$124 ฿4,025

61.60%

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

$65.9 AED 242

$13.52 ฿440

387.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$103 AED 379

$18.69 ฿609

452.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.9 AED 231

$61.8 ฿2,013

1.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.58 AED 138

$17.25 ฿562

117.86%

Cinema Ticket

$12.73 AED 46.75

$9.14 ฿298

39.28%

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

$275 AED 1,011

$703 ฿22.9K

-60.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,018 AED 22.1K

$15.9K ฿517.0K

-62.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.4 AED 189

$59.5 ฿1,937

-13.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$97.2 AED 357

$35.07 ฿1,142

177.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 AED 353

$115 ฿3,754

-16.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.4 AED 295

$84.1 ฿2,737

-4.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$775 AED 2,845

$619 ฿20.1K

25.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$603 AED 2,215

$433 ฿14.1K

39.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,613 AED 5,923

$2,062 ฿67.2K

-21.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,026 AED 3,768

$1,511 ฿49.2K

-32.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,277 AED 30.4K

$3,646 ฿118.7K

127.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,688 AED 9,872

$2,626 ฿85.5K

2.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,281 AED 8,377

$507 ฿16.5K

349.87%

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: June 9, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $775 in Sharjah and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sharjah pays 350% 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 $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $293 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.

Sharjah pays 350% more on average, 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: $775 in Sharjah versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $275 in Sharjah versus $703 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Sharjah pay roughly 56% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,573 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.