Cost of Living Comparison Between Sharjah and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Sharjah and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,573 per month in Sharjah vs $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,253 per month in Sharjah vs $2,126 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,933 per month in Sharjah vs $2,980 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Sharjah costs about 24% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Sharjah sits 17% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 5% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.36 AED 19.70

$11.87 MX$204

-54.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.97 AED 121

$42.90 MX$736

-23.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.06 AED 33.29

$10.65 MX$183

-14.93%

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

$3.45 MX$59.2

22.03%

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

$1.01 AED 3.72

$1.50 MX$25.81

-32.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 AED 1.28

$0.95 MX$16.28

-63.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 AED 6.24

$1.38 MX$23.61

23.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 AED 4.36

$1.85 MX$31.70

-35.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.04 AED 7.50

$1.61 MX$27.65

26.71%

Eggs

$2.73 AED 10.04

$2.59 MX$44.51

5.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.18 AED 37.38

$8.26 MX$142

23.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.96 AED 25.56

$8.37 MX$144

-16.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.46 AED 31.08

$10.66 MX$183

-20.64%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 AED 6.73

$2.63 MX$45.12

-30.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 AED 5.42

$1.49 MX$25.53

-0.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 AED 5.48

$1.92 MX$32.94

-22.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.23 AED 4.51

$2.09 MX$35.81

-41.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.01 AED 3.71

$1.86 MX$31.88

-45.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.21 AED 4.46

$2.26 MX$38.81

-46.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 AED 5.60

$1.06 MX$18.23

43.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 AED 2.35

$1.09 MX$18.67

-41.28%

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

$4.15 MX$71.2

51.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 AED 5.88

$0.54 MX$9.30

196.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.57 AED 153

$26.94 MX$462

54.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.77 AED 13.84

$3.13 MX$53.7

20.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 AED 2.59

$2.51 MX$43.09

-71.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.04 AED 18.49

$3.15 MX$54.1

60.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 AED 3.01

$1.27 MX$21.88

-35.43%

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

$45.1K AED 165.5K

$30.4K MX$521.3K

48.33%

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

$22.1K AED 81.3K

$23.6K MX$404.5K

-6.03%

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

$200 AED 734

$83.0 MX$1,425

140.63%

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

$65.9 AED 242

$22.71 MX$390

190.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$103 AED 379

$29.46 MX$506

250.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.9 AED 231

$51.0 MX$875

23.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.58 AED 138

$18.33 MX$315

105.02%

Cinema Ticket

$12.73 AED 46.75

$4.93 MX$84.5

158.22%

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

$275 AED 1,011

$197 MX$3,386

39.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,018 AED 22.1K

$5,280 MX$90.6K

13.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.4 AED 189

$36.90 MX$633

39.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$97.2 AED 357

$39.89 MX$685

143.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 AED 353

$80.0 MX$1,373

20.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.4 AED 295

$89.5 MX$1,536

-10.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$775 AED 2,845

$956 MX$16.4K

-19.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$603 AED 2,215

$477 MX$8,189

26.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,613 AED 5,923

$1,646 MX$28.3K

-2.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,026 AED 3,768

$1,225 MX$21.0K

-16.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,277 AED 30.4K

$3,918 MX$67.2K

111.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,688 AED 9,872

$6,459 MX$110.9K

-58.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,281 AED 8,377

$667 MX$11.4K

241.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.42

11.42

-61.30%

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

Last update for Sharjah: June 9, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $775 in Sharjah versus $956 in Playa del Carmen. 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 242% higher in Sharjah, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Sharjah versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $188 vs $250 – making Sharjah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Sharjah is pricier by about 24%, and the gap shows up most in Monthly Utilities & Internet. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,360 per month in Sharjah and $1,906 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,573 in Sharjah and $1,271 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 54% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,271, than in Sharjah at $1,573. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sharjah it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Playa del Carmen – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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