Cost of Living Comparison Between Sharjah and Ruwais Cost of Living Comparison Between Sharjah and Ruwais

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,584 in Sharjah versus $1,706 in Ruwais.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,291 in Sharjah versus $2,478 in Ruwais.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,997 in Sharjah versus $3,251 in Ruwais.

Living in Sharjah costs roughly 7% less than in Ruwais, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sharjah 19% above, Ruwais 28% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.54 AED 20.34

$6.77 AED 24.85

-18.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.58 AED 120

$38.18 AED 140

-14.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.21 AED 33.84

$7.41 AED 27.23

24.29%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.55 AED 35.07

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.45 AED 34.71

Cappuccino

$4.44 AED 16.29

$4.61 AED 16.92

-3.69%

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

$0.95 AED 3.50

$0.74 AED 2.72

28.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 AED 1.37

$0.38 AED 1.38

-2.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.56 AED 38.78

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.51 AED 34.93

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 AED 6.48

$1.81 AED 6.65

-2.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.20 AED 4.41

$1.47 AED 5.40

-18.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.04 AED 7.50

$1.95 AED 7.15

4.62%

Eggs

$2.77 AED 10.16

$3.08 AED 11.32

-10.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.28 AED 37.75

$2.79 AED 10.26

268.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.82 AED 25.05

$7.91 AED 29.05

-13.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.45 AED 31.03

$6.75 AED 24.80

25.19%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 AED 6.75

$2.95 AED 10.83

-37.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 AED 5.46

$1.60 AED 5.89

-6.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.42 AED 5.22

$1.33 AED 4.90

6.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.18 AED 4.33

$0.85 AED 3.13

38.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 AED 3.67

$0.66 AED 2.44

51.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 AED 4.32

$0.40 AED 1.46

195.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 AED 5.48

$1.61 AED 5.93

-7.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 AED 2.33

$0.62 AED 2.28

3.23%

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 12.13

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.33 AED 23.24

$6.48 AED 23.79

-2.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.33 AED 45.28

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 AED 4.89

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 AED 10.09

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.66 AED 6.11

$1.67 AED 6.13

-0.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.20 AED 148

$53.2 AED 195

-24.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.60 AED 13.21

$2.67 AED 9.81

34.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.66 AED 2.43

$0.70 AED 2.56

-5.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.77 AED 17.52

$8.40 AED 30.86

-43.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.75 AED 2.77

$0.76 AED 2.79

-1.32%

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

$44.9K AED 165.0K

$45.0K AED 165.2K

-0.17%

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

$22.5K AED 82.7K

$22.4K AED 82.2K

0.52%

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

$197 AED 725

$90.6 AED 333

118.02%

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

$64.5 AED 237

$52.3 AED 192

23.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$101 AED 371

$95.4 AED 350

5.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.4 AED 229

$63.1 AED 232

-1.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$38.49 AED 141

$38.81 AED 143

-0.82%

Cinema Ticket

$12.90 AED 47.36

$11.35 AED 41.70

13.66%

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

$274 AED 1,005

$592 AED 2,174

-53.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,120 AED 22.5K

$3,844 AED 14.1K

59.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.2 AED 188

$21.48 AED 78.9

138.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$98.6 AED 362

$79.2 AED 291

24.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 AED 353

$80.7 AED 296

19.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.3 AED 302

$54.2 AED 199

51.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$752 AED 2,763

$741 AED 2,720

1.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$603 AED 2,214

$747 AED 2,743

-19.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,609 AED 5,908

$2,483 AED 9,121

-35.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,041 AED 3,823

$1,363 AED 5,004

-23.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,029 AED 29.5K

$4,453 AED 16.4K

80.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,747 AED 10.1K

$2,519 AED 9,251

9.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,246 AED 8,250

$2,670 AED 9,807

-15.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.42

4.71

-6.16%

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

Last update for Sharjah: July 26, 2026

Last update for Ruwais: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $752 in Sharjah and $741 in Ruwais. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ruwais pays 19% 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 $38.00 in Ruwais for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $209 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 Ruwais: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sharjah wins on cost – living expenses run 8% lower than in Ruwais. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Sharjah the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 19% lower in Ruwais. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $752 in Sharjah versus $741 in Ruwais. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $274 in Sharjah versus $592 in Ruwais. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Ruwais. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,584 in Sharjah versus $1,706 in Ruwais, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sharjah but tight or insufficient in Ruwais. The gap between the two cities makes Sharjah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Sharjah delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,584 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Sharjah hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Sharjah and Ruwais 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 8% less than in Ruwais. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.