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: $1,864 in Sharjah versus $1,929 in Ruwais.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,636 in Sharjah versus $3,453 in Ruwais.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,408 in Sharjah versus $4,977 in Ruwais.

Living in Sharjah costs roughly 3% less than in Ruwais, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sharjah 35% above, Ruwais 40% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.87 AED 21.56

$9.29 AED 34.11

-36.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.40 AED 137

$54.1 AED 199

-30.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.16 AED 29.97

$8.63 AED 31.71

-5.45%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.66 AED 35.46

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.28 AED 34.07

Cappuccino

$3.44 AED 12.64

$4.75 AED 17.46

-27.58%

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

$0.85 AED 3.11

$0.69 AED 2.52

23.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 AED 1.12

$0.32 AED 1.19

-6.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.11 AED 29.78

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.72 AED 24.68

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 AED 5.71

$1.80 AED 6.62

-13.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.17 AED 4.28

$1.59 AED 5.85

-26.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 AED 7.20

$2.32 AED 8.53

-15.52%

Eggs

$2.81 AED 10.31

$2.81 AED 10.30

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.64 AED 31.72

$9.47 AED 34.78

-8.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.19 AED 26.42

$11.02 AED 40.47

-34.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 AED 42.67

$9.11 AED 33.45

27.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 AED 7.91

$2.98 AED 10.93

-27.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 AED 6.34

$1.97 AED 7.24

-12.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 AED 5.79

$1.94 AED 7.12

-18.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.32 AED 4.85

$1.56 AED 5.75

-15.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.07 AED 3.93

$1.13 AED 4.16

-5.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.22 AED 4.48

$1.31 AED 4.79

-6.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 AED 5.76

$0.79 AED 2.92

98.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 AED 2.11

$0.56 AED 2.04

1.79%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$15.48 AED 56.9

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 AED 8.85

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 AED 9.45

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.44 AED 23.63

$6.24 AED 22.93

3.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.26 AED 45.04

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 AED 10.01

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 AED 10.26

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.24 AED 8.24

$2.49 AED 9.15

-10.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.06 AED 151

$38.78 AED 142

5.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.68 AED 13.52

$2.30 AED 8.44

60.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 AED 2.35

$1.15 AED 4.21

-44.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.18 AED 44.74

$7.83 AED 28.77

55.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 AED 3.52

$0.79 AED 2.89

21.52%

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

$46.3K AED 169.9K

$44.8K AED 164.7K

3.18%

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

$21.9K AED 80.6K

$21.7K AED 79.7K

1.04%

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

$226 AED 830

$112 AED 412

101.67%

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

$49.64 AED 182

$47.44 AED 174

4.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$96.1 AED 353

$95.6 AED 351

0.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 AED 200

$60.0 AED 220

-9.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.26 AED 81.8

$27.99 AED 103

-20.47%

Cinema Ticket

$13.71 AED 50.3

$13.72 AED 50.4

-0.07%

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

$314 AED 1,154

$560 AED 2,057

-43.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,432 AED 31.0K

$7,558 AED 27.8K

11.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.2 AED 217

$43.72 AED 161

35.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$77.9 AED 286

$54.8 AED 201

42.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 AED 398

$70.6 AED 259

53.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.4 AED 350

$100 AED 368

-4.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$810 AED 2,976

$873 AED 3,208

-7.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$911 AED 3,344

$866 AED 3,182

5.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,822 AED 6,691

$1,688 AED 6,200

7.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,497 AED 5,498

$2,680 AED 9,844

-44.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,027 AED 29.5K

$5,670 AED 20.8K

41.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,761 AED 10.1K

$2,306 AED 8,468

19.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,215 AED 8,134

$2,769 AED 10.2K

-20.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.5

-10.00%

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

Last update for Sharjah: September 7, 2026

Last update for Ruwais: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $810 in Sharjah and $873 in Ruwais. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ruwais pays 25% 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: $37.00 in Sharjah vs $54.0 in Ruwais for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $196 vs $267 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 3% 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 25% 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: $810 in Sharjah versus $873 in Ruwais. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $314 in Sharjah versus $560 in Ruwais. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 36% higher in Ruwais. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,864 in Sharjah versus $1,929 in Ruwais, a $3,000 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 $1,864 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 3% less than in Ruwais. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.