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: $1,573 in Sharjah versus $1,668 in Ruwais.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,253 in Sharjah versus $2,463 in Ruwais.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,933 in Sharjah versus $3,257 in Ruwais.

Living in Sharjah costs roughly 6% less than in Ruwais, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sharjah 17% above, Ruwais 24% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.36 AED 19.70

$6.56 AED 24.11

-18.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.97 AED 121

$38.72 AED 142

-14.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.06 AED 33.29

$7.77 AED 28.55

16.60%

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

$4.80 AED 17.64

-12.29%

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

$1.01 AED 3.72

$0.75 AED 2.77

34.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 AED 1.28

$0.34 AED 1.27

2.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.61 AED 38.96

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.74 AED 35.78

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 AED 6.24

$1.79 AED 6.56

-5.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 AED 4.36

$1.52 AED 5.60

-21.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.04 AED 7.50

$1.92 AED 7.07

6.25%

Eggs

$2.73 AED 10.04

$3.10 AED 11.38

-11.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.18 AED 37.38

$2.77 AED 10.18

267.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.96 AED 25.56

$7.57 AED 27.81

-8.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.46 AED 31.08

$6.62 AED 24.32

27.79%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 AED 6.73

$2.87 AED 10.53

-36.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 AED 5.42

$1.65 AED 6.05

-10.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 AED 5.48

$1.40 AED 5.13

6.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.23 AED 4.51

$0.79 AED 2.89

55.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.01 AED 3.71

$0.70 AED 2.55

44.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.21 AED 4.46

$0.43 AED 1.58

181.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 AED 5.60

$1.66 AED 6.09

-8.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 AED 2.35

$0.67 AED 2.46

-4.48%

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

$6.36 AED 23.35

-1.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.06 AED 44.30

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 AED 4.92

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 AED 10.13

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 AED 5.88

$1.62 AED 5.94

-1.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.57 AED 153

$52.1 AED 191

-20.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.77 AED 13.84

$2.76 AED 10.13

36.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 AED 2.59

$0.71 AED 2.62

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.04 AED 18.49

$8.34 AED 30.65

-39.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 AED 3.01

$0.81 AED 2.97

1.23%

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

$45.1K AED 165.5K

$46.2K AED 169.7K

-2.51%

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

$22.1K AED 81.3K

$21.9K AED 80.6K

0.97%

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

$200 AED 734

$92.6 AED 340

115.75%

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

$65.9 AED 242

$52.3 AED 192

26.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$103 AED 379

$96.5 AED 355

6.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.9 AED 231

$63.8 AED 234

-1.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.58 AED 138

$38.95 AED 143

-3.52%

Cinema Ticket

$12.73 AED 46.75

$11.33 AED 41.61

12.36%

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

$275 AED 1,011

$584 AED 2,145

-52.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,018 AED 22.1K

$3,753 AED 13.8K

60.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.4 AED 189

$21.60 AED 79.3

138.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$97.2 AED 357

$81.6 AED 300

19.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 AED 353

$80.7 AED 296

19.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.4 AED 295

$54.9 AED 202

46.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$775 AED 2,845

$731 AED 2,685

5.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$603 AED 2,215

$748 AED 2,749

-19.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,613 AED 5,923

$2,556 AED 9,389

-36.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,026 AED 3,768

$1,340 AED 4,920

-23.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,277 AED 30.4K

$4,662 AED 17.1K

77.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,688 AED 9,872

$2,166 AED 7,957

24.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,281 AED 8,377

$2,736 AED 10.0K

-16.63%

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: June 9, 2026

Last update for Ruwais: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $775 in Sharjah and $731 in Ruwais. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ruwais pays 20% 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 $39.00 in Ruwais for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $207 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 6% 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, Ruwais earns 20% less. 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: $775 in Sharjah versus $731 in Ruwais. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $275 in Sharjah versus $584 in Ruwais. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Ruwais. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,573 in Sharjah versus $1,668 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 $1,573 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 6% less than in Ruwais. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.