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: $1,549 in Sharjah versus $1,686 in Ruwais.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,243 in Sharjah versus $2,520 in Ruwais.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,938 in Sharjah versus $3,355 in Ruwais.

Living in Sharjah costs roughly 8% less than in Ruwais, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sharjah 16% above, Ruwais 26% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.55 AED 20.36

$6.79 AED 24.91

-18.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.18 AED 122

$38.03 AED 140

-12.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.36 AED 34.36

$7.60 AED 27.89

23.16%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.47 AED 34.76

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.33 AED 34.23

Cappuccino

$4.25 AED 15.60

$4.85 AED 17.79

-12.37%

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

$1.03 AED 3.77

$0.81 AED 2.97

27.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 AED 1.28

$0.35 AED 1.27

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.42 AED 38.22

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.72 AED 35.68

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 AED 6.53

$1.86 AED 6.84

-4.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.15 AED 4.21

$1.49 AED 5.46

-22.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.03 AED 7.46

$1.84 AED 6.76

10.33%

Eggs

$2.73 AED 10.02

$3.14 AED 11.51

-13.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.39 AED 38.13

$2.78 AED 10.22

273.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.05 AED 25.89

$7.64 AED 28.05

-7.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.87 AED 32.56

$6.88 AED 25.25

28.92%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 AED 6.76

$2.86 AED 10.51

-35.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 AED 5.47

$1.60 AED 5.86

-6.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 AED 5.47

$1.35 AED 4.94

10.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.23 AED 4.52

$0.78 AED 2.87

57.69%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 AED 3.64

$0.71 AED 2.61

39.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 AED 4.32

$0.42 AED 1.55

180.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 AED 5.33

$1.67 AED 6.12

-13.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 AED 2.36

$0.67 AED 2.47

-4.48%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$15.73 AED 57.7

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 AED 6.91

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.42 AED 12.54

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.27 AED 23.01

$6.51 AED 23.90

-3.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.35 AED 45.34

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 AED 5.13

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 AED 10.17

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.65 AED 6.07

$1.66 AED 6.07

-0.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.17 AED 147

$51.7 AED 190

-22.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.72 AED 13.64

$2.73 AED 10.03

36.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 AED 2.56

$0.71 AED 2.60

-1.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.91 AED 18.03

$8.26 AED 30.31

-40.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.76 AED 2.78

$0.81 AED 2.96

-6.17%

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

$45.4K AED 166.6K

$46.1K AED 169.2K

-1.52%

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

$22.2K AED 81.5K

$22.6K AED 83.0K

-1.74%

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

$194 AED 711

$91.0 AED 334

113.02%

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

$66.6 AED 244

$53.0 AED 195

25.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$103 AED 379

$99.0 AED 363

4.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.7 AED 234

$63.0 AED 231

1.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$38.43 AED 141

$40.17 AED 147

-4.33%

Cinema Ticket

$12.98 AED 47.64

$11.26 AED 41.32

15.28%

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

$272 AED 998

$580 AED 2,130

-53.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,086 AED 22.3K

$3,856 AED 14.2K

57.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.0 AED 195

$22.21 AED 81.5

138.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$97.0 AED 356

$80.0 AED 293

21.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.0 AED 356

$79.6 AED 292

21.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.4 AED 299

$54.7 AED 201

48.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$769 AED 2,823

$758 AED 2,780

1.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$602 AED 2,208

$747 AED 2,743

-19.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,635 AED 5,999

$2,544 AED 9,337

-35.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 AED 3,756

$1,382 AED 5,073

-25.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,263 AED 30.3K

$5,267 AED 19.3K

56.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,682 AED 9,841

$2,058 AED 7,551

30.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,283 AED 8,378

$2,757 AED 10.1K

-17.20%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Ruwais: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $769 in Sharjah and $758 in Ruwais. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ruwais pays 21% 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 in Sharjah vs $38 in Ruwais for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 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 9% 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 21% 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: $769 in Sharjah versus $758 in Ruwais. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $272 in Sharjah versus $580 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 $1,549 in Sharjah versus $1,686 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 $1,549 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 9% less than in Ruwais. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.