Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sharjah and Ruwais

For one person, living is cheaper in Sharjah: $1,726 a month against $1,825 in Ruwais, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. The total is higher in Ruwais despite lower rent and utilities.

83

Cost of Living Index in Sharjah
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Sharjah Living Index
87

Cost of Living Index in Ruwais
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Ruwais Living Index

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Sharjah

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$1,726

/mo nomad

Ruwais

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$1,825

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sharjah and in Ruwais

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Sharjah and in Ruwais actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,726 in Sharjah versus $1,825 in Ruwais.

Sharjah $1,726
Ruwais $1,825

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,594 in Sharjah versus $3,369 in Ruwais.

Sharjah $2,594
Ruwais $3,369

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,462 in Sharjah versus $4,913 in Ruwais.

Sharjah $3,462
Ruwais $4,913

Living in Sharjah costs roughly 5% less than in Ruwais, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sharjah 27% above, Ruwais 34% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.88 AED 21.58

$9.31 AED 34.20

-36.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.16 AED 118

$55.1 AED 202

-41.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.13 AED 29.87

$8.46 AED 31.08

-3.90%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.57 AED 35.13

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.29 AED 34.12

Cappuccino

$3.12 AED 11.46

$4.69 AED 17.22

-33.48%

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

$0.75 AED 2.75

$0.70 AED 2.58

7.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 AED 1.15

$0.35 AED 1.29

-11.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.28 AED 30.39

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.72 AED 24.67

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 AED 5.84

$1.76 AED 6.48

-9.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.20 AED 4.40

$1.66 AED 6.09

-27.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.82 AED 6.70

$2.29 AED 8.40

-20.52%

Eggs

$3.32 AED 12.20

$2.89 AED 10.62

14.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.65 AED 31.77

$9.33 AED 34.28

-7.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.54 AED 24.01

$11.37 AED 41.77

-42.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.46 AED 42.09

$9.31 AED 34.18

23.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 AED 8.28

$2.87 AED 10.54

-21.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 AED 6.44

$2.01 AED 7.39

-12.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.32 AED 4.83

$1.93 AED 7.08

-31.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.23 AED 4.50

$1.88 AED 6.90

-34.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 AED 3.96

$1.19 AED 4.37

-9.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 AED 4.06

$1.28 AED 4.71

-14.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 AED 5.20

$0.80 AED 2.93

77.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 AED 2.18

$0.52 AED 1.90

13.46%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$15.45 AED 56.8

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 AED 9.16

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 AED 9.88

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.57 AED 24.14

$6.31 AED 23.17

4.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.05 AED 44.26

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 AED 9.31

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 AED 10.22

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.12 AED 7.79

$2.15 AED 7.90

-1.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.55 AED 101

$34.45 AED 127

-20.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.61 AED 13.26

$2.35 AED 8.64

53.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 AED 2.07

$1.14 AED 4.17

-50.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.03 AED 44.19

$8.03 AED 29.51

49.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 AED 3.58

$0.85 AED 3.13

14.12%

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

$44.1K AED 162.1K

$45.6K AED 167.3K

-3.13%

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

$21.0K AED 77.1K

$21.9K AED 80.3K

-3.94%

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

$212 AED 779

$114 AED 419

86.06%

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

$48.90 AED 180

$48.60 AED 178

0.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$98.0 AED 360

$96.7 AED 355

1.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 AED 199

$58.0 AED 213

-6.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.44 AED 82.4

$28.93 AED 106

-22.43%

Cinema Ticket

$13.82 AED 50.8

$13.58 AED 49.87

1.77%

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

$340 AED 1,250

$570 AED 2,094

-40.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,356 AED 30.7K

$7,432 AED 27.3K

12.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.8 AED 216

$43.54 AED 160

34.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$78.4 AED 288

$55.6 AED 204

40.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 AED 396

$70.1 AED 257

53.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.8 AED 344

$102 AED 375

-8.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$816 AED 2,996

$811 AED 2,979

0.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$784 AED 2,879

$823 AED 3,022

-4.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,831 AED 6,723

$1,854 AED 6,808

-1.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 AED 5,795

$2,715 AED 9,971

-41.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,442 AED 27.3K

$4,946 AED 18.2K

50.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,551 AED 9,368

$2,294 AED 8,424

11.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,219 AED 8,149

$2,760 AED 10.1K

-19.61%

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: October 26, 2026

Last update for Ruwais: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Sharjah

$784 45.4%

Ruwais

$823 45.1% 4.9% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sharjah

$359 20.8%

Ruwais

$259 14.2% 27.8% $100

Groceries & Markets

Sharjah

$193 11.2%

Ruwais

$269 14.8% 39.5% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Sharjah

$152 8.8%

Ruwais

$122 6.7% 19.9% $30

Eating Out

Sharjah

$113 6.6%

Ruwais

$215 11.8% 90.3% $102

Sport & Entertainment

Sharjah

$82 4.8%

Ruwais

$85 4.7% 4% $3.3

Getting Around

Sharjah

$42 2.5%

Ruwais

$51 2.8% 20.3% $8.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $816 in Sharjah and $811 in Ruwais. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ruwais pays 24% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Sharjah vs $55 in Ruwais for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $269 per month, with Sharjah cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇪 Sharjah

🇦🇪 Ruwais

🕒 Local time

15:57 3:57 PM

Same time as Sharjah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,400,000

25,000

💱 Currency

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

📈 Exchange rate

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.244 EUR

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.244 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Sharjah Ruwais 300 km

From you

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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 5% 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 20% lower in Sharjah. 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: $816 in Sharjah versus $811 in Ruwais. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $340 in Sharjah versus $570 in Ruwais. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 39% higher in Ruwais. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Sharjah gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Sharjah and Ruwais are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Sharjah wins on affordability, Ruwais on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.