Cost of Living Comparison Between Sharjah and Umm Al Quwain Cost of Living Comparison Between Sharjah and Umm Al Quwain

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,796 in Sharjah versus $1,417 in Umm Al Quwain.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,573 in Sharjah versus $1,986 in Umm Al Quwain.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,349 in Sharjah versus $2,555 in Umm Al Quwain.

Living in Sharjah is roughly 27% more expensive than in Umm Al Quwain, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sharjah 31% above, Umm Al Quwain 4% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.34 AED 19.60

$5.59 AED 20.52

-4.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.04 AED 132

$27.16 AED 99.8

32.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.11 AED 29.78

$8.05 AED 29.56

0.75%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.34 AED 34.31

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.63 AED 35.36

Cappuccino

$3.54 AED 13.00

$3.72 AED 13.65

-4.84%

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

$0.80 AED 2.93

$0.87 AED 3.20

-8.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 AED 1.17

$0.36 AED 1.33

-11.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.92 AED 40.10

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.45 AED 45.74

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 AED 5.52

$1.78 AED 6.55

-15.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 AED 4.37

$1.28 AED 4.69

-7.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.82 AED 6.68

$1.48 AED 5.45

22.97%

Eggs

$2.95 AED 10.85

$1.95 AED 7.17

51.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.58 AED 31.50

$7.70 AED 28.29

11.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.98 AED 25.64

$5.53 AED 20.30

26.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.23 AED 41.24

$8.20 AED 30.12

36.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 AED 8.28

$1.89 AED 6.96

19.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 AED 6.08

$1.32 AED 4.86

25.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 AED 5.63

$1.51 AED 5.53

1.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.34 AED 4.93

$0.95 AED 3.48

41.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.06 AED 3.89

$1.00 AED 3.67

6.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 AED 4.30

$0.93 AED 3.41

25.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 AED 5.39

$0.88 AED 3.24

67.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 AED 2.11

$0.55 AED 2.04

3.64%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$15.42 AED 56.6

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 AED 9.23

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 AED 9.45

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 AED 24.06

$6.03 AED 22.15

8.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.99 AED 40.35

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 AED 5.92

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 AED 8.54

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 AED 8.13

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.81 AED 98.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.71 AED 13.62

$3.29 AED 12.08

12.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 AED 2.06

$0.72 AED 2.65

-22.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.00 AED 44.07

$7.96 AED 29.22

50.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 AED 3.58

$0.86 AED 3.16

13.95%

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

$45.4K AED 166.8K

$27.5K AED 100.8K

65.41%

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

$22.1K AED 81.3K

$21.9K AED 80.4K

1.12%

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

$209 AED 766

$154 AED 564

35.90%

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

$49.53 AED 182

$49.23 AED 181

0.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$97.8 AED 359

$84.4 AED 310

15.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 AED 200

$44.60 AED 164

21.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.66 AED 79.5

Cinema Ticket

$13.45 AED 49.40

$13.47 AED 49.45

-0.15%

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

$323 AED 1,186

$480 AED 1,764

-32.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,883 AED 32.6K

$5,804 AED 21.3K

53.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 AED 218

$58.2 AED 214

1.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$77.0 AED 283

$57.7 AED 212

33.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 AED 401

$85.5 AED 314

27.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.6 AED 347

$92.6 AED 340

2.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$831 AED 3,053

$672 AED 2,468

23.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$901 AED 3,310

$539 AED 1,979

67.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,823 AED 6,694

$1,023 AED 3,758

78.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 AED 5,211

$829 AED 3,044

71.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,211 AED 30.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,718 AED 9,981

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,184 AED 8,020

$3,406 AED 12.5K

-35.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.5

4.75

-5.26%

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

Last update for Sharjah: September 13, 2026

Last update for Umm Al Quwain: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $831 in Sharjah and $672 in Umm Al Quwain. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Umm Al Quwain pays 56% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $36.00 in Sharjah vs $27.00 in Umm Al Quwain. Groceries flip the comparison at $193 vs $198, with Sharjah cheaper for home cooking.

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 Umm Al Quwain: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sharjah and Umm Al Quwain differ by about 27% in total monthly costs ($1,796 vs $1,417 including rent). Umm Al Quwain is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 56% lower in Umm Al Quwain. 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: $831 in Sharjah versus $672 in Umm Al Quwain. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $323 in Sharjah versus $480 in Umm Al Quwain. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Umm Al Quwain – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $36.00 in Sharjah. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,417 in Umm Al Quwain versus $1,796 in Sharjah, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Umm Al Quwain but tight or insufficient in Sharjah. The gap between the two cities makes Umm Al Quwain the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Umm Al Quwain 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 Umm Al Quwain gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Sharjah. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.