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: $1,547 in Sharjah versus $1,621 in Umm Al Quwain.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,247 in Sharjah versus $2,258 in Umm Al Quwain.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,946 in Sharjah versus $2,894 in Umm Al Quwain.

Living in Sharjah costs roughly 5% less than in Umm Al Quwain, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sharjah 15% above, Umm Al Quwain 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.35 AED 19.64

$5.93 AED 21.78

-9.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.06 AED 121

$27.02 AED 99.2

22.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.53 AED 35.00

$8.08 AED 29.66

17.95%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.48 AED 34.83

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.41 AED 34.56

Cappuccino

$4.30 AED 15.79

$3.76 AED 13.81

14.36%

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

$0.93 AED 3.42

$0.86 AED 3.17

8.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 AED 1.36

$0.40 AED 1.48

-7.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.08 AED 40.71

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.06 AED 40.62

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 AED 6.54

$1.97 AED 7.23

-9.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.18 AED 4.34

$1.23 AED 4.51

-4.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.03 AED 7.47

$1.39 AED 5.10

46.04%

Eggs

$2.79 AED 10.24

$1.90 AED 6.99

46.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.51 AED 38.62

$8.84 AED 32.47

18.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.69 AED 24.59

$6.66 AED 24.47

0.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.53 AED 31.31

$7.36 AED 27.04

15.90%

Apples (1kg)

$1.82 AED 6.70

$1.69 AED 6.22

7.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 AED 5.75

$1.25 AED 4.57

24.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 AED 5.40

$1.46 AED 5.37

0.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.22 AED 4.47

$1.04 AED 3.82

17.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 AED 3.80

$0.92 AED 3.38

13.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 AED 4.30

$0.99 AED 3.63

18.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 AED 5.33

$0.81 AED 2.99

79.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 AED 2.17

$0.61 AED 2.24

-3.28%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$15.46 AED 56.8

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 AED 6.92

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 AED 12.68

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.47 AED 23.75

$6.17 AED 22.67

4.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 AED 40.56

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 AED 5.66

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 AED 9.73

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.67 AED 6.14

$1.64 AED 6.03

1.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.17 AED 148

$52.4 AED 192

-23.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.60 AED 13.21

$3.32 AED 12.18

8.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.66 AED 2.42

$0.81 AED 2.97

-18.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.03 AED 18.47

$8.33 AED 30.59

-39.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 AED 2.99

$0.77 AED 2.84

5.19%

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

$45.4K AED 166.8K

$32.9K AED 120.7K

38.18%

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

$22.3K AED 82.0K

$22.6K AED 83.2K

-1.41%

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

$195 AED 716

$139 AED 512

39.85%

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

$65.9 AED 242

$61.1 AED 224

7.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$102 AED 374

$101 AED 369

1.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.2 AED 236

$119 AED 435

-45.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.64 AED 138

$39.24 AED 144

-4.08%

Cinema Ticket

$13.00 AED 47.76

$13.38 AED 49.14

-2.84%

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

$273 AED 1,002

$587 AED 2,157

-53.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,985 AED 22.0K

$5,830 AED 21.4K

2.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.0 AED 195

$58.5 AED 215

-9.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$97.4 AED 358

$60.7 AED 223

60.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 AED 350

$86.2 AED 317

10.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.6 AED 304

$92.3 AED 339

-10.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$755 AED 2,772

$679 AED 2,495

11.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$596 AED 2,191

$541 AED 1,985

10.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,617 AED 5,940

$1,001 AED 3,676

61.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 AED 3,702

$827 AED 3,037

21.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,253 AED 30.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,745 AED 10.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,234 AED 8,204

$3,423 AED 12.6K

-34.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.42

4.53

-2.43%

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

Last update for Sharjah: May 30, 2026

Last update for Umm Al Quwain: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $755 in Sharjah and $679 in Umm Al Quwain. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Umm Al Quwain pays 53% 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 $27.00 in Umm Al Quwain. Groceries flip the comparison at $188 vs $204, 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 5% in total monthly costs ($1,547 vs $1,621 including rent). Sharjah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Umm Al Quwain earns 53% 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: $755 in Sharjah versus $679 in Umm Al Quwain. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Sharjah – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $27.00 in Umm Al Quwain. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,547 per month in Sharjah versus $1,621 in Umm Al Quwain – a 5% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,547 in Sharjah versus $1,621 in Umm Al Quwain, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sharjah but tight or insufficient in Umm Al Quwain. The gap between the two cities makes Sharjah 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 Sharjah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Umm Al Quwain. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.