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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,621 in Umm Al Quwain versus $1,547 in Sharjah.

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

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

Living in Umm Al Quwain is roughly 5% more expensive than Sharjah, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.93 AED 21.78

$5.35 AED 19.64

10.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.02 AED 99.2

$33.06 AED 121

-18.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.08 AED 29.66

$9.53 AED 34.99

-15.22%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.48 AED 34.82

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.41 AED 34.56

Cappuccino

$3.76 AED 13.81

$4.30 AED 15.79

-12.56%

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

$0.86 AED 3.17

$0.93 AED 3.42

-7.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 AED 1.48

$0.37 AED 1.36

8.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.08 AED 40.71

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.06 AED 40.61

Milk (1 liter)

$1.97 AED 7.23

$1.78 AED 6.54

10.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.23 AED 4.51

$1.18 AED 4.34

4.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 AED 5.10

$2.03 AED 7.47

-31.53%

Eggs

$1.90 AED 6.99

$2.79 AED 10.24

-31.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.84 AED 32.47

$10.51 AED 38.61

-15.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.66 AED 24.47

$6.69 AED 24.59

-0.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.36 AED 27.04

$8.53 AED 31.31

-13.72%

Apples (1kg)

$1.69 AED 6.22

$1.82 AED 6.70

-7.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 AED 4.57

$1.56 AED 5.75

-19.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 AED 5.37

$1.47 AED 5.40

-0.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.04 AED 3.82

$1.22 AED 4.47

-14.75%

Potato (1kg)

$0.92 AED 3.38

$1.04 AED 3.80

-11.54%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 AED 3.63

$1.17 AED 4.30

-15.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.81 AED 2.99

$1.45 AED 5.33

-44.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 AED 2.24

$0.59 AED 2.17

3.39%

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)

$6.17 AED 22.67

$6.47 AED 23.75

-4.64%

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)

$1.64 AED 6.03

$1.67 AED 6.14

-1.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.4 AED 192

$40.17 AED 148

30.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.32 AED 12.18

$3.60 AED 13.21

-7.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 AED 2.97

$0.66 AED 2.42

22.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.33 AED 30.58

$5.03 AED 18.47

65.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.77 AED 2.84

$0.81 AED 2.99

-4.94%

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

$32.9K AED 120.7K

$45.4K AED 166.8K

-27.63%

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

$22.6K AED 83.2K

$22.3K AED 82.0K

1.43%

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

$139 AED 512

$195 AED 716

-28.50%

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

$61.1 AED 224

$65.9 AED 242

-7.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$101 AED 369

$102 AED 374

-1.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$119 AED 435

$64.2 AED 236

84.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.24 AED 144

$37.64 AED 138

4.25%

Cinema Ticket

$13.38 AED 49.14

$13.00 AED 47.76

2.92%

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

$587 AED 2,157

$273 AED 1,002

115.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,830 AED 21.4K

$5,985 AED 22.0K

-2.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 AED 215

$53.0 AED 195

10.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.7 AED 223

$97.4 AED 358

-37.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.2 AED 317

$95.4 AED 350

-9.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.3 AED 339

$82.6 AED 303

11.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$679 AED 2,494

$755 AED 2,771

-9.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$541 AED 1,985

$596 AED 2,190

-9.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,001 AED 3,676

$1,617 AED 5,939

-38.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$827 AED 3,037

$1,008 AED 3,702

-17.96%

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)

$3,423 AED 12.6K

$2,234 AED 8,203

53.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.53

4.42

2.49%

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

Last update for Umm Al Quwain: May 31, 2026

Last update for Sharjah: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $679 in Umm Al Quwain and $755 in Sharjah. 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: $27.00 in Umm Al Quwain vs $33.00 in Sharjah. Groceries flip the comparison at $204 vs $188, 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

Umm Al Quwain vs Sharjah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Umm Al Quwain and Sharjah differ by about 5% in total monthly costs ($1,621 vs $1,547 including rent). Sharjah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Umm Al Quwain pays 53% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $679 in Umm Al Quwain versus $755 in Sharjah. 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 $1,621 per month in Umm Al Quwain versus $1,547 in Sharjah – 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, Umm Al Quwain and Sharjah 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.