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: $1,570 in Umm Al Quwain versus $1,591 in Sharjah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,232 in Umm Al Quwain versus $2,266 in Sharjah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,893 in Umm Al Quwain versus $2,940 in Sharjah.

Living in Umm Al Quwain costs roughly 1% less than in Sharjah, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Umm Al Quwain 18% above, Sharjah 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.89 AED 21.62

$5.33 AED 19.59

10.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.46 AED 101

$32.93 AED 121

-16.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.22 AED 30.21

$9.28 AED 34.07

-11.42%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.68 AED 35.55

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.63 AED 35.38

Cappuccino

$3.69 AED 13.57

$4.29 AED 15.74

-13.99%

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

$0.86 AED 3.16

$0.96 AED 3.54

-10.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.41 AED 1.50

$0.35 AED 1.28

17.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.68 AED 39.24

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.02 AED 40.48

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 AED 6.98

$1.70 AED 6.26

11.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.22 AED 4.47

$1.19 AED 4.36

2.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.41 AED 5.17

$2.06 AED 7.55

-31.55%

Eggs

$1.90 AED 6.96

$2.73 AED 10.01

-30.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.77 AED 32.22

$10.48 AED 38.48

-16.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.71 AED 24.64

$6.83 AED 25.08

-1.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.28 AED 26.75

$8.58 AED 31.53

-15.15%

Apples (1kg)

$1.66 AED 6.11

$1.85 AED 6.81

-10.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 AED 4.77

$1.55 AED 5.69

-16.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 AED 5.35

$1.41 AED 5.17

3.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.06 AED 3.88

$1.17 AED 4.29

-9.40%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 AED 3.42

$1.00 AED 3.67

-7.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 AED 3.77

$1.17 AED 4.31

-11.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.82 AED 3.00

$1.46 AED 5.38

-43.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 AED 2.24

$0.65 AED 2.37

-6.15%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$15.77 AED 57.9

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 AED 6.91

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 AED 12.27

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.40 AED 23.51

$6.57 AED 24.14

-2.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.84 AED 39.79

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 AED 5.82

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 AED 9.94

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.59 AED 5.85

$1.61 AED 5.90

-1.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.6 AED 193

$41.24 AED 151

27.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 AED 11.88

$3.73 AED 13.71

-13.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 AED 3.10

$0.65 AED 2.37

29.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.11 AED 29.80

$5.02 AED 18.42

61.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.73 AED 2.68

$0.82 AED 3.00

-10.98%

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

$32.8K AED 120.3K

$44.5K AED 163.3K

-26.35%

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

$22.7K AED 83.3K

$22.0K AED 80.9K

2.96%

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

$137 AED 504

$201 AED 737

-31.54%

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

$61.4 AED 226

$64.9 AED 238

-5.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$102 AED 375

$104 AED 382

-1.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$123 AED 452

$62.4 AED 229

97.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.23 AED 148

$37.36 AED 137

7.68%

Cinema Ticket

$13.70 AED 50.3

$12.91 AED 47.41

6.12%

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

$597 AED 2,193

$276 AED 1,014

116.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,667 AED 20.8K

$5,972 AED 21.9K

-5.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.2 AED 217

$51.8 AED 190

14.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.5 AED 222

$96.5 AED 354

-37.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.4 AED 306

$95.8 AED 352

-12.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.0 AED 345

$80.0 AED 294

17.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$693 AED 2,547

$769 AED 2,824

-9.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$551 AED 2,023

$594 AED 2,180

-7.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,002 AED 3,681

$1,592 AED 5,847

-37.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$813 AED 2,988

$1,041 AED 3,822

-21.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,094 AED 29.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,749 AED 10.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,339 AED 12.3K

$2,206 AED 8,103

51.34%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Sharjah: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $693 in Umm Al Quwain and $769 in Sharjah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Umm Al Quwain pays 51% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

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 1% in total monthly costs ($1,570 vs $1,591 including rent). Umm Al Quwain is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 51% higher in Umm Al Quwain, 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: $693 in Umm Al Quwain versus $769 in Sharjah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

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

All in, you'll spend $1,570 per month in Umm Al Quwain versus $1,591 in Sharjah – a 1% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,570 in Umm Al Quwain versus $1,591 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, 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 Umm Al Quwain gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Sharjah. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.