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: $1,417 in Umm Al Quwain versus $1,796 in Sharjah.

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

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

Living in Umm Al Quwain costs roughly 21% less than in Sharjah, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.59 AED 20.52

$5.34 AED 19.60

4.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.16 AED 99.8

$36.04 AED 132

-24.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.05 AED 29.56

$8.11 AED 29.78

-0.74%

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

$3.72 AED 13.65

$3.54 AED 13.00

5.08%

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

$0.87 AED 3.20

$0.80 AED 2.93

8.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 AED 1.33

$0.32 AED 1.17

12.50%

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)

$1.78 AED 6.55

$1.50 AED 5.52

18.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.28 AED 4.69

$1.19 AED 4.37

7.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 AED 5.45

$1.82 AED 6.68

-18.68%

Eggs

$1.95 AED 7.17

$2.95 AED 10.85

-33.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.70 AED 28.29

$8.58 AED 31.50

-10.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.53 AED 20.30

$6.98 AED 25.64

-20.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.20 AED 30.12

$11.23 AED 41.24

-26.98%

Apples (1kg)

$1.89 AED 6.96

$2.25 AED 8.28

-16.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.32 AED 4.86

$1.66 AED 6.08

-20.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.51 AED 5.53

$1.53 AED 5.63

-1.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.95 AED 3.48

$1.34 AED 4.93

-29.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 AED 3.67

$1.06 AED 3.89

-5.66%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 AED 3.41

$1.17 AED 4.30

-20.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 AED 3.24

$1.47 AED 5.39

-40.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 AED 2.04

$0.57 AED 2.11

-3.51%

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)

$6.03 AED 22.15

$6.55 AED 24.06

-7.94%

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)

$3.29 AED 12.08

$3.71 AED 13.62

-11.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.72 AED 2.65

$0.56 AED 2.06

28.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.96 AED 29.22

$12.00 AED 44.07

-33.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 AED 3.16

$0.98 AED 3.58

-12.24%

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

$27.5K AED 100.8K

$45.4K AED 166.8K

-39.54%

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

$21.9K AED 80.4K

$22.1K AED 81.3K

-1.11%

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

$154 AED 564

$209 AED 766

-26.42%

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

$49.23 AED 181

$49.53 AED 182

-0.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.4 AED 310

$97.8 AED 359

-13.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.60 AED 164

$54.3 AED 200

-17.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.66 AED 79.5

Cinema Ticket

$13.47 AED 49.45

$13.45 AED 49.40

0.15%

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

$480 AED 1,764

$323 AED 1,186

48.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,804 AED 21.3K

$8,883 AED 32.6K

-34.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.2 AED 214

$59.3 AED 218

-1.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.7 AED 212

$77.0 AED 283

-25.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.5 AED 314

$109 AED 401

-21.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.6 AED 340

$94.6 AED 347

-2.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$672 AED 2,468

$831 AED 3,053

-19.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$539 AED 1,979

$901 AED 3,310

-40.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 AED 3,758

$1,823 AED 6,694

-43.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$829 AED 3,044

$1,419 AED 5,211

-41.59%

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)

$3,406 AED 12.5K

$2,184 AED 8,020

55.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.75

4.5

5.56%

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

Last update for Umm Al Quwain: September 13, 2026

Last update for Sharjah: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $672 in Umm Al Quwain and $831 in Sharjah. 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: $27.00 in Umm Al Quwain vs $36.00 in Sharjah. Groceries flip the comparison at $198 vs $193, 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 27% in total monthly costs ($1,417 vs $1,796 including rent). Umm Al Quwain is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 56% 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: $672 in Umm Al Quwain versus $831 in Sharjah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $480 in Umm Al Quwain versus $323 in Sharjah. 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, 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 27% less than in Sharjah. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.