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You would be surprised if we told you the cost of living in Sharjah is much cheaper than Dubai, about %36/8, including rent. Of course, it does not come without reason; as you know, Dubai is a luxury city where you can live with a high quality. But, what about the other costs of living in Sharjah vs Dubai? Are they higher, too? The short answer to this question is yes, the cost of housing, transportation, healthcare, etc, is higher in Dubai compared to Sharjah. So if you do not care about luxury and prefer to have a cheaper life, Sharjah is a better option for you. But before making your last decision, let us have a full comparison between Sharjah and Dubai and see which option is a better living option.
If you are thinking about living in the UAE but do not know which city to choose, this full guide is for you. Stick with DoJoin to find out more about these two popular cities.
Sharjah vs Dubai: A Quick Overview
Before anything, it is better to have an overview of each city, so we can have a better understanding of the next comparison:
- Dubai is known for its modern structure, luxury lifestyle, and a global business hub.
- Sharjah is known for its affordability, cultural significance, and family-friendly environment.
| Feature | Dubai | Sharjah |
| Population | 3.6 million | 1.7 million |
| Location | The southeastern coast of the Persian Gulf | Northeast of Dubai, adjacent to the Persian Gulf |
| Key facts |
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| Lifestyle | Cosmopolitan, luxurious, fast-paced | Affordable, cultural, family-oriented |
| Transportation | Advanced public transport: metro, buses, trams | Relies on buses; many residents commute to Dubai |
| Entertainment | World-class malls, nightlife, theme parks | Cultural museums, parks, and family events |
| Weather | Hot and humid, similar to Sharjah | Hot and humid, similar to Dubai |
| Culture | Diverse, and liberal for the UAE | Rich cultural heritage, conservative |
| Industry focus | Tourism, finance, real estate, technology | Education, culture, arts, small industries |
Experience Dubai and Sharjah with DoJoin
To have a better picture of Dubai and Sharjah cities in real life, you can take a short trip to each city and get a bigger picture. To do that, DoJoin is here to help you: it provides the cheapest, most affordable tickets and programs for tourist locations and hotels in Dubai and Sharjah. Do not hesitate and take a look at the DoJoin website to see which program is best for you.
Cost of Living in Dubai vs Sharjah
First of all, let us explore the total cost of living in Dubai vs Sharjah. By “total cost”, we mean rentals, costs of living, groceries, utilities, restaurants, and transportation.
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- Generally, the total cost of living in Sharjah is lower than in Dubai: %21/0 lower without rent and %36/8 with rent. Simply put, you can maintain an excellent lifestyle in Sharjah by paying less than what you would pay in Dubai for a normal lifestyle.
- Rent Prices in Sharjah are 58.8% lower than in Dubai
- Groceries Prices in Sharjah are 22.7% lower than in Dubai
- Local Purchasing Power in Sharjah is 7.8% lower than in Dubai
- Restaurant Prices in Sharjah are 37.9% lower than in Dubai
Cost of Housing in Dubai vs Sharjah
The cost of housing in Dubai vs Sharjah is divided into two sections: apartment rentals costs, or, buying property in each city:
See the chart below to get a clearer picture of apartment rental costs in both Dubai and Sharjah:
| Apartment | Monthly Rent in Dubai | Monthly Rent in Sharjah |
| 1-bedroom apartment in the city centre | AED 8,187.91 | AED 3,377.75 |
| 3-bedroom apartment in the city centre | AED 14,957.35 | AED 5,597.17 |
| 1-bedroom apartment outside the city centre | AED 5,009.62 | AED 3,313.30 |
| 3-bedroom apartment outside the city centre | AED 10,481.58 | AED 4,442.21 |
As you saw, the prices are notably higher for renting an apartment in Dubai than in Sharjah. This is also true for buying property in each city:
| Apartment | Price per Square Metre in Dubai | Price per Square Metre in Sharjah |
| apartment in the city center | AED 17,334.88 | AED 13,250.00 |
| apartment outside the city center | AED 10,376.55 | AED 9,000.00 |
Cost of Transportation in Dubai vs Sharjah
Here is what you need to know about the differences between transportation costs in Dubai and Sharjah. As you might guess, the transportation cost is lower in Sharjah:
| Transportation | Dubai | Sharjah |
| One-way Ticket (Local Transport) | AED 7 | AED 8 |
| Monthly Pass (Regular Price) | AED 300 | AED 175 |
| Taxi Start | AED 12 | AED 13.5 |
| Taxi 1km | AED 2.95 | AED 2.50 |
| Taxi 1hour Waiting | AED 30 | AED 31 |
| Gasoline (1 liter) | AED 2.95 | AED 2.86 |
Cost of Utilities in Dubai vs Sharjah
The cost of utilities in any city is so important and sometimes high, but some people might ignore it when thinking about the cost of living in a particular city. Below, we have brought a comprehensive chart about the cost of utilities in Dubai vs Sharjah:
| Utilities | Dubai | Sharjah |
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 85m2 Apartment | 836.61 AED | 720.34 AED |
| Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data | 225.93 AED | 243.46 AED |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | 370.24 AED | 367.69 AED |
Cost of Dining Out in Dubai vs Sharjah
Another important subject we want to explore in the guide on the cost of living in Sharjah vs Dubai is the cost of dining out at restaurants and cafes. Look at this chart:
| Restaurant | Dubai | Sharjah |
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant | AED 45 | AED 20 |
| Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course | AED 275.10 | AED 95 |
| McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) | AED 35 | AED 35 |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter draught) | AED 45 | AED 35 |
| Cappuccino (regular) | AED 21.26 | AED 20.38 |
| Coke/Pepsi (0.33 liter bottle) | AED 4.54 | AED 3.42 |
| Water (0.33 liter bottle) | AED 4.29 | AED 1.43 |
Costs of Groceries in Dubai vs Sharjah
You cannot think about living in a city without knowing about the cost of groceries out there. Below, we have listed the cost of groceries in both Dubai and Sharjah:
| Grocery | Dubai | Sharjah |
| Milk | AED 6.76 | AED 6.56 |
| Loaf of bread | AED 5.29 | AED 4.42 |
| Rice | AED 9.09 | AED 6.00 |
| Eggs | AED 11.90 | AED 9.42 |
| Local cheese | AED 34.39 | AED 29.88 |
| Chicken fillets | AED 33.07 | AED 23.77 |
| Beef rounds (1 kg) | AED 43.58 | AED 29.11 |
| Apples | AED 8.69 | AED 6.78 |
| Banana | AED 6.79 | AED 5.78 |
| Oranges | AED 7.22 | AED 5.60 |
| Tomato | AED 5.89 | AED 4.28 |
| Potato | AED 4.37 | AED 3.67 |
| Onion | AED 5.46 | AED 3.76 |
| Water (1.5 Liter) | AED 2.31 | AED 2.18 |
| Bottle of whine | AED 60.00 | AED 24.00 |
| Cigarettes (20 packs) | AED 23.50 | AED 23.50 |
Costs of Healthcare in Dubai vs Sharjah
Nothing is more important than your health, even housing and transportation costs. Before anything else, you should have proper information about the costs of healthcare and insurance in each city.
Here is what you should know:
Doctor’s visit costs:
| Service | Dubai | Sharjah |
| General Practitioner | AED 300–600 per visit | AED 200–400 per visit |
| Specialist Consultation | AED 500–1,200 per visit | AED 300–800 per visit |
Medical insurance costs:
| Service | Dubai | Sharjah |
| Individual Health Insurance (Standard Coverage) | AED 400–800 per month | AED 300–600 per month |
| Family Health Insurance (Standard Coverage) | AED 1,500–3,000 per month | AED 1,000–2,200 per month |
Prescription medications costs:
| Medications | Dubai | Sharjah |
| Basic medications | AED 20–200 (depending on the drug) | AED 15–150 (depending on the drug) |
| Chronic medications | AED 150–1,000 (for long-term prescriptions) | AED 100–800 (for long-term prescriptions) |
Costs of Sport and Leisure in Dubai vs Sharjah
So how about sports and leisure in Dubai and Sharjah? Which one is more expensive? Earlier we have mentioned the sports and leisure options you have in each city. Below, the cost of each option is mentioned:
| Leisure and sports | Dubai | Sharjah |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | AED 294.87 | AED 222.22 |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) | AED 160.26 | AED 94.00 |
| Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat | AED 50.00 | AED 45.00 |
Other Costs of Living in Dubai vs Sharjah
After reviewing the most important factors one needs to know before deciding to live in a city, here we are going to gather a list of the other costs of living in Sharjah vs Dubai which are always ignored, but are so important:
| Other costs | Dubai | Sharjah |
| Haircut | AED 50 – 300 | AED 30 – 200 |
| Brand Jeans | AED 200 – 400 | AED 150 – 350 |
| Brand sneakers | AED 300 – 600 | AED 250 – 550 |
| Preschool (yearly) | AED 15.000 – 50.000 | AED 10.000 – 20.000 |
| Private daycare (monthly) | AED 2.500 – 4.500 | AED 1500 – 3000 |
| Private schools (monthly) | AED 25.000 – 100.000 | AED 12.000 – 35.000 |
Total Average Monthly Costs in Dubai vs Sharjah
Until now, we have covered the cost of housing, transportation, utilities, dining, etc, in Dubai vs Sharjah in separate sections. Now, we are going to show you the total average monthly costs of living in one of these cities, so you can have a big picture for making the best choice:
- Average monthly costs of a family of four: AED 12.000 to AED 20.000 in Dubai / AED 7.000 to 12.000 in Sharjah
- Average monthly costs of a single person: AED 6.000 to AED 9.000 in Dubai / AED 3.500 to 6.000 in Sharjah
Salaries and Financing in Sharjah vs Dubai
The last topic we are going to talk about is salaries and financing in Sharjah vs Dubai. How much can we make per month to have a normal lifestyle in each city? Here is the average monthly salary of people in Sharjah and Dubai:
- The average monthly salary of people in Sharjah is about AED 10.700 (AED 5.800 to AED 16.600)
- The average monthly salary of people in Dubai is about AED 15.800 (AED 4.800 to AED AED 99.000)
Which One to Choose for Living: Sharjah or Dubai?
In this article, we provided you with a comprehensive guide about the cost of living in Sharjah vs Dubai and listed all of the necessary information you need about the costs of housing, transportation, healthcare, etc, in both cities. Using this information, you can easily make the most suitable choice for you and your family.
Are you still hesitating about living in one of these cities? If so, pay attention to the conclusion of this article:
- Choose Dubai for living if you care about a luxurious life in modern buildings with a cosmopolitan lifestyle and high-quality amenities.
- Choose Sharjah for living if you are limited on budget, prioritize affordable living, and are looking for a family-friendly environment.
FAQs
Which one is better for living; Dubai or Sharjah?
Dubai is more luxurious and modern than Sharjah, and on the other side, Sharjah is more family-friendly and affordable.
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