Cost of Living Comparison Between Kaohsiung and Sharjah Cost of Living Comparison Between Kaohsiung and Sharjah

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,159 in Kaohsiung versus $1,584 in Sharjah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,912 in Kaohsiung versus $2,291 in Sharjah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,666 in Kaohsiung versus $2,997 in Sharjah.

Living in Kaohsiung costs roughly 27% less than in Sharjah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kaohsiung is 13% below, Sharjah is 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.16 NT$134

$5.54 AED 20.34

-24.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.09 NT$1,101

$32.58 AED 120

4.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.46 NT$176

$9.21 AED 33.84

-40.72%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.55 AED 35.07

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.45 AED 34.72

Cappuccino

$2.99 NT$96.5

$4.44 AED 16.29

-32.66%

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

$1.03 NT$33.19

$0.95 AED 3.50

8.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 NT$23.25

$0.37 AED 1.37

94.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.66 NT$53.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 NT$89.5

Milk (1 liter)

$3.54 NT$114

$1.77 AED 6.48

100.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 NT$66.7

$1.20 AED 4.41

72.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.60 NT$84.0

$2.04 AED 7.50

27.45%

Eggs

$3.32 NT$107

$2.77 AED 10.16

19.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.78 NT$510

$10.28 AED 37.75

53.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.24 NT$298

$6.82 AED 25.05

35.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.93 NT$579

$8.45 AED 31.03

112.19%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 NT$194

$1.84 AED 6.75

225.54%

Banana (1kg)

$2.59 NT$83.5

$1.49 AED 5.46

73.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.78 NT$89.9

$1.42 AED 5.22

95.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 NT$130

$1.18 AED 4.33

241.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.98 NT$96.3

$1.00 AED 3.67

198.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.24 NT$72.5

$1.18 AED 4.32

89.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 NT$61.9

$1.49 AED 5.48

28.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 NT$36.95

$0.64 AED 2.33

78.12%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$15.34 AED 56.3

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 AED 7.18

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 AED 12.14

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.34 NT$140

$6.33 AED 23.24

-31.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.18 NT$490

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 NT$53.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 NT$79.2

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 NT$26.16

$1.66 AED 6.11

-51.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.16 NT$877

$40.20 AED 148

-32.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.94 NT$94.8

$3.60 AED 13.21

-18.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 NT$23.55

$0.66 AED 2.43

10.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.03 NT$195

$4.77 AED 17.53

26.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 NT$34.53

$0.75 AED 2.77

42.67%

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

$34.2K NT$1.1M

$44.9K AED 165.0K

-23.90%

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

$25.7K NT$831.4K

$22.5K AED 82.7K

14.39%

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

$105 NT$3,391

$197 AED 725

-46.82%

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

$25.44 NT$821

$64.5 AED 237

-60.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.82 NT$802

$101 AED 371

-75.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.49 NT$1,243

$62.4 AED 229

-38.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.37 NT$367

$38.49 AED 141

-70.46%

Cinema Ticket

$10.36 NT$335

$12.90 AED 47.36

-19.69%

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

$427 NT$13.8K

$274 AED 1,005

55.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K NT$364.0K

$6,120 AED 22.5K

84.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.0 NT$3,067

$51.2 AED 188

85.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.22 NT$1,170

$98.6 AED 362

-63.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.4 NT$2,886

$96.2 AED 353

-7.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 NT$3,317

$82.3 AED 302

24.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$448 NT$14.5K

$752 AED 2,763

-40.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$280 NT$9,030

$603 AED 2,214

-53.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$925 NT$29.9K

$1,609 AED 5,908

-42.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$690 NT$22.3K

$1,041 AED 3,823

-33.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,510 NT$145.6K

$8,029 AED 29.5K

-43.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,159 NT$102.0K

$2,747 AED 10.1K

15.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,463 NT$47.2K

$2,246 AED 8,251

-34.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.3

4.42

-47.96%

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

Last update for Kaohsiung: July 27, 2026

Last update for Sharjah: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $448 in Kaohsiung and $752 in Sharjah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sharjah pays 54% 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: $34.00 in Kaohsiung vs $33.00 in Sharjah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $382 vs $188 per month, with Sharjah cheaper across the board.

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

Kaohsiung vs Sharjah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kaohsiung and Sharjah differ by about 37% in total monthly costs ($1,159 vs $1,584 including rent). Kaohsiung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 54% lower in Sharjah. 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: $448 in Kaohsiung versus $752 in Sharjah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $427 in Kaohsiung versus $274 in Sharjah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Sharjah pay roughly 104% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,159 in Kaohsiung versus $1,584 in Sharjah, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kaohsiung but tight or insufficient in Sharjah. The gap between the two cities makes Kaohsiung 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, Kaohsiung 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 Kaohsiung gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Sharjah. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.