Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kaohsiung and Sharjah

For one person, living is cheaper in Kaohsiung: $1,105 a month against $1,726 in Sharjah, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

53

Cost of Living Index in Kaohsiung
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Kaohsiung Living Index
83

Cost of Living Index in Sharjah
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Sharjah Living Index

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Kaohsiung

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,105

/mo nomad

Sharjah

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$1,726

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kaohsiung and in Sharjah

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Kaohsiung and in Sharjah actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,105 in Kaohsiung versus $1,726 in Sharjah.

Kaohsiung $1,105
Sharjah $1,726

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,796 in Kaohsiung versus $2,594 in Sharjah.

Kaohsiung $1,796
Sharjah $2,594

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,487 in Kaohsiung versus $3,462 in Sharjah.

Kaohsiung $2,487
Sharjah $3,462

Living in Kaohsiung costs roughly 36% less than in Sharjah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kaohsiung is 19% below, Sharjah is 27% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.74 NT$155

$5.88 AED 21.58

-19.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.77 NT$1,003

$32.16 AED 118

-4.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.60 NT$150

$8.13 AED 29.87

-43.42%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.57 AED 35.13

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.29 AED 34.12

Cappuccino

$2.93 NT$95.4

$3.12 AED 11.46

-6.09%

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

$1.05 NT$34.21

$0.75 AED 2.75

40.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 NT$22.61

$0.31 AED 1.15

122.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.51 NT$49.24

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 NT$78.1

Milk (1 liter)

$3.16 NT$103

$1.59 AED 5.84

98.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.18 NT$71.1

$1.20 AED 4.40

81.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.87 NT$93.5

$1.82 AED 6.70

57.69%

Eggs

$2.54 NT$82.9

$3.32 AED 12.20

-23.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.21 NT$496

$8.65 AED 31.77

75.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.03 NT$262

$6.54 AED 24.01

22.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.77 NT$481

$11.46 AED 42.09

28.88%

Apples (1kg)

$6.40 NT$209

$2.26 AED 8.28

183.19%

Banana (1kg)

$2.79 NT$90.9

$1.75 AED 6.44

59.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.42 NT$78.8

$1.32 AED 4.83

83.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.02 NT$98.6

$1.23 AED 4.50

145.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.68 NT$87.4

$1.08 AED 3.96

148.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 NT$64.4

$1.10 AED 4.06

79.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.30 NT$74.9

$1.42 AED 5.20

61.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 NT$33.12

$0.59 AED 2.18

72.88%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$15.45 AED 56.8

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 AED 9.16

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 AED 9.88

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.24 NT$138

$6.57 AED 24.14

-35.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.44 NT$503

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 NT$52.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 NT$68.0

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 NT$20.35

$2.12 AED 7.79

-70.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.04 NT$393

$27.55 AED 101

-56.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 NT$86.0

$3.61 AED 13.26

-26.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 NT$25.48

$0.56 AED 2.07

39.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.68 NT$185

$12.03 AED 44.19

-52.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 NT$31.78

$0.97 AED 3.58

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

$37.1K NT$1.2M

$44.1K AED 162.1K

-15.85%

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

$22.7K NT$739.4K

$21.0K AED 77.1K

8.02%

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

$82.1 NT$2,676

$212 AED 779

-61.32%

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

$16.89 NT$551

$48.90 AED 180

-65.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.27 NT$824

$98.0 AED 360

-74.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.20 NT$1,278

$54.3 AED 199

-27.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.12 NT$330

$22.44 AED 82.4

-54.90%

Cinema Ticket

$10.11 NT$330

$13.82 AED 50.8

-26.85%

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

$448 NT$14.6K

$340 AED 1,250

31.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K NT$445.8K

$8,356 AED 30.7K

63.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.0 NT$2,935

$58.8 AED 216

53.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.24 NT$1,019

$78.4 AED 288

-60.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.0 NT$2,805

$108 AED 396

-20.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.3 NT$3,239

$93.8 AED 344

5.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$430 NT$14.0K

$816 AED 2,996

-47.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$301 NT$9,806

$784 AED 2,879

-61.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 NT$32.1K

$1,831 AED 6,723

-46.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$681 NT$22.2K

$1,578 AED 5,795

-56.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,146 NT$135.2K

$7,442 AED 27.3K

-44.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,875 NT$93.7K

$2,551 AED 9,368

12.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,401 NT$45.7K

$2,219 AED 8,149

-36.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.56

4.5

-43.11%

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

Last update for Kaohsiung: October 26, 2026

Last update for Sharjah: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Kaohsiung

$355 32.1%

Sharjah

$193 11.2% 45.7% $162

Accommodation & Living

Kaohsiung

$301 27.2%

Sharjah

$784 45.4% 161% $483

Clothing & Footwear

Kaohsiung

$138 12.5%

Sharjah

$152 8.8% 10.5% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kaohsiung

$124 11.3%

Sharjah

$359 20.8% 189% $235

Eating Out

Kaohsiung

$106 9.6%

Sharjah

$113 6.6% 6.5% $6.9

Sport & Entertainment

Kaohsiung

$59 5.4%

Sharjah

$82 4.8% 37.8% $22

Getting Around

Kaohsiung

$21 1.9%

Sharjah

$42 2.5% 101% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $430 in Kaohsiung and $816 in Sharjah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sharjah pays 58% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $31 in Kaohsiung vs $32 in Sharjah. Groceries flip the comparison at $355 vs $193, with Sharjah cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇼 Kaohsiung

🇦🇪 Sharjah

🕒 Local time

10:05 10:05 AM

06:05 6:05 AM

4 h behind Kaohsiung

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,777,873

1,400,000

💱 Currency

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

📈 Exchange rate

100 TWD = 3.07 USD

100 TWD = 2.75 EUR

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.244 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AED, USD, EUR to TWD – New Taiwan Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇼 New Taiwan Dollar (NT$)

New Taiwan Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 32.61 TWD (100 TWD = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 36.41 TWD (100 TWD = 2.75 EUR).

UAE Dirham exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.1 AED (1 AED = 0.244 EUR).

USD to TWD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Kaohsiung Sharjah 6,530 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Kaohsiung
Sharjah

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,105 in Kaohsiung and $1,726 in Sharjah, so Kaohsiung is about 36% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 37% lower in Kaohsiung. 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: $430 in Kaohsiung versus $816 in Sharjah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $448 in Kaohsiung versus $340 in Sharjah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Sharjah pay roughly 46% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Kaohsiung gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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 both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Kaohsiung wins on affordability, Sharjah on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.