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: $1,188 in Kaohsiung versus $1,573 in Sharjah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,951 in Kaohsiung versus $2,253 in Sharjah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,714 in Kaohsiung versus $2,933 in Sharjah.

Living in Kaohsiung costs roughly 24% less than in Sharjah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kaohsiung is 12% below, Sharjah is 17% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.05 NT$128

$5.36 AED 19.70

-24.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.24 NT$1,082

$32.97 AED 121

3.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.51 NT$174

$9.06 AED 33.29

-39.18%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.27 AED 34.05

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.64 AED 35.42

Cappuccino

$3.09 NT$97.8

$4.21 AED 15.48

-26.60%

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

$0.97 NT$30.78

$1.01 AED 3.72

-3.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 NT$22.50

$0.35 AED 1.28

102.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.66 NT$52.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 NT$86.2

Milk (1 liter)

$3.50 NT$110

$1.70 AED 6.24

105.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.00 NT$63.3

$1.19 AED 4.36

68.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.61 NT$82.4

$2.04 AED 7.50

27.94%

Eggs

$3.33 NT$105

$2.73 AED 10.04

21.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.02 NT$506

$10.18 AED 37.38

57.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.41 NT$297

$6.96 AED 25.56

35.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.01 NT$569

$8.46 AED 31.08

112.88%

Apples (1kg)

$6.17 NT$195

$1.83 AED 6.73

237.16%

Banana (1kg)

$2.56 NT$81.1

$1.48 AED 5.42

72.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.84 NT$89.9

$1.49 AED 5.48

90.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.99 NT$126

$1.23 AED 4.51

224.39%

Potato (1kg)

$3.01 NT$95.1

$1.01 AED 3.71

198.02%

Onion (1kg)

$2.13 NT$67.2

$1.21 AED 4.46

76.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.85 NT$58.6

$1.52 AED 5.60

21.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 NT$37.52

$0.64 AED 2.35

85.94%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$15.76 AED 57.9

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 AED 7.06

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.42 AED 12.56

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 NT$139

$6.29 AED 23.11

-30.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.51 NT$490

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 NT$54.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 NT$77.7

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 NT$25.79

$1.60 AED 5.88

-48.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.56 NT$840

$41.57 AED 153

-36.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.94 NT$92.9

$3.77 AED 13.84

-22.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 NT$24.73

$0.71 AED 2.59

9.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.28 NT$198

$5.04 AED 18.49

24.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 NT$32.71

$0.82 AED 3.01

25.61%

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

$33.9K NT$1.1M

$45.1K AED 165.5K

-24.76%

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

$25.7K NT$811.1K

$22.1K AED 81.3K

15.87%

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

$102 NT$3,225

$200 AED 734

-48.92%

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

$25.18 NT$796

$65.9 AED 242

-61.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.61 NT$810

$103 AED 379

-75.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.43 NT$1,246

$62.9 AED 231

-37.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.15 NT$352

$37.58 AED 138

-70.33%

Cinema Ticket

$10.08 NT$319

$12.73 AED 46.75

-20.82%

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

$428 NT$13.5K

$275 AED 1,011

55.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K NT$362.7K

$6,018 AED 22.1K

90.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.0 NT$3,004

$51.4 AED 189

84.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.01 NT$1,138

$97.2 AED 357

-62.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.3 NT$2,824

$96.0 AED 353

-6.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 NT$3,191

$80.4 AED 295

25.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$443 NT$14.0K

$775 AED 2,845

-42.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$281 NT$8,897

$603 AED 2,215

-53.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$950 NT$30.0K

$1,613 AED 5,923

-41.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$682 NT$21.6K

$1,026 AED 3,768

-33.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,584 NT$144.9K

$8,277 AED 30.4K

-44.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,194 NT$101.0K

$2,688 AED 9,872

18.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,503 NT$47.5K

$2,281 AED 8,377

-34.12%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Sharjah: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $443 in Kaohsiung and $775 in Sharjah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sharjah pays 52% 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 $385 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 32% in total monthly costs ($1,188 vs $1,573 including rent). Kaohsiung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Sharjah earns 52% less. 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: $443 in Kaohsiung versus $775 in Sharjah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $428 in Kaohsiung versus $275 in Sharjah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Sharjah pay roughly 105% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,188 in Kaohsiung versus $1,573 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 32% less than in Sharjah. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.