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: $1,107 in Kaohsiung versus $1,796 in Sharjah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,829 in Kaohsiung versus $2,573 in Sharjah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,551 in Kaohsiung versus $3,349 in Sharjah.

Living in Kaohsiung costs roughly 38% less than in Sharjah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kaohsiung is 19% below, Sharjah is 31% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.50 NT$175

$5.34 AED 19.60

3.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.11 NT$1,022

$36.04 AED 132

-10.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.83 NT$154

$8.11 AED 29.78

-40.44%

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

$2.81 NT$89.6

$3.54 AED 13.00

-20.62%

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

$1.08 NT$34.48

$0.80 AED 2.93

35.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 NT$21.33

$0.32 AED 1.17

109.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.48 NT$47.02

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 NT$81.2

Milk (1 liter)

$3.25 NT$103

$1.50 AED 5.52

116.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 NT$72.3

$1.19 AED 4.37

90.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.03 NT$96.5

$1.82 AED 6.68

66.48%

Eggs

$2.69 NT$85.7

$2.95 AED 10.85

-8.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.37 NT$489

$8.58 AED 31.50

79.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.86 NT$250

$6.98 AED 25.64

12.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.16 NT$483

$11.23 AED 41.24

35.00%

Apples (1kg)

$6.54 NT$208

$2.25 AED 8.28

190.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.78 NT$88.6

$1.66 AED 6.08

67.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.52 NT$80.4

$1.53 AED 5.63

64.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.13 NT$99.5

$1.34 AED 4.93

133.58%

Potato (1kg)

$2.71 NT$86.3

$1.06 AED 3.89

155.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 NT$64.9

$1.17 AED 4.30

74.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.35 NT$74.9

$1.47 AED 5.39

59.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 NT$34.19

$0.57 AED 2.11

87.72%

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)

$4.07 NT$130

$6.55 AED 24.06

-37.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.91 NT$507

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 NT$50.8

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 NT$68.6

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 NT$23.72

$2.22 AED 8.13

-66.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.42 NT$395

$26.81 AED 98.5

-53.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 NT$86.9

$3.71 AED 13.62

-26.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 NT$24.81

$0.56 AED 2.06

39.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.73 NT$182

$12.00 AED 44.07

-52.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 NT$33.66

$0.98 AED 3.58

8.16%

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

$33.2K NT$1.1M

$45.4K AED 166.8K

-26.83%

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

$23.1K NT$735.7K

$22.1K AED 81.3K

4.42%

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

$84.7 NT$2,695

$209 AED 766

-59.44%

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

$17.10 NT$544

$49.53 AED 182

-65.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.77 NT$820

$97.8 AED 359

-73.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.62 NT$1,293

$54.3 AED 200

-25.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.32 NT$329

$21.66 AED 79.5

-52.35%

Cinema Ticket

$10.95 NT$349

$13.45 AED 49.40

-18.59%

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

$474 NT$15.1K

$323 AED 1,186

46.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.0K NT$444.4K

$8,883 AED 32.6K

57.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.5 NT$3,007

$59.3 AED 218

59.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.58 NT$1,069

$77.0 AED 283

-56.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.5 NT$2,753

$109 AED 401

-20.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.8 NT$3,176

$94.6 AED 347

5.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$407 NT$13.0K

$831 AED 3,053

-51.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$284 NT$9,042

$901 AED 3,310

-68.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$998 NT$31.8K

$1,823 AED 6,694

-45.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$670 NT$21.3K

$1,419 AED 5,211

-52.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,684 NT$149.1K

$8,211 AED 30.2K

-42.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,170 NT$100.9K

$2,718 AED 9,981

16.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,439 NT$45.8K

$2,184 AED 8,020

-34.10%

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: September 13, 2026

Last update for Sharjah: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $407 in Kaohsiung and $831 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: $32.00 in Kaohsiung vs $36.00 in Sharjah. Groceries flip the comparison at $363 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

Kaohsiung vs Sharjah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kaohsiung and Sharjah differ by about 62% in total monthly costs ($1,107 vs $1,796 including rent). Kaohsiung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 52% 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: $407 in Kaohsiung versus $831 in Sharjah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $474 in Kaohsiung versus $323 in Sharjah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Sharjah pay roughly 88% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,107 in Kaohsiung versus $1,796 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 62% less than in Sharjah. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.