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

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

Living in Sharjah is roughly 37% more expensive than in Kaohsiung, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.54 AED 20.34

$4.16 NT$134

33.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.58 AED 120

$34.09 NT$1,101

-4.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.21 AED 33.84

$5.46 NT$176

68.68%

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

$4.44 AED 16.29

$2.99 NT$96.5

48.49%

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

$0.95 AED 3.50

$1.03 NT$33.19

-7.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 AED 1.37

$0.72 NT$23.25

-48.61%

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)

$1.77 AED 6.48

$3.54 NT$114

-50.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.20 AED 4.41

$2.07 NT$66.7

-42.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.04 AED 7.50

$2.60 NT$84.0

-21.54%

Eggs

$2.77 AED 10.16

$3.32 NT$107

-16.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.28 AED 37.75

$15.78 NT$510

-34.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.82 AED 25.05

$9.24 NT$298

-26.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.45 AED 31.03

$17.93 NT$579

-52.87%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 AED 6.75

$5.99 NT$194

-69.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 AED 5.46

$2.59 NT$83.5

-42.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.42 AED 5.22

$2.78 NT$89.9

-48.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.18 AED 4.33

$4.03 NT$130

-70.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 AED 3.67

$2.98 NT$96.3

-66.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 AED 4.32

$2.24 NT$72.5

-47.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 AED 5.48

$1.92 NT$61.9

-22.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 AED 2.33

$1.14 NT$36.95

-43.86%

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)

$6.33 AED 23.24

$4.34 NT$140

45.85%

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)

$1.66 AED 6.11

$0.81 NT$26.16

104.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.20 AED 148

$27.16 NT$877

48.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.60 AED 13.21

$2.94 NT$94.8

22.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.66 AED 2.43

$0.73 NT$23.55

-9.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.77 AED 17.53

$6.03 NT$195

-20.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.75 AED 2.77

$1.07 NT$34.53

-29.91%

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

$44.9K AED 165.0K

$34.2K NT$1.1M

31.41%

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

$22.5K AED 82.7K

$25.7K NT$831.4K

-12.58%

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

$197 AED 725

$105 NT$3,391

88.04%

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

$64.5 AED 237

$25.44 NT$821

153.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$101 AED 371

$24.82 NT$802

306.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.4 AED 229

$38.49 NT$1,243

62.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$38.49 AED 141

$11.37 NT$367

238.52%

Cinema Ticket

$12.90 AED 47.36

$10.36 NT$335

24.52%

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

$274 AED 1,005

$427 NT$13.8K

-35.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,120 AED 22.5K

$11.3K NT$364.0K

-45.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.2 AED 188

$95.0 NT$3,067

-46.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$98.6 AED 362

$36.22 NT$1,170

172.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 AED 353

$89.4 NT$2,886

7.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.3 AED 302

$103 NT$3,317

-19.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$752 AED 2,763

$448 NT$14.5K

67.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$603 AED 2,214

$280 NT$9,030

115.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,609 AED 5,908

$925 NT$29.9K

73.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,041 AED 3,823

$690 NT$22.3K

50.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,029 AED 29.5K

$4,510 NT$145.6K

78.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,747 AED 10.1K

$3,159 NT$102.0K

-13.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,246 AED 8,251

$1,463 NT$47.2K

53.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.42

2.3

92.17%

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

Last update for Sharjah: July 26, 2026

Last update for Kaohsiung: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $752 in Sharjah and $448 in Kaohsiung. 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: $33.00 in Sharjah vs $34.00 in Kaohsiung for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $382 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

Sharjah vs Kaohsiung: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

Average pay runs 54% higher in Sharjah, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $752 in Sharjah versus $448 in Kaohsiung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $274 in Sharjah versus $427 in Kaohsiung. 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, Sharjah and Kaohsiung 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.