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

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

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

Living in Sharjah is roughly 62% more expensive than in Kaohsiung, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.34 AED 19.60

$5.50 NT$175

-2.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.04 AED 132

$32.11 NT$1,022

12.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.11 AED 29.78

$4.83 NT$154

67.91%

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

$3.54 AED 13.00

$2.81 NT$89.6

25.98%

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

$0.80 AED 2.93

$1.08 NT$34.48

-25.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 AED 1.17

$0.67 NT$21.33

-52.24%

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)

$1.50 AED 5.52

$3.25 NT$103

-53.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 AED 4.37

$2.27 NT$72.3

-47.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.82 AED 6.68

$3.03 NT$96.5

-39.93%

Eggs

$2.95 AED 10.85

$2.69 NT$85.7

9.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.58 AED 31.50

$15.37 NT$489

-44.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.98 AED 25.64

$7.86 NT$250

-11.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.23 AED 41.24

$15.16 NT$483

-25.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 AED 8.28

$6.54 NT$208

-65.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 AED 6.08

$2.78 NT$88.6

-40.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 AED 5.63

$2.52 NT$80.4

-39.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.34 AED 4.93

$3.13 NT$99.5

-57.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.06 AED 3.89

$2.71 NT$86.3

-60.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 AED 4.30

$2.04 NT$64.9

-42.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 AED 5.39

$2.35 NT$74.9

-37.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 AED 2.11

$1.07 NT$34.19

-46.73%

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)

$6.55 AED 24.06

$4.07 NT$130

60.93%

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)

$2.22 AED 8.13

$0.75 NT$23.72

196.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.81 AED 98.5

$12.42 NT$395

115.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.71 AED 13.62

$2.73 NT$86.9

35.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 AED 2.06

$0.78 NT$24.81

-28.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.00 AED 44.07

$5.73 NT$182

109.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 AED 3.58

$1.06 NT$33.66

-7.55%

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

$45.4K AED 166.8K

$33.2K NT$1.1M

36.67%

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

$22.1K AED 81.3K

$23.1K NT$735.7K

-4.23%

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

$209 AED 766

$84.7 NT$2,695

146.53%

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

$49.53 AED 182

$17.10 NT$544

189.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$97.8 AED 359

$25.77 NT$820

279.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 AED 200

$40.62 NT$1,293

33.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.66 AED 79.5

$10.32 NT$329

109.88%

Cinema Ticket

$13.45 AED 49.40

$10.95 NT$349

22.83%

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

$323 AED 1,186

$474 NT$15.1K

-31.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,883 AED 32.6K

$14.0K NT$444.4K

-36.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 AED 218

$94.5 NT$3,007

-37.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$77.0 AED 283

$33.58 NT$1,069

129.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 AED 401

$86.5 NT$2,753

26.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.6 AED 347

$99.8 NT$3,176

-5.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$831 AED 3,053

$407 NT$13.0K

104.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$901 AED 3,310

$284 NT$9,042

217.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,823 AED 6,694

$998 NT$31.8K

82.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 AED 5,211

$670 NT$21.3K

111.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,211 AED 30.2K

$4,684 NT$149.1K

75.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,718 AED 9,981

$3,170 NT$100.9K

-14.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,184 AED 8,020

$1,439 NT$45.8K

51.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.5

2.56

75.78%

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

Last update for Sharjah: September 13, 2026

Last update for Kaohsiung: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $831 in Sharjah and $407 in Kaohsiung. 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: $36.00 in Sharjah vs $32.00 in Kaohsiung. Groceries flip the comparison at $193 vs $363, 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

Sharjah vs Kaohsiung: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

Average pay runs 52% 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: $831 in Sharjah versus $407 in Kaohsiung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $323 in Sharjah versus $474 in Kaohsiung. 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, 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 62% less than in Sharjah. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.