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

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

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

Living in Sharjah is roughly 32% more expensive than Kaohsiung, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.36 AED 19.70

$4.05 NT$128

32.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.97 AED 121

$34.24 NT$1,082

-3.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.06 AED 33.29

$5.51 NT$174

64.43%

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

$4.21 AED 15.48

$3.09 NT$97.8

36.25%

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

$1.01 AED 3.72

$0.97 NT$30.78

4.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 AED 1.28

$0.71 NT$22.50

-50.70%

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)

$1.70 AED 6.24

$3.50 NT$110

-51.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 AED 4.36

$2.00 NT$63.3

-40.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.04 AED 7.50

$2.61 NT$82.4

-21.84%

Eggs

$2.73 AED 10.04

$3.33 NT$105

-18.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.18 AED 37.38

$16.02 NT$506

-36.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.96 AED 25.56

$9.41 NT$297

-26.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.46 AED 31.08

$18.01 NT$569

-53.03%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 AED 6.73

$6.17 NT$195

-70.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 AED 5.42

$2.56 NT$81.1

-42.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 AED 5.48

$2.84 NT$89.9

-47.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.23 AED 4.51

$3.99 NT$126

-69.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.01 AED 3.71

$3.01 NT$95.1

-66.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.21 AED 4.46

$2.13 NT$67.2

-43.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 AED 5.60

$1.85 NT$58.6

-17.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 AED 2.35

$1.19 NT$37.52

-46.22%

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)

$6.29 AED 23.11

$4.38 NT$139

43.61%

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)

$1.60 AED 5.88

$0.82 NT$25.79

95.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.57 AED 153

$26.56 NT$840

56.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.77 AED 13.84

$2.94 NT$92.9

28.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 AED 2.59

$0.78 NT$24.73

-8.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.04 AED 18.49

$6.28 NT$198

-19.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 AED 3.01

$1.03 NT$32.71

-20.39%

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

$45.1K AED 165.5K

$33.9K NT$1.1M

32.91%

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

$22.1K AED 81.3K

$25.7K NT$811.1K

-13.69%

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

$200 AED 734

$102 NT$3,225

95.78%

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

$65.9 AED 242

$25.18 NT$796

161.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$103 AED 379

$25.61 NT$810

303.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.9 AED 231

$39.43 NT$1,246

59.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.58 AED 138

$11.15 NT$352

237.04%

Cinema Ticket

$12.73 AED 46.75

$10.08 NT$319

26.29%

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

$275 AED 1,011

$428 NT$13.5K

-35.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,018 AED 22.1K

$11.5K NT$362.7K

-47.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.4 AED 189

$95.0 NT$3,004

-45.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$97.2 AED 357

$36.01 NT$1,138

169.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 AED 353

$89.3 NT$2,824

7.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.4 AED 295

$101 NT$3,191

-20.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$775 AED 2,845

$443 NT$14.0K

74.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$603 AED 2,215

$281 NT$8,897

114.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,613 AED 5,923

$950 NT$30.0K

69.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,026 AED 3,768

$682 NT$21.6K

50.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,277 AED 30.4K

$4,584 NT$144.9K

80.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,688 AED 9,872

$3,194 NT$101.0K

-15.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,281 AED 8,377

$1,503 NT$47.5K

51.80%

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: June 9, 2026

Last update for Kaohsiung: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $775 in Sharjah and $443 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: $33.00 in Sharjah vs $34.00 in Kaohsiung for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $385 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 32% in total monthly costs ($1,573 vs $1,188 including rent). Kaohsiung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Sharjah pays 52% more on average, 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: $775 in Sharjah versus $443 in Kaohsiung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $275 in Sharjah versus $428 in Kaohsiung. 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, 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 32% less than in Sharjah. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.