Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Aden and Sanaa

For one person, living is cheaper in Sanaa: $1,022 a month against $1,387 in Aden, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

68

Cost of Living Index in Aden
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Aden Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Sanaa
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Sanaa Living Index

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Aden

🇾🇪 Yemen

$1,387

/mo nomad

Sanaa

🇾🇪 Yemen

$1,022

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Aden and in Sanaa

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Aden and in Sanaa actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,387 per month in Aden vs $1,022 in Sanaa, rent included.

Aden $1,387
Sanaa $1,022

A couple spends around $2,349 per month in Aden vs $1,611 in Sanaa, rent included.

Aden $2,349
Sanaa $1,611

A family of three spends $3,311 per month in Aden vs $2,201 in Sanaa, rent included.

Aden $3,311
Sanaa $2,201

Aden costs about 36% more than Sanaa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Aden sits 3% above the global median, while Sanaa is 24% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.46 YER 2,940

$6.41 YER 1,512

94.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.37 YER 8,580

$25.05 YER 5,909

45.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.22 YER 2,411

$9.68 YER 2,283

5.58%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.53 YER 833

$1.95 YER 460

81.03%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 YER 1,031

$2.52 YER 595

73.41%

Cappuccino

$4.06 YER 957

$3.75 YER 884

8.27%

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

$3.29 YER 777

$1.17 YER 276

181.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 YER 415

$0.59 YER 139

198.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$5.03 YER 1,186

$2.08 YER 490

141.83%

White Bread (500g)

$2.50 YER 590

$1.69 YER 398

47.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$9.38 YER 2,213

$1.97 YER 466

376.14%

Eggs

$10.52 YER 2,481

$3.57 YER 841

194.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.64 YER 2,039

$16.99 YER 4,008

-49.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.15 YER 3,809

$8.29 YER 1,956

94.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$55.5 YER 13.1K

$18.53 YER 4,371

199.57%

Apples (1kg)

$13.54 YER 3,193

$3.34 YER 788

305.39%

Banana (1kg)

$3.78 YER 892

$1.05 YER 247

260.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$10.28 YER 2,425

$2.15 YER 508

378.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.67 YER 1,103

$1.72 YER 405

171.51%

Potato (1kg)

$4.40 YER 1,037

$1.46 YER 343

201.37%

Onion (1kg)

$4.20 YER 990

$1.31 YER 309

220.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 YER 308

$1.26 YER 297

3.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 YER 342

$0.69 YER 163

110.14%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$6.53 YER 1,539

$2.51 YER 592

160.16%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 YER 434

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.15 YER 979

$2.58 YER 608

60.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.94 YER 1,166

$5.60 YER 1,320

-11.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.32 YER 75.4

$0.43 YER 102

-25.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.9 YER 20.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.25 YER 1,002

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.18 YER 514

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.44 YER 1,755

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.88 YER 680

$2.10 YER 496

37.14%

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

$16.9K YER 4.0M

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

$35.6K YER 8.4M

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

$50.2 YER 11.8K

$106 YER 25.0K

-52.64%

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

$10.16 YER 2,396

$23.54 YER 5,553

-56.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$102 YER 24.0K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.52 YER 5,785

$65.4 YER 15.4K

-62.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.85 YER 2,323

$16.55 YER 3,903

-40.48%

Cinema Ticket

$5.89 YER 1,389

$5.78 YER 1,365

1.90%

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

$33.65 YER 7,938

$114 YER 27.0K

-70.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,417 YER 1.3M

$2,122 YER 500.5K

155.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 YER 25.7K

$42.26 YER 9,970

157.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$85.6 YER 20.2K

$125 YER 29.4K

-31.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 YER 26.2K

$48.18 YER 11.4K

130.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$158 YER 37.3K

$40.57 YER 9,569

289.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$236 YER 55.8K

$219 YER 51.7K

7.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$254 YER 60.0K

$96.2 YER 22.7K

164.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 YER 197.7K

$410 YER 96.8K

104.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$538 YER 127.0K

$268 YER 63.2K

100.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$598 YER 141.2K

$4,082 YER 962.8K

-85.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$458 YER 108.1K

$797 YER 187.9K

-42.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$391 YER 92.3K

$193 YER 45.4K

103.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.25

-2.22%

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

Last update for Aden: October 13, 2026

Last update for Sanaa: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Aden

$627 45.2%

Sanaa

$268 26.3% 57.2% $359

Accommodation & Living

Aden

$254 18.3%

Sanaa

$96 9.4% 62.2% $158

Clothing & Footwear

Aden

$209 15.1%

Sanaa

$115 11.3% 44.9% $94

Eating Out

Aden

$199 14.4%

Sanaa

$132 13% 33.6% $67

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Aden

$60 * 4.4%

Sanaa

$231 22.6% 283% $171

Sport & Entertainment

Aden

$36 2.6%

Sanaa

$77 7.5% 112% $41

Getting Around

Aden

$1.3 * 0.1%

Sanaa

$102 10% 7852% $101

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $236 in Aden versus $219 in Sanaa. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 103% higher in Aden, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $36.00 in Aden versus $25.00 in Sanaa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $627 vs $268 – making Sanaa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇾🇪 Aden

🇾🇪 Sanaa

🕒 Local time

04:47 4:47 AM

Same time as Aden

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

508,489

1,527,861 Capital

💱 Currency

Yemeni Rial YER ﷼

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 YER = 4.24 USD

1,000 YER = 3.77 EUR

1,000 YER = 4.24 USD

1,000 YER = 3.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

Aden vs Sanaa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Aden costs about 36% more than Sanaa, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,081 per month in Aden and $1,533 in Sanaa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sanaa, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,387 in Aden and $1,022 in Sanaa. That's a gap of about 36%.

Kindergarten costs $33.65 per month in Aden and $114 in Sanaa. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Sanaa, where all-in costs run around $1,022, than in Aden at $1,387. In Sanaa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Aden it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sanaa – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Sanaa. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Aden makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.