Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Al Mahwit and Sanaa

For one person, living is cheaper in Al Mahwit: $761 a month against $1,040 in Sanaa, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Al Mahwit
Learn more

Al Mahwit Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Sanaa
Learn more

Sanaa Living Index

Jump to prices

Al Mahwit

🇾🇪 Yemen

$761

/mo nomad

Sanaa

🇾🇪 Yemen

$1,040

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Al Mahwit 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 Al Mahwit and in Sanaa actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $761 per month in Al Mahwit vs $1,040 in Sanaa, rent included.

Al Mahwit $761
Sanaa $1,040

A couple spends around $1,197 per month in Al Mahwit vs $1,608 in Sanaa, rent included.

Al Mahwit $1,197
Sanaa $1,608

A family of three spends $1,634 per month in Al Mahwit vs $2,175 in Sanaa, rent included.

Al Mahwit $1,634
Sanaa $2,175

Al Mahwit is about 27% cheaper than Sanaa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Al Mahwit and Sanaa are more affordable than the global median – Al Mahwit 43% lower, Sanaa 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.23 YER 1,469

$6.46 YER 1,525

-3.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.53 YER 6,022

$25.31 YER 5,971

0.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 YER 2,233

$9.75 YER 2,301

-2.87%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.94 YER 459

$1.96 YER 462

-1.02%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 YER 609

$2.59 YER 612

-0.39%

Cappuccino

$3.64 YER 859

$3.82 YER 900

-4.71%

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

$1.17 YER 275

$1.17 YER 277

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.55 YER 130

$0.60 YER 141

-8.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.07 YER 488

$1.98 YER 468

4.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 YER 384

$1.64 YER 387

-0.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 YER 466

$2.09 YER 493

-5.26%

Eggs

$3.58 YER 845

$3.57 YER 842

0.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.97 YER 4,003

$17.52 YER 4,133

-3.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.17 YER 1,927

$8.41 YER 1,984

-2.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.64 YER 4,396

$19.10 YER 4,506

-2.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 YER 782

$3.40 YER 802

-2.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.05 YER 248

$1.05 YER 249

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 YER 512

$2.21 YER 521

-1.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.67 YER 394

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 YER 346

$1.51 YER 357

-2.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 YER 323

$1.38 YER 326

-0.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 YER 298

$1.20 YER 284

5.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 YER 162

$0.68 YER 160

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.48 YER 585

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 YER 440

$1.79 YER 423

3.91%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 YER 590

$2.55 YER 602

-1.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.58 YER 1,316

$5.66 YER 1,336

-1.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 YER 102

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$86.3 YER 20.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 YER 989

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 YER 508

$2.10 YER 494

2.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.19 YER 1,696

$7.22 YER 1,704

-0.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 YER 505

$2.06 YER 486

3.88%

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

$17.2K YER 4.1M

$16.9K YER 4.0M

1.80%

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

$34.5K YER 8.1M

$34.6K YER 8.2M

-0.41%

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

$108 YER 25.4K

$109 YER 25.6K

-1.02%

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

$23.33 YER 5,503

$23.35 YER 5,508

-0.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$103 YER 24.3K

$102 YER 24.0K

1.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.1 YER 15.8K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.03 YER 3,780

Cinema Ticket

$5.76 YER 1,359

$5.97 YER 1,407

-3.52%

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

$115 YER 27.1K

$118 YER 27.7K

-2.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,173 YER 512.7K

$2,130 YER 502.5K

2.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.19 YER 9,951

$42.48 YER 10.0K

-0.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$121 YER 28.6K

$121 YER 28.5K

0.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$48.73 YER 11.5K

$47.63 YER 11.2K

2.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.93 YER 9,656

$40.69 YER 9,598

0.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$222 YER 52.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$94.7 YER 22.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$408 YER 96.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$276 YER 65.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,240 YER 1.0M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$825 YER 194.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$197 YER 46.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.25

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

Last update for Al Mahwit: October 6, 2026

Last update for Sanaa: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Al Mahwit

$267 34.7%

Sanaa

$272 26.4% 1.6% $4.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Al Mahwit

$234 30.4%

Sanaa

$234 22.7% 0% $0.1

Eating Out

Al Mahwit

$129 16.7%

Sanaa

$134 13% 3.9% $5.1

Clothing & Footwear

Al Mahwit

$114 14.8%

Sanaa

$113 11% 0.6% $0.6

Getting Around

Al Mahwit

$15 * 1.9%

Sanaa

$103 10% 587% $88

Sport & Entertainment

Al Mahwit

$12 * 1.5%

Sanaa

$79 7.7% 586% $68

Accommodation & Living

Al Mahwit

- * 0%

Sanaa

$95 9.2%

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $26.00 in Al Mahwit versus $25.00 in Sanaa. Groceries tell a different story – $267 in Al Mahwit vs $272 in Sanaa – so Al Mahwit wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇾🇪 Al Mahwit

🇾🇪 Sanaa

🕒 Local time

00:12 12:12 AM

Same time as Al Mahwit

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,817

1,527,861 Capital

💱 Currency

Yemeni Rial YER ﷼

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 YER = 4.24 USD

1,000 YER = 3.78 EUR

1,000 YER = 4.24 USD

1,000 YER = 3.78 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Al Mahwit Sanaa 72 km

From you

Al Mahwit
Sanaa

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Al Mahwit vs Sanaa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Sanaa is pricier by about 37%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,142 per month in Al Mahwit and $1,560 in Sanaa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $761 in Al Mahwit and $1,040 in Sanaa. That's a gap of about 37%.

Kindergarten costs $115 per month in Al Mahwit and $118 in Sanaa. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $761 in Al Mahwit and $1,040 in Sanaa, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Al Mahwit – 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 Al Mahwit. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sanaa makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.