Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Al Mukalla and Aden

For one person, living is cheaper in Al Mukalla: $842 a month against $1,396 in Aden, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Aden
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Aden Living Index

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Al Mukalla

🇾🇪 Yemen

$842

/mo nomad

Aden

🇾🇪 Yemen

$1,396

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Al Mukalla and in Aden

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

A single person spends $842 per month in Al Mukalla vs $1,396 in Aden, rent included.

Al Mukalla $842
Aden $1,396

A couple spends around $1,654 per month in Al Mukalla vs $2,358 in Aden, rent included.

Al Mukalla $1,654
Aden $2,358

A family of three spends $2,466 per month in Al Mukalla vs $3,320 in Aden, rent included.

Al Mukalla $2,466
Aden $3,320

Al Mukalla is about 40% cheaper than Aden, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Al Mukalla sits 38% below the global median, while Aden is 3% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.88 YER 3,983

$12.62 YER 2,978

33.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.8 YER 20.0K

$36.24 YER 8,549

134.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.47 YER 2,470

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 YER 821

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.49 YER 1,059

Cappuccino

$8.45 YER 1,992

$4.03 YER 951

109.68%

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

$3.34 YER 787

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.89 YER 210

$1.82 YER 430

-51.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$5.33 YER 1,257

White Bread (500g)

$2.43 YER 573

Rice (white) (1kg)

$9.41 YER 2,220

Eggs

$10.58 YER 2,496

$10.55 YER 2,488

0.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.08 YER 3,557

$8.36 YER 1,973

80.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$25.73 YER 6,070

$15.69 YER 3,701

63.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$58.5 YER 13.8K

$57.1 YER 13.5K

2.38%

Apples (1kg)

$14.61 YER 3,446

$13.40 YER 3,160

9.03%

Banana (1kg)

$6.37 YER 1,503

$3.76 YER 886

69.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.94 YER 1,165

$10.47 YER 2,470

-52.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.29 YER 776

$4.67 YER 1,102

-29.55%

Potato (1kg)

$7.71 YER 1,818

$4.24 YER 1,001

81.84%

Onion (1kg)

$4.15 YER 978

$4.22 YER 995

-1.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 YER 293

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 YER 609

$1.45 YER 343

77.93%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$6.21 YER 1,465

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 YER 982

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.23 YER 1,233

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 YER 81.5

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.88 YER 678

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

$50.8 YER 12.0K

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

$9.88 YER 2,331

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.93 YER 5,880

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.11 YER 2,385

Cinema Ticket

$6.04 YER 1,424

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

$33.38 YER 7,874

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,414 YER 1.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 YER 25.0K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$83.0 YER 19.6K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 YER 26.1K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$162 YER 38.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$236 YER 55.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$257 YER 60.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$828 YER 195.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$534 YER 126.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$602 YER 142.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$450 YER 106.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$381 YER 90.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Al Mukalla: October 18, 2026

Last update for Aden: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Al Mukalla

–

Aden

$631 45.2%

Accommodation & Living

Al Mukalla

–

Aden

$257 18.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Al Mukalla

–

Aden

$208 14.9%

Eating Out

Al Mukalla

–

Aden

$201 14.4%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Al Mukalla

–

Aden

$61 * 4.3%

Sport & Entertainment

Al Mukalla

–

Aden

$37 2.7%

Getting Around

Al Mukalla

–

Aden

$1.4 * 0.1%

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 $85.0 in Al Mukalla versus $36.00 in Aden. Groceries tell a different story – $602 in Al Mukalla vs $631 in Aden – so Al Mukalla wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇾🇪 Al Mukalla

🇾🇪 Aden

🕒 Local time

14:38 2:38 PM

Same time as Al Mukalla

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

176,942

508,489

💱 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

On the map

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Al Mukalla Aden 480 km

From you

Al Mukalla
Aden

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 Mukalla vs Aden: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Aden costs about 66% more than Al Mukalla, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,262 per month in Al Mukalla and $2,094 in Aden. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $842 in Al Mukalla and $1,396 in Aden. That's a gap of about 66%.

Groceries cost about 5% more in Aden, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Al Mukalla, where all-in costs run around $842, than in Aden at $1,396. In Al Mukalla it covers expenses comfortably, while in Aden it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Al Mukalla – 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 Mukalla. 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.