Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sanaa

For one person, living is cheaper in Sanaa: $1,023 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $14,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Sanaa
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Sanaa Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Sanaa

🇾🇪 Yemen

$1,023

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,023 in Sanaa.

Lisbon $2,210
Sanaa $1,023

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $1,619 in Sanaa.

Lisbon $3,275
Sanaa $1,619

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $2,216 in Sanaa.

Lisbon $4,341
Sanaa $2,216

Living in Lisbon is roughly 116% more expensive than in Sanaa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 62% above, Sanaa is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.92

$6.45 YER 1,520

158.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 €55.3

$25.52 YER 6,020

141.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 €10.18

$9.76 YER 2,301

16.39%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.95 YER 460

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 YER 616

Cappuccino

$2.97 €2.66

$3.79 YER 895

-21.64%

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

$2.29 €2.05

$1.18 YER 278

94.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.56

$0.59 YER 140

194.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €3.05

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 €2.97

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.04

$2.06 YER 487

-43.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.71

$1.64 YER 386

16.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 €1.36

$2.01 YER 475

-24.88%

Eggs

$4.02 €3.60

$3.76 YER 886

6.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.94 €11.59

$17.06 YER 4,023

-24.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.77 €6.97

$8.44 YER 1,990

-7.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 €15.92

$19.00 YER 4,482

-6.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 €2.06

$3.27 YER 771

-29.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.55

$1.01 YER 238

71.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.66

$2.16 YER 509

-13.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.32

$1.73 YER 408

49.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 €1.63

$1.51 YER 357

20.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.76

$1.33 YER 314

48.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.32

$1.20 YER 284

22.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.65

$0.64 YER 152

12.50%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.55 YER 602

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 YER 425

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 YER 615

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.90

$5.54 YER 1,306

18.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 €5.02

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.22

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.91

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.09

$0.41 YER 95.6

468.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.68 €40.04

$84.8 YER 20.0K

-47.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 €3.45

$4.21 YER 992

-8.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.96

$2.16 YER 510

-50.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.46 €14.75

$7.21 YER 1,701

128.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.97

$2.12 YER 500

3.77%

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

$34.2K €30.6K

$16.7K YER 3.9M

105.06%

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

$38.7K €34.7K

$34.4K YER 8.1M

12.43%

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

$161 €144

$109 YER 25.6K

48.44%

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

$18.41 €16.50

$23.21 YER 5,475

-20.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.74 €29.34

$100 YER 23.7K

-67.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.55 €39.92

$66.2 YER 15.6K

-32.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 €17.11

$16.55 YER 3,904

15.41%

Cinema Ticket

$9.60 €8.60

$6.02 YER 1,420

59.47%

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

$668 €598

$117 YER 27.5K

472.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.8K

$2,184 YER 515.0K

706.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.4

$41.59 YER 9,810

145.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.46 €39.85

$123 YER 28.9K

-63.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 €88.3

$48.01 YER 11.3K

105.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €111

$41.10 YER 9,694

200.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 €1,441

$219 YER 51.7K

633.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 €1,066

$93.7 YER 22.1K

1169.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,812 €2,520

$413 YER 97.3K

581.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,804

$274 YER 64.6K

635.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,839 €7,025

$4,087 YER 963.9K

91.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,576 €4,100

$795 YER 187.5K

475.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,575 €1,411

$190 YER 44.8K

729.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

11.25

-65.78%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Sanaa: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Sanaa

$94 9.2% 92.1% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$272 12.3%

Sanaa

$270 26.4% 0.9% $2.5

Eating Out

Lisbon

$243 11%

Sanaa

$133 13.1% 45% $109

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$212 9.6%

Sanaa

$232 22.7% 9.3% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Sanaa

$114 11.1% 31.3% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Sanaa

$78 7.7% 22.7% $14

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Sanaa

$101 9.9% 60.6% $38

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $219 in Sanaa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays about 8.3 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $62 in Lisbon vs $26 in Sanaa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $270 per month, with Sanaa cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇾🇪 Sanaa

🕒 Local time

05:35 5:35 AM

08:35 8:35 AM

3 h ahead of Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

1,527,861 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Yemeni Rial YER ﷼

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1,000 YER = 4.24 USD

1,000 YER = 3.8 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Lisbon Sanaa 5,790 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
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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

Lisbon vs Sanaa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,210 in Lisbon and $1,023 in Sanaa, so Sanaa is about 54% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Lisbon is about 8.3 times higher, 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: $1,608 in Lisbon versus $219 in Sanaa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Lisbon runs roughly 47% less than in Sanaa. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

All in, you’ll spend $2,210 per month in Lisbon versus $1,023 in Sanaa – Sanaa is about 54% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Sanaa is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Sanaa wins on affordability, Lisbon on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.