Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sanaa Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sanaa

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $1,020 in Sanaa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $1,621 in Sanaa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $2,223 in Sanaa.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 125% more expensive than in Sanaa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Sanaa is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.33

$6.33 YER 1,494

177.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.8

$24.97 YER 5,898

151.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.10

$9.53 YER 2,252

21.51%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.98 YER 468

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 YER 604

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$3.80 YER 898

-18.42%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$1.18 YER 279

111.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$0.63 YER 150

176.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$2.09 YER 493

-44.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$1.66 YER 391

15.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$1.98 YER 469

-24.24%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$3.70 YER 875

7.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.59

$17.00 YER 4,017

-21.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.98

$8.11 YER 1,916

-1.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.73

$19.13 YER 4,520

-5.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$3.26 YER 770

-27.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.01 YER 239

73.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$2.26 YER 533

-18.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$1.69 YER 398

50.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

$1.53 YER 362

20.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$1.38 YER 326

52.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.30

$1.21 YER 286

23.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.68 YER 160

20.59%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.46 YER 817

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 YER 440

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 YER 775

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.19

$5.60 YER 1,322

26.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.15

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.15

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$0.44 YER 103

436.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.63

$86.0 YER 20.3K

-45.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$4.26 YER 1,006

-4.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$2.17 YER 513

-47.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.90

$7.41 YER 1,751

130.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$2.11 YER 499

9.48%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$16.7K YER 4.0M

103.94%

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

$41.4K €36.1K

$34.6K YER 8.2M

19.58%

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

$169 €147

$108 YER 25.6K

55.37%

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

$19.33 €16.85

$23.71 YER 5,601

-18.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.21

$101 YER 23.9K

-66.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.57

$67.5 YER 15.9K

-27.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.94

$16.01 YER 3,782

21.36%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.34

$5.84 YER 1,379

63.87%

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

$696 €607

$118 YER 27.8K

492.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$2,184 YER 515.8K

694.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.8

$41.56 YER 9,818

153.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.62

$121 YER 28.7K

-60.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.6

$48.05 YER 11.4K

109.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$41.45 YER 9,793

200.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,449

$225 YER 53.1K

639.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,086

$95.8 YER 22.6K

1201.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,584

$401 YER 94.7K

639.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,786

$270 YER 63.8K

658.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,829

$4,166 YER 984.2K

88.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,892

$817 YER 192.9K

446.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,422

$197 YER 46.5K

728.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

11.25

-66.40%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Sanaa: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $225 in Sanaa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 728% 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: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $25.00 in Sanaa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $269 per month, with Sanaa 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

Lisbon vs Sanaa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Sanaa differ by about 125% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $1,020 including rent). Sanaa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 728% higher in Lisbon, 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: $1,662 in Lisbon versus $225 in Sanaa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Lisbon versus $118 in Sanaa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,020 in Sanaa versus $2,296 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sanaa but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Sanaa 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, Lisbon and Sanaa 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 Sanaa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 125% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.