Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sanaa Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sanaa

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $900 in Sanaa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,466 in Sanaa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $2,032 in Sanaa.

Living in Phuket is roughly 41% more expensive than Sanaa, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Sanaa 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$6.11 YER 1,455

-23.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$22.83 YER 5,440

98.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$10.15 YER 2,418

-16.95%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.81 YER 432

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 YER 430

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$3.72 YER 888

-21.24%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$1.14 YER 273

-39.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.46 YER 110

-19.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.91 YER 455

16.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$1.20 YER 287

52.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$2.47 YER 589

-12.15%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$4.03 YER 959

-45.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$9.86 YER 2,350

100.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$6.82 YER 1,625

-46.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$19.15 YER 4,563

-29.35%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$3.92 YER 933

-16.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$1.44 YER 344

11.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$2.41 YER 574

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.64 YER 391

26.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$1.70 YER 405

-10.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$1.57 YER 374

-5.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$0.64 YER 151

54.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.74 YER 176

-31.08%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.28 YER 782

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 YER 394

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 YER 772

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$3.91 YER 932

12.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.42 YER 101

226.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$82.1 YER 19.6K

-86.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$4.21 YER 1,004

-28.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$3.99 YER 952

-75.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$7.32 YER 1,745

92.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$2.68 YER 640

-49.25%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$16.4K YER 3.9M

71.60%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$33.5K YER 8.0M

-1.84%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$72.3 YER 17.2K

68.26%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$13.70 YER 3,266

-0.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$38.45 YER 9,163

-52.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$66.6 YER 15.9K

-9.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$16.68 YER 3,975

2.76%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$5.90 YER 1,405

47.29%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$116 YER 27.5K

500.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$1,808 YER 430.7K

767.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$39.29 YER 9,363

51.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$148 YER 35.2K

-76.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$41.65 YER 9,924

175.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$42.36 YER 10.1K

96.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$167 YER 39.8K

267.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$95.3 YER 22.7K

358.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$410 YER 97.8K

410.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$265 YER 63.2K

468.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$4,123 YER 982.5K

-9.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$819 YER 195.1K

219.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$191 YER 45.5K

165.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

11.25

-52.62%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Sanaa: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $167 in Sanaa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 166% 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: $45.00 in Phuket vs $23.00 in Sanaa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $244 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

Phuket vs Sanaa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sanaa is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear. The 41% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 166% more on average, 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: $613 in Phuket versus $167 in Sanaa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $116 in Sanaa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $900 in Sanaa versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sanaa but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Sanaa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Sanaa is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket 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 41% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.