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: $1,250 in Phuket versus $914 in Sanaa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,460 in Sanaa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $2,006 in Sanaa.

Living in Phuket is roughly 37% more expensive than in Sanaa, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Sanaa 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$6.33 YER 1,499

-28.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$22.96 YER 5,433

101.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$10.47 YER 2,479

-15.57%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.76 YER 417

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 YER 431

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$3.69 YER 873

-17.07%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$1.16 YER 274

-37.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.47 YER 111

-14.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.88 YER 446

20.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.22 YER 289

48.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$2.48 YER 588

-9.27%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$4.03 YER 953

-44.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$9.87 YER 2,337

97.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$6.69 YER 1,582

-45.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$18.58 YER 4,397

-29.76%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$3.85 YER 912

-16.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.39 YER 329

16.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$2.39 YER 566

-0.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$1.64 YER 389

23.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$1.79 YER 424

-14.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.62 YER 384

-7.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$0.63 YER 149

55.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.73 YER 172

-28.77%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.38 YER 800

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 YER 395

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 YER 775

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$4.05 YER 958

9.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$0.42 YER 101

235.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$81.8 YER 19.4K

-85.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$4.15 YER 982

-25.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$4.03 YER 953

-74.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$7.02 YER 1,661

101.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$2.74 YER 648

-52.19%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$16.7K YER 3.9M

66.88%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$33.9K YER 8.0M

-2.05%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$71.5 YER 16.9K

71.29%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$13.56 YER 3,209

0.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$38.21 YER 9,042

-51.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$67.4 YER 16.0K

-10.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$16.43 YER 3,889

3.35%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$5.89 YER 1,394

53.99%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$112 YER 26.6K

529.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$1,809 YER 428.2K

773.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$39.44 YER 9,336

48.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$147 YER 34.8K

-75.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$40.85 YER 9,668

182.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$41.77 YER 9,885

100.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$166 YER 39.4K

275.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$95.4 YER 22.6K

366.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$403 YER 95.4K

406.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$261 YER 61.7K

472.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$4,070 YER 963.3K

-14.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$808 YER 191.1K

219.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$190 YER 45.0K

162.71%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Sanaa: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $166 in Sanaa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 163% 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $23.00 in Sanaa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $241 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 37% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 163% higher in Phuket, 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: $626 in Phuket versus $166 in Sanaa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $112 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 $914 in Sanaa versus $1,250 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 37% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.