Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sanaa

For one person, living is cheaper in Sanaa: $1,040 a month against $1,190 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Phuket outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Sanaa
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Sanaa Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,190

/mo nomad

Sanaa

🇾🇪 Yemen

$1,040

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,190 in Phuket versus $1,040 in Sanaa.

Phuket $1,190
Sanaa $1,040

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,006 in Phuket versus $1,608 in Sanaa.

Phuket $2,006
Sanaa $1,608

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,822 in Phuket versus $2,175 in Sanaa.

Phuket $2,822
Sanaa $2,175

Living in Phuket is roughly 14% more expensive than in Sanaa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 11% lower, Sanaa 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.35 ฿146

$6.46 YER 1,524

-32.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.45 ฿1,087

$25.31 YER 5,969

28.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.42 ฿282

$9.75 YER 2,300

-13.64%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.96 YER 462

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 YER 611

Cappuccino

$2.81 ฿94.0

$3.82 YER 900

-26.44%

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

$0.87 ฿29.29

$1.17 YER 277

-25.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ฿15.39

$0.60 YER 141

-23.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 ฿122

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ฿57.2

$1.98 YER 468

-13.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.42

$1.64 YER 387

-11.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.3

$2.09 YER 492

-25.36%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.3

$3.57 YER 842

-41.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.53 ฿654

$17.52 YER 4,131

11.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿114

$8.41 YER 1,984

-59.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿373

$19.10 YER 4,504

-41.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 ฿94.8

$3.40 YER 802

-16.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.3

$1.05 YER 249

54.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 ฿74.5

$2.21 YER 521

0.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.15 ฿71.9

$1.67 YER 393

28.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 ฿49.95

$1.51 YER 357

-1.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 ฿44.40

$1.38 YER 326

-3.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.72

$1.20 YER 284

-10.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.01

$0.68 YER 160

-25.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.48 YER 584

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 YER 423

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 YER 602

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 ฿147

$5.66 YER 1,336

-22.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.77 ฿629

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.17 ฿72.6

$0.43 YER 102

404.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.28 ฿746

$86.3 YER 20.4K

-74.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿101

$4.19 YER 988

-27.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.43

$2.10 YER 494

-49.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.71 ฿124

$7.22 YER 1,704

-48.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.88

$2.06 YER 486

-30.58%

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

$26.3K ฿882.1K

$16.9K YER 4.0M

55.94%

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

$26.2K ฿877.3K

$34.6K YER 8.2M

-24.26%

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

$96.7 ฿3,236

$109 YER 25.6K

-11.08%

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

$11.41 ฿382

$23.35 YER 5,506

-51.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.11 ฿573

$102 YER 24.0K

-83.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 ฿1,768

$67.1 YER 15.8K

-21.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿371

$16.03 YER 3,779

-30.94%

Cinema Ticket

$7.65 ฿256

$5.97 YER 1,407

28.14%

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

$555 ฿18.6K

$118 YER 27.7K

371.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿377.7K

$2,130 YER 502.3K

429.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.4 ฿2,123

$42.48 YER 10.0K

49.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.61 ฿958

$121 YER 28.5K

-76.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.7 ฿3,238

$47.63 YER 11.2K

103.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 ฿2,967

$40.69 YER 9,594

117.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$735 ฿24.6K

$222 YER 52.4K

230.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$458 ฿15.3K

$94.7 YER 22.3K

383.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 ฿70.4K

$408 YER 96.2K

415.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,187 ฿39.7K

$276 YER 65.0K

330.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,493 ฿116.9K

$4,240 YER 999.9K

-17.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,491 ฿83.4K

$825 YER 194.6K

201.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.8K

$197 YER 46.4K

154.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.25

-50.49%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 4, 2026

Last update for Sanaa: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$458 38.1%

Sanaa

$95 9.2% 79.3% $363

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.3%

Sanaa

$272 26.4% 1.3% $3.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$125 10.4%

Sanaa

$234 22.7% 86.7% $109

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$125 10.4%

Sanaa

$113 11% 9.3% $12

Eating Out

Phuket

$119 9.9%

Sanaa

$134 13% 12.2% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$68 5.7%

Sanaa

$79 7.7% 16% $11

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Sanaa

$103 10% 162% $63

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $735 in Phuket and $222 in Sanaa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 155% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $25.00 in Sanaa. Groceries flip the comparison at $268 vs $272, with Phuket cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇾🇪 Sanaa

🕒 Local time

17:06 5:06 PM

13:06 1:06 PM

4 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

1,527,861 Capital

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Yemeni Rial YER ﷼

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

1,000 YER = 4.24 USD

1,000 YER = 3.78 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

YER, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 33.48 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

Yemeni Rial exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 236 YER (1,000 YER = 4.24 USD). 1 EUR = 264 YER (1,000 YER = 3.78 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Sanaa 5,950 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Sanaa

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

Phuket vs Sanaa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sanaa is cheaper overall, especially in clothing. The 14% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 155% 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: $735 in Phuket versus $222 in Sanaa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $555 in Phuket versus $118 in Sanaa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Phuket pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,040 in Sanaa versus $1,190 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 14% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.