Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sanaa and Al Hidd

For one person, living is cheaper in Sanaa: $1,027 a month against $1,753 in Al Hidd, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Al Hidd outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

50

Cost of Living Index in Sanaa
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Sanaa Living Index
86

Cost of Living Index in Al Hidd
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Al Hidd Living Index

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Sanaa

🇾🇪 Yemen

$1,027

/mo nomad

Al Hidd

🇧🇭 Bahrain

$1,753

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sanaa and in Al Hidd

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Sanaa and in Al Hidd actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,027 in Sanaa versus $1,753 in Al Hidd.

Sanaa $1,027
Al Hidd $1,753

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,623 in Sanaa versus $2,119 in Al Hidd.

Sanaa $1,623
Al Hidd $2,119

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,220 in Sanaa versus $2,486 in Al Hidd.

Sanaa $2,220
Al Hidd $2,486

Living in Sanaa costs roughly 41% less than in Al Hidd, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sanaa is 24% below, Al Hidd is 29% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.50 YER 1,534

$5.39 BHD 2.03

20.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.73 YER 6,069

$40.50 BHD 15.29

-36.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.37 YER 2,211

$7.58 BHD 2.86

23.61%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.02 YER 477

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 YER 610

Cappuccino

$3.78 YER 892

$3.61 BHD 1.36

4.71%

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

$1.12 YER 264

$0.82 BHD 0.31

36.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 YER 131

$0.11 BHD 0.04

409.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.55 BHD 2.47

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.96 BHD 3.76

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 YER 474

$1.38 BHD 0.52

45.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 YER 401

$1.10 BHD 0.41

54.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 YER 470

$2.30 BHD 0.87

-13.48%

Eggs

$3.75 YER 885

$2.20 BHD 0.83

70.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.41 YER 4,107

$8.75 BHD 3.30

98.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 YER 1,980

$5.38 BHD 2.03

55.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.97 YER 4,475

$5.36 BHD 2.02

253.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.32 YER 783

$2.29 BHD 0.87

44.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.05 YER 249

$2.27 BHD 0.86

-53.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.24 YER 529

$1.89 BHD 0.71

18.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 YER 392

$1.38 BHD 0.52

20.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 YER 357

$1.05 BHD 0.40

43.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 YER 313

$1.37 BHD 0.52

-2.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 YER 283

$1.56 BHD 0.59

-23.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 YER 159

$0.79 BHD 0.30

-15.19%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.49 YER 587

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 YER 438

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 YER 614

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.36 YER 1,265

$5.26 BHD 1.99

1.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 BHD 7.13

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.61 BHD 1.36

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 BHD 0.99

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.44 YER 104

$1.56 BHD 0.59

-71.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.2 YER 19.9K

$53.8 BHD 20.29

56.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.26 YER 1,005

$5.38 BHD 2.03

-20.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.08 YER 492

$3.53 BHD 1.33

-41.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.47 YER 1,763

$16.03 BHD 6.05

-53.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.12 YER 500

$0.63 BHD 0.24

236.51%

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

$17.1K YER 4.0M

$20.0K BHD 7,556

-14.38%

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

$34.5K YER 8.1M

$19.3K BHD 7,292

78.37%

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

$109 YER 25.6K

$151 BHD 56.9

-27.83%

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

$23.24 YER 5,481

$24.26 BHD 9.15

-4.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$100 YER 23.7K

$34.74 BHD 13.11

188.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.4 YER 15.9K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 YER 3,899

$53.9 BHD 20.35

-69.34%

Cinema Ticket

$5.99 YER 1,413

$10.81 BHD 4.08

-44.59%

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

$118 YER 27.9K

$484 BHD 183

-75.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,167 YER 511.2K

$10.9K BHD 4,113

-80.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.90 YER 9,884

$51.0 BHD 19.24

-17.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$123 YER 28.9K

$58.3 BHD 21.98

110.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$48.13 YER 11.4K

$89.3 BHD 33.69

-46.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.83 YER 9,632

$89.2 BHD 33.67

-54.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$224 YER 52.9K

$673 BHD 254

-66.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$97.0 YER 22.9K

$909 BHD 343

-89.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$408 YER 96.3K

$796 BHD 300

-48.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$273 YER 64.5K

$670 BHD 253

-59.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,161 YER 981.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$798 YER 188.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$196 YER 46.2K

$1,915 BHD 723

-89.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.25

6.21

81.16%

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

Last update for Sanaa: October 19, 2026

Last update for Al Hidd: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Sanaa

$271 26.4%

Al Hidd

$234 13.4% 13.7% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sanaa

$232 22.6%

Al Hidd

$210 12% 9.8% $23

Eating Out

Sanaa

$132 12.9%

Al Hidd

$166 9.5% 25.3% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Sanaa

$114 11.1%

Al Hidd

$129 7.4% 13.5% $15

Getting Around

Sanaa

$101 9.8%

Al Hidd

$83 4.7% 17.5% $18

Accommodation & Living

Sanaa

$97 9.4%

Al Hidd

$909 51.9% 838% $812

Sport & Entertainment

Sanaa

$79 7.7%

Al Hidd

$22 * 1.2% 72.8% $58

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $224 in Sanaa and $673 in Al Hidd. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Al Hidd pays 877% 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: $26.00 in Sanaa vs $41.00 in Al Hidd. Groceries flip the comparison at $271 vs $234, with Al Hidd cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇾🇪 Sanaa

🇧🇭 Al Hidd

🕒 Local time

18:16 6:16 PM

Same time as Sanaa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,527,861 Capital

12,797

💱 Currency

Yemeni Rial YER ﷼

Bahraini Dinar BHD .د.ب

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 YER = 4.24 USD

1,000 YER = 3.77 EUR

1 BHD = 2.65 USD

1 BHD = 2.36 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BHD, USD, EUR to YER – Yemeni Rial Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇾🇪 Yemeni Rial (﷼)

Yemeni Rial exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 236 YER (1,000 YER = 4.24 USD). 1 EUR = 265 YER (1,000 YER = 3.77 EUR).

Bahraini Dinar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.377 BHD (1 BHD = 2.65 USD). 1 EUR = 0.424 BHD (1 BHD = 2.36 EUR).

USD to YER in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sanaa Al Hidd 1,380 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Sanaa
Al Hidd

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

Sanaa vs Al Hidd: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sanaa is cheaper overall, especially in eating out and clothing. The 71% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 877% lower in Al Hidd. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $224 in Sanaa versus $673 in Al Hidd. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Sanaa runs roughly 57% less than in Al Hidd. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $118 in Sanaa versus $484 in Al Hidd. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,027 in Sanaa versus $1,753 in Al Hidd, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sanaa but tight or insufficient in Al Hidd. 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, Sanaa and Al Hidd 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 71% less than in Al Hidd. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.