Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sanaa and Al Mahwit

For one person, living is cheaper in Al Mahwit: $761 a month against $1,040 in Sanaa, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

50

Cost of Living Index in Sanaa
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Sanaa Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Al Mahwit
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Al Mahwit Living Index

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Sanaa

🇾🇪 Yemen

$1,040

/mo nomad

Al Mahwit

🇾🇪 Yemen

$761

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Mahwit actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,040 per month in Sanaa vs $761 in Al Mahwit, rent included.

Sanaa $1,040
Al Mahwit $761

A couple spends around $1,608 per month in Sanaa vs $1,197 in Al Mahwit, rent included.

Sanaa $1,608
Al Mahwit $1,197

A family of three spends $2,175 per month in Sanaa vs $1,634 in Al Mahwit, rent included.

Sanaa $2,175
Al Mahwit $1,634

Sanaa costs about 37% more than Al Mahwit, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Sanaa and Al Mahwit are more affordable than the global median – Sanaa 22% lower, Al Mahwit 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.46 YER 1,525

$6.23 YER 1,469

3.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.31 YER 5,971

$25.53 YER 6,022

-0.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.75 YER 2,301

$9.47 YER 2,233

2.96%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.96 YER 462

$1.94 YER 459

1.03%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 YER 612

$2.58 YER 609

0.39%

Cappuccino

$3.82 YER 900

$3.64 YER 859

4.95%

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

$1.17 YER 277

$1.17 YER 275

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.60 YER 141

$0.55 YER 130

9.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.98 YER 468

$2.07 YER 488

-4.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 YER 387

$1.63 YER 384

0.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 YER 493

$1.98 YER 466

5.56%

Eggs

$3.57 YER 842

$3.58 YER 845

-0.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.52 YER 4,133

$16.97 YER 4,003

3.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.41 YER 1,984

$8.17 YER 1,927

2.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.10 YER 4,506

$18.64 YER 4,396

2.47%

Apples (1kg)

$3.40 YER 802

$3.31 YER 782

2.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.05 YER 249

$1.05 YER 248

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 YER 521

$2.17 YER 512

1.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.67 YER 394

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 YER 357

$1.47 YER 346

2.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 YER 326

$1.37 YER 323

0.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 YER 284

$1.26 YER 298

-4.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 YER 160

$0.68 YER 162

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.48 YER 585

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 YER 423

$1.86 YER 440

-3.76%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 YER 602

$2.50 YER 590

2.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.66 YER 1,336

$5.58 YER 1,316

1.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 YER 102

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$86.3 YER 20.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 YER 989

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.10 YER 494

$2.15 YER 508

-2.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.22 YER 1,704

$7.19 YER 1,696

0.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 YER 486

$2.14 YER 505

-3.74%

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

$16.9K YER 4.0M

$17.2K YER 4.1M

-1.77%

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

$34.6K YER 8.2M

$34.5K YER 8.1M

0.41%

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

$109 YER 25.6K

$108 YER 25.4K

1.03%

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

$23.35 YER 5,508

$23.33 YER 5,503

0.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$102 YER 24.0K

$103 YER 24.3K

-1.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.1 YER 15.8K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.03 YER 3,780

Cinema Ticket

$5.97 YER 1,407

$5.76 YER 1,359

3.65%

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

$118 YER 27.7K

$115 YER 27.1K

2.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,130 YER 502.5K

$2,173 YER 512.7K

-1.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.48 YER 10.0K

$42.19 YER 9,951

0.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$121 YER 28.5K

$121 YER 28.6K

-0.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$47.63 YER 11.2K

$48.73 YER 11.5K

-2.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.69 YER 9,598

$40.93 YER 9,656

-0.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$222 YER 52.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$94.7 YER 22.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$408 YER 96.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$276 YER 65.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,240 YER 1.0M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$825 YER 194.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$197 YER 46.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.25

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

Last update for Sanaa: October 4, 2026

Last update for Al Mahwit: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Sanaa

$272 26.4%

Al Mahwit

$267 34.7% 1.6% $4.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sanaa

$234 22.7%

Al Mahwit

$234 30.4% 0% $0.1

Eating Out

Sanaa

$134 13%

Al Mahwit

$129 16.7% 3.8% $5.1

Clothing & Footwear

Sanaa

$113 11%

Al Mahwit

$114 14.8% 0.6% $0.6

Getting Around

Sanaa

$103 10%

Al Mahwit

$15 * 1.9% 85.4% $88

Accommodation & Living

Sanaa

$95 9.2%

Al Mahwit

- * 0% 100%

Sport & Entertainment

Sanaa

$79 7.7%

Al Mahwit

$12 * 1.5% 85.4% $68

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25.00 in Sanaa versus $26.00 in Al Mahwit. Groceries tell a different story – $272 in Sanaa vs $267 in Al Mahwit – so Al Mahwit wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇾🇪 Sanaa

🇾🇪 Al Mahwit

🕒 Local time

01:12 1:12 AM

Same time as Sanaa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,527,861 Capital

12,817

💱 Currency

Yemeni Rial YER ﷼

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 YER = 4.24 USD

1,000 YER = 3.78 EUR

1,000 YER = 4.24 USD

1,000 YER = 3.78 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Sanaa Al Mahwit 72 km

From you

Sanaa
Al Mahwit

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 Mahwit: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Sanaa is pricier by about 37%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,560 per month in Sanaa and $1,142 in Al Mahwit. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,040 in Sanaa and $761 in Al Mahwit. That's a gap of about 37%.

Kindergarten costs $118 per month in Sanaa and $115 in Al Mahwit. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,040 in Sanaa and $761 in Al Mahwit, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Al Mahwit – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Al Mahwit. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sanaa makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.