Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sanaa and Cape Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Sanaa: $1,040 a month against $1,568 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

50

Cost of Living Index in Sanaa
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Sanaa Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index

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Sanaa

🇾🇪 Yemen

$1,040

/mo nomad

Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,568

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sanaa and in Cape Town

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

A single person spends $1,040 per month in Sanaa vs $1,568 in Cape Town, rent included.

Sanaa $1,040
Cape Town $1,568

A couple spends around $1,608 per month in Sanaa vs $2,438 in Cape Town, rent included.

Sanaa $1,608
Cape Town $2,438

A family of three spends $2,175 per month in Sanaa vs $3,307 in Cape Town, rent included.

Sanaa $2,175
Cape Town $3,307

Sanaa is about 34% cheaper than Cape Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Sanaa sits 22% below the global median, while Cape Town is 17% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.46 YER 1,524

$11.78 R 194

-45.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.31 YER 5,969

$46.55 R 768

-45.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.75 YER 2,300

$5.96 R 98.4

63.59%

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

$3.82 YER 900

$2.47 R 40.80

54.66%

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

$1.17 YER 277

$1.33 R 21.91

-12.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.60 YER 141

$1.03 R 16.99

-41.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.01 R 49.72

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 R 60.4

Milk (1 liter)

$1.98 YER 468

$1.39 R 22.96

42.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 YER 387

$1.19 R 19.60

37.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 YER 492

$2.11 R 34.84

-0.95%

Eggs

$3.57 YER 842

$3.01 R 49.58

18.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.52 YER 4,131

$8.96 R 148

95.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.41 YER 1,984

$6.65 R 110

26.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.10 YER 4,504

$9.29 R 153

105.60%

Apples (1kg)

$3.40 YER 802

$1.83 R 30.13

85.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.05 YER 249

$1.90 R 31.31

-44.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 YER 521

$1.75 R 28.83

26.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.67 YER 393

$2.09 R 34.41

-20.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 YER 357

$1.55 R 25.64

-2.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 YER 326

$1.49 R 24.53

-7.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 YER 284

$1.30 R 21.41

-7.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 YER 160

$1.16 R 19.19

-41.38%

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)

$5.66 YER 1,336

$3.71 R 61.2

52.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.06 R 100

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 22.85

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 R 36.32

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 YER 102

$1.51 R 24.98

-71.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$86.3 YER 20.4K

$61.0 R 1,006

41.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 YER 988

$0.63 R 10.33

565.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.10 YER 494

$1.53 R 25.29

37.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.22 YER 1,704

$4.81 R 79.4

50.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 YER 486

$1.58 R 26.08

30.38%

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

$16.9K YER 4.0M

$35.5K R 585.7K

-52.41%

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

$34.6K YER 8.2M

$31.7K R 523.8K

8.96%

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

$109 YER 25.6K

$116 R 1,920

-6.60%

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

$23.35 YER 5,506

$28.37 R 468

-17.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$102 YER 24.0K

$40.69 R 671

149.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.1 YER 15.8K

$48.85 R 806

37.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.03 YER 3,779

$11.13 R 184

44.03%

Cinema Ticket

$5.97 YER 1,407

$8.83 R 146

-32.39%

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

$118 YER 27.7K

$261 R 4,314

-55.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,130 YER 502.3K

$6,702 R 110.6K

-68.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.48 YER 10.0K

$55.4 R 914

-23.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$121 YER 28.5K

$32.27 R 532

273.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$47.63 YER 11.2K

$118 R 1,939

-59.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.69 YER 9,594

$107 R 1,766

-61.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$222 YER 52.4K

$1,015 R 16.7K

-78.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$94.7 YER 22.3K

$715 R 11.8K

-86.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$408 YER 96.2K

$1,801 R 29.7K

-77.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$276 YER 65.0K

$1,330 R 22.0K

-79.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,240 YER 999.9K

$2,331 R 38.5K

81.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$825 YER 194.6K

$1,513 R 25.0K

-45.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$197 YER 46.4K

$1,636 R 27.0K

-87.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.25

10.97

2.55%

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

Last update for Sanaa: October 4, 2026

Last update for Cape Town: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Sanaa

$272 26.4%

Cape Town

$222 14.1% 18.1% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sanaa

$234 22.7%

Cape Town

$185 11.7% 20.7% $48

Eating Out

Sanaa

$134 13%

Cape Town

$174 11% 29.7% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Sanaa

$113 11%

Cape Town

$141 8.9% 24.2% $27

Getting Around

Sanaa

$103 10%

Cape Town

$75 4.8% 26.7% $27

Accommodation & Living

Sanaa

$95 9.2%

Cape Town

$715 45.3% 655% $621

Sport & Entertainment

Sanaa

$79 7.7%

Cape Town

$67 4.2% 15.8% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $222 in Sanaa versus $1,015 in Cape Town. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 732% higher in Cape Town, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25.00 in Sanaa versus $47.00 in Cape Town. Groceries tell a different story – $272 in Sanaa vs $222 in Cape Town – so Cape Town wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇾🇪 Sanaa

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🕒 Local time

11:28 11:28 AM

10:28 10:28 AM

1 h behind Sanaa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,527,861 Capital

3,740,026 Capital

💱 Currency

Yemeni Rial YER ﷼

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 YER = 4.24 USD

1,000 YER = 3.78 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.06 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to YER – Yemeni Rial Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇾🇪 Yemeni Rial (﷼)

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).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 16.5 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.06 USD). 1 EUR = 18.5 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

USD to YER in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sanaa Cape Town 6,120 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Sanaa
Cape Town

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 Cape Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town costs about 51% more than Sanaa, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,560 per month in Sanaa and $2,352 in Cape Town. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sanaa, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,040 in Sanaa and $1,568 in Cape Town. That's a gap of about 51%.

Public transport costs about 42% less in Sanaa. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Sanaa, where all-in costs run around $1,040, than in Cape Town at $1,568. In Sanaa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cape Town it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Sanaa costs $1,040 versus $1,568 in Cape Town. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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