Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sanaa and Ibb

For one person, living is cheaper in Ibb: $882 a month against $1,027 in Sanaa, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. The total is higher in Sanaa despite lower rent and utilities.

50

Cost of Living Index in Sanaa
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Sanaa Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Ibb
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Ibb Living Index

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Sanaa

🇾🇪 Yemen

$1,027

/mo nomad

Ibb

🇾🇪 Yemen

$882

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sanaa and in Ibb

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,027 in Sanaa versus $882 in Ibb.

Sanaa $1,027
Ibb $882

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,623 in Sanaa versus $1,455 in Ibb.

Sanaa $1,623
Ibb $1,455

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,220 in Sanaa versus $2,028 in Ibb.

Sanaa $2,220
Ibb $2,028

Living in Sanaa is roughly 16% more expensive than in Ibb, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sanaa 24% lower, Ibb 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.50 YER 1,534

$6.53 YER 1,541

-0.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.73 YER 6,069

$19.34 YER 4,562

33.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.37 YER 2,211

$8.83 YER 2,084

6.12%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.02 YER 477

$2.04 YER 482

-0.98%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 YER 610

$2.51 YER 593

2.79%

Cappuccino

$3.78 YER 892

$3.81 YER 898

-0.79%

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

$1.12 YER 264

$1.12 YER 265

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 YER 131

$0.45 YER 106

24.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 YER 474

$1.96 YER 463

2.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 YER 401

$1.02 YER 242

66.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 YER 470

$2.05 YER 484

-2.93%

Eggs

$3.75 YER 885

$3.59 YER 848

4.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.41 YER 4,107

$13.96 YER 3,293

24.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 YER 1,980

$8.13 YER 1,918

3.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.97 YER 4,475

$18.82 YER 4,439

0.80%

Apples (1kg)

$3.32 YER 783

$3.44 YER 812

-3.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.05 YER 249

$1.04 YER 246

0.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.24 YER 529

$2.15 YER 507

4.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 YER 392

$1.72 YER 406

-3.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 YER 357

$1.52 YER 359

-0.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 YER 313

$1.33 YER 314

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 YER 283

$0.83 YER 195

44.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 YER 159

$0.68 YER 160

-1.47%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.49 YER 587

$2.56 YER 604

-2.73%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 YER 438

$1.87 YER 441

-0.53%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 YER 614

$2.59 YER 610

0.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.36 YER 1,265

$3.91 YER 921

37.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.44 YER 104

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.2 YER 19.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.26 YER 1,005

$2.10 YER 495

102.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.08 YER 492

$2.59 YER 610

-19.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.47 YER 1,763

$7.36 YER 1,736

1.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.12 YER 500

$2.09 YER 494

1.44%

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

$17.1K YER 4.0M

$17.2K YER 4.0M

-0.13%

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

$34.5K YER 8.1M

$35.0K YER 8.3M

-1.58%

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

$109 YER 25.6K

$62.6 YER 14.8K

73.63%

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

$23.24 YER 5,481

$15.86 YER 3,742

46.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$100 YER 23.7K

$29.84 YER 7,039

236.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.4 YER 15.9K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 YER 3,899

Cinema Ticket

$5.99 YER 1,413

$5.88 YER 1,386

1.87%

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

$118 YER 27.9K

$24.47 YER 5,773

383.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,167 YER 511.2K

$2,201 YER 519.3K

-1.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.90 YER 9,884

$29.87 YER 7,047

40.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$123 YER 28.9K

$122 YER 28.7K

0.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$48.13 YER 11.4K

$47.40 YER 11.2K

1.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.83 YER 9,632

$41.56 YER 9,804

-1.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$224 YER 52.9K

$320 YER 75.5K

-29.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$97.0 YER 22.9K

$257 YER 60.6K

-62.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$408 YER 96.3K

$752 YER 177.5K

-45.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$273 YER 64.5K

$631 YER 148.9K

-56.69%

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

$361 YER 85.1K

-45.66%

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 19, 2026

Last update for Ibb: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Sanaa

$271 26.4%

Ibb

$251 28.4% 7.6% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sanaa

$232 22.6%

Ibb

$108 12.3% 53.4% $124

Eating Out

Sanaa

$132 12.9%

Ibb

$131 14.8% 1.1% $1.5

Clothing & Footwear

Sanaa

$114 11.1%

Ibb

$108 12.3% 5.1% $5.8

Getting Around

Sanaa

$101 9.8%

Ibb

$15 * 1.7% 85.1% $86

Accommodation & Living

Sanaa

$97 9.4%

Ibb

$257 29.2% 165% $160

Sport & Entertainment

Sanaa

$79 7.7%

Ibb

$12 * 1.3% 85.2% $68

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 $320 in Ibb. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ibb pays 84% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $26.00 in Sanaa vs $19.00 in Ibb for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $271 vs $251 per month, with Ibb cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇾🇪 Sanaa

🇾🇪 Ibb

🕒 Local time

14:37 2:37 PM

Same time as Sanaa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,527,861 Capital

208,844

💱 Currency

Yemeni Rial YER ﷼

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 YER = 4.24 USD

1,000 YER = 3.77 EUR

1,000 YER = 4.24 USD

1,000 YER = 3.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Ibb: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ibb is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 84% lower in Ibb. 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 $320 in Ibb. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Sanaa. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,027 per month in Sanaa versus $882 in Ibb – a 16% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $882 in Ibb versus $1,027 in Sanaa, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ibb but tight or insufficient in Sanaa. The gap between the two cities makes Ibb 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.

Expats usually find Ibb gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Sanaa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.