Cost of Living Comparison Between Sanaa and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Sanaa and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $914 in Sanaa versus $2,291 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,460 in Sanaa versus $3,322 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,006 in Sanaa versus $4,354 in Lisbon.

Living in Sanaa costs roughly 60% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sanaa is 32% below, Lisbon is 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.33 YER 1,499

$16.19 €14.17

-60.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.96 YER 5,433

$63.3 €55.4

-63.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.47 YER 2,479

$10.32 €9.03

1.45%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.76 YER 417

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 YER 431

Cappuccino

$3.69 YER 873

$2.83 €2.48

30.39%

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

$1.16 YER 274

$2.29 €2.00

-49.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 YER 111

$1.58 €1.38

-70.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 YER 446

$1.09 €0.95

72.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.22 YER 289

$1.75 €1.53

-30.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.48 YER 588

$1.76 €1.54

40.91%

Eggs

$4.03 YER 953

$3.17 €2.77

27.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.87 YER 2,337

$13.19 €11.54

-25.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.69 YER 1,582

$7.97 €6.97

-16.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.58 YER 4,397

$15.53 €13.59

19.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.85 YER 912

$2.37 €2.07

62.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 YER 329

$1.71 €1.49

-18.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 YER 566

$2.01 €1.76

18.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 YER 389

$2.43 €2.13

-32.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 YER 424

$1.76 €1.54

1.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 YER 384

$2.03 €1.78

-20.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 YER 149

$1.92 €1.68

-67.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 YER 172

$0.85 €0.74

-14.12%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.38 YER 800

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 YER 395

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 YER 775

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.05 YER 958

$6.58 €5.76

-38.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.88

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.42 YER 101

$2.28 €1.99

-81.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.8 YER 19.4K

$45.79 €40.06

78.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.15 YER 982

$4.23 €3.70

-1.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.03 YER 953

$0.81 €0.71

397.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.02 YER 1,661

$18.44 €16.13

-61.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.74 YER 648

$2.08 €1.82

31.73%

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

$16.7K YER 3.9M

$34.7K €30.3K

-51.92%

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

$33.9K YER 8.0M

$39.2K €34.3K

-13.40%

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

$71.5 YER 16.9K

$148 €130

-51.72%

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

$13.56 YER 3,209

$20.46 €17.90

-33.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.21 YER 9,042

$39.56 €34.61

-3.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.4 YER 16.0K

$47.99 €41.99

40.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.43 YER 3,889

$18.60 €16.27

-11.67%

Cinema Ticket

$5.89 YER 1,394

$9.22 €8.07

-36.12%

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

$112 YER 26.6K

$616 €539

-81.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,809 YER 428.2K

$16.4K €14.4K

-89.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.44 YER 9,336

$103 €89.9

-61.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$147 YER 34.8K

$41.74 €36.52

251.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$40.85 YER 9,668

$94.8 €82.9

-56.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.77 YER 9,885

$122 €107

-65.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$166 YER 39.4K

$1,633 €1,428

-89.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$95.4 YER 22.6K

$1,232 €1,078

-92.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$403 YER 95.4K

$3,098 €2,711

-86.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$261 YER 61.7K

$2,031 €1,777

-87.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,070 YER 963.3K

$7,831 €6,851

-48.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$808 YER 191.1K

$4,389 €3,840

-81.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$190 YER 45.0K

$1,607 €1,406

-88.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.25

3.81

195.28%

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

Last update for Sanaa: July 14, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $166 in Sanaa and $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 745% 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: $23.00 in Sanaa vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $241 vs $267 per month, with Sanaa cheaper across the board.

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 Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sanaa and Lisbon differ by about 151% in total monthly costs ($914 vs $2,291 including rent). Sanaa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 745% lower in Lisbon. 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: $166 in Sanaa versus $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $112 in Sanaa versus $616 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $914 in Sanaa versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sanaa but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. 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 Lisbon 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 151% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.