Cost of Living Comparison Between Sanaa and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Sanaa and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,024 in Sanaa versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,597 in Sanaa versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,171 in Sanaa versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Sanaa costs roughly 18% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sanaa 26% lower, Phuket 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.18 YER 1,462

$4.56 ฿150

35.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.63 YER 6,068

$32.62 ฿1,073

-21.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 YER 2,312

$8.90 ฿293

9.78%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.03 YER 480

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 YER 582

Cappuccino

$3.79 YER 897

$2.80 ฿92.2

35.36%

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

$1.18 YER 280

$0.88 ฿28.94

34.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 YER 153

$0.49 ฿16.08

32.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿78.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿122

Milk (1 liter)

$1.99 YER 472

$1.79 ฿58.8

11.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 YER 403

$1.44 ฿47.40

18.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 YER 486

$1.58 ฿52.1

29.75%

Eggs

$3.53 YER 836

$2.13 ฿69.9

65.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.06 YER 4,038

$19.92 ฿655

-14.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.45 YER 2,001

$3.43 ฿113

146.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.55 YER 4,391

$11.33 ฿372

63.72%

Apples (1kg)

$3.42 YER 809

$2.95 ฿97.0

15.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.02 YER 241

$1.72 ฿56.6

-40.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 YER 523

$2.32 ฿76.5

-4.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 YER 369

$2.08 ฿68.4

-25.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 YER 347

$1.47 ฿48.34

Onion (1kg)

$1.32 YER 312

$1.36 ฿44.65

-2.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 YER 283

$1.10 ฿36.13

9.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 YER 150

$0.57 ฿18.89

10.53%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.32 YER 786

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 YER 422

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 YER 812

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.53 YER 1,309

$4.27 ฿140

29.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿606

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿61.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.1

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.44 YER 103

$2.22 ฿73.0

-80.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.5 YER 19.8K

$22.90 ฿753

264.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.26 YER 1,009

$3.03 ฿99.6

40.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 YER 505

$1.07 ฿35.32

99.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.47 YER 1,769

$3.93 ฿129

90.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 YER 479

$1.49 ฿49.06

35.57%

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

$17.1K YER 4.0M

$27.1K ฿892.0K

-36.98%

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

$35.4K YER 8.4M

$27.5K ฿902.6K

28.97%

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

$109 YER 25.9K

$103 ฿3,380

6.45%

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

$23.95 YER 5,669

$10.99 ฿361

117.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$101 YER 23.8K

$17.51 ฿576

474.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.9 YER 15.6K

$53.5 ฿1,760

23.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.92 YER 3,768

$11.20 ฿368

42.14%

Cinema Ticket

$5.85 YER 1,384

$7.48 ฿246

-21.79%

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

$114 YER 27.0K

$557 ฿18.3K

-79.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,204 YER 521.7K

$11.9K ฿389.7K

-81.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.00 YER 9,943

$64.1 ฿2,107

-34.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$122 YER 28.9K

$29.07 ฿956

319.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$47.26 YER 11.2K

$96.0 ฿3,155

-50.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.14 YER 9,501

$90.3 ฿2,970

-55.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$218 YER 51.5K

$730 ฿24.0K

-70.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$96.3 YER 22.8K

$500 ฿16.4K

-80.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$408 YER 96.5K

$2,090 ฿68.7K

-80.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$269 YER 63.7K

$1,209 ฿39.8K

-77.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,221 YER 999.2K

$3,596 ฿118.2K

17.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$797 YER 188.7K

$2,512 ฿82.6K

-68.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$191 YER 45.2K

$503 ฿16.6K

-62.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.25

5.57

101.97%

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

Last update for Sanaa: August 29, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $218 in Sanaa and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 164% 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 $33.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $273 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 Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sanaa is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear. The 22% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 164% lower in Phuket. 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: $218 in Sanaa versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $114 in Sanaa versus $557 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,024 in Sanaa versus $1,253 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sanaa but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Sanaa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Sanaa is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Sanaa and Phuket 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 22% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.