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: $900 in Sanaa versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,466 in Sanaa versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,032 in Sanaa versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Sanaa costs roughly 29% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sanaa 33% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.11 YER 1,455

$4.70 ฿153

30.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.83 YER 5,440

$45.37 ฿1,482

-49.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.15 YER 2,418

$8.43 ฿275

20.40%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.81 YER 432

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 YER 430

Cappuccino

$3.72 YER 888

$2.93 ฿95.6

26.96%

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

$1.14 YER 273

$0.69 ฿22.40

65.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 YER 110

$0.37 ฿11.99

24.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 YER 455

$2.23 ฿72.9

-14.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.20 YER 287

$1.83 ฿59.8

-34.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.47 YER 589

$2.17 ฿70.8

13.82%

Eggs

$4.03 YER 959

$2.21 ฿72.3

82.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 YER 2,350

$19.74 ฿645

-50.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.82 YER 1,625

$3.63 ฿119

87.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.15 YER 4,563

$13.53 ฿442

41.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.92 YER 933

$3.28 ฿107

19.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 YER 344

$1.61 ฿52.6

-10.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 YER 574

$2.41 ฿78.6

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 YER 391

$2.08 ฿68.1

-21.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.70 YER 405

$1.53 ฿49.93

11.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.57 YER 374

$1.48 ฿48.36

6.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 YER 151

$0.99 ฿32.29

-35.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 YER 176

$0.51 ฿16.67

45.10%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.28 YER 782

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 YER 394

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 YER 772

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 YER 932

$4.41 ฿144

-11.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.42 YER 101

$1.37 ฿44.79

-69.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.1 YER 19.6K

$11.39 ฿372

620.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.21 YER 1,004

$3.02 ฿98.6

39.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.99 YER 952

$0.99 ฿32.48

303.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.32 YER 1,745

$14.10 ฿461

-48.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.68 YER 640

$1.36 ฿44.51

97.06%

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

$16.4K YER 3.9M

$28.2K ฿921.1K

-41.72%

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

$33.5K YER 8.0M

$32.9K ฿1.1M

1.87%

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

$72.3 YER 17.2K

$122 ฿3,975

-40.57%

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

$13.70 YER 3,266

$13.57 ฿443

0.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.45 YER 9,163

$18.31 ฿598

109.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.6 YER 15.9K

$60.2 ฿1,967

10.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.68 YER 3,975

$17.14 ฿560

-2.68%

Cinema Ticket

$5.90 YER 1,405

$8.69 ฿284

-32.11%

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

$116 YER 27.5K

$693 ฿22.6K

-83.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,808 YER 430.7K

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-88.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.29 YER 9,363

$59.5 ฿1,944

-34.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$148 YER 35.2K

$34.77 ฿1,136

325.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$41.65 YER 9,924

$115 ฿3,743

-63.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.36 YER 10.1K

$83.3 ฿2,720

-49.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$167 YER 39.8K

$613 ฿20.0K

-72.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$95.3 YER 22.7K

$437 ฿14.3K

-78.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$410 YER 97.8K

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-80.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$265 YER 63.2K

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-82.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 YER 982.5K

$3,749 ฿122.5K

9.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$819 YER 195.1K

$2,616 ฿85.4K

-68.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$191 YER 45.5K

$508 ฿16.6K

-62.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.25

5.33

111.07%

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

Last update for Sanaa: May 30, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $167 in Sanaa and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 166% 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 $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $244 vs $293 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 41% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Phuket earns 166% less. 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: $167 in Sanaa versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $116 in Sanaa versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $900 in Sanaa versus $1,265 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 41% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.