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: $914 in Sanaa versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,460 in Sanaa versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,006 in Sanaa versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Sanaa costs roughly 27% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sanaa 32% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.33 YER 1,499

$4.55 ฿153

39.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.96 YER 5,433

$46.18 ฿1,554

-50.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.47 YER 2,479

$8.84 ฿298

18.44%

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

$3.06 ฿103

20.59%

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

$1.16 YER 274

$0.73 ฿24.42

58.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 YER 111

$0.40 ฿13.40

17.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 YER 446

$2.26 ฿76.0

-16.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.22 YER 289

$1.81 ฿60.9

-32.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.48 YER 588

$2.25 ฿75.8

10.22%

Eggs

$4.03 YER 953

$2.25 ฿75.6

79.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.87 YER 2,337

$19.51 ฿656

-49.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.69 YER 1,582

$3.65 ฿123

83.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.58 YER 4,397

$13.05 ฿439

42.38%

Apples (1kg)

$3.85 YER 912

$3.23 ฿109

19.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 YER 329

$1.62 ฿54.4

-14.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 YER 566

$2.38 ฿80.2

0.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 YER 389

$2.03 ฿68.2

-19.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 YER 424

$1.53 ฿51.6

16.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 YER 384

$1.50 ฿50.5

8.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 YER 149

$0.98 ฿32.93

-35.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 YER 172

$0.52 ฿17.40

40.38%

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

$4.44 ฿149

-8.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.2

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.42 YER 101

$1.41 ฿47.49

-70.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.8 YER 19.4K

$11.70 ฿394

599.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.15 YER 982

$3.11 ฿105

33.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.03 YER 953

$1.04 ฿35.08

287.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.02 YER 1,661

$14.11 ฿475

-50.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.74 YER 648

$1.31 ฿44.13

109.16%

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

$16.7K YER 3.9M

$27.8K ฿936.0K

-40.08%

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

$33.9K YER 8.0M

$33.2K ฿1.1M

2.09%

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

$71.5 YER 16.9K

$122 ฿4,120

-41.62%

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

$13.56 YER 3,209

$13.59 ฿457

-0.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.21 YER 9,042

$18.70 ฿629

104.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.4 YER 16.0K

$60.5 ฿2,035

11.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.43 YER 3,889

$16.98 ฿572

-3.24%

Cinema Ticket

$5.89 YER 1,394

$9.07 ฿305

-35.06%

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

$112 YER 26.6K

$706 ฿23.8K

-84.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,809 YER 428.2K

$15.8K ฿531.8K

-88.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.44 YER 9,336

$58.6 ฿1,970

-32.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$147 YER 34.8K

$35.36 ฿1,190

315.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$40.85 YER 9,668

$115 ฿3,885

-64.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.77 YER 9,885

$83.7 ฿2,818

-50.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$166 YER 39.4K

$626 ฿21.1K

-73.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$95.4 YER 22.6K

$445 ฿15.0K

-78.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$403 YER 95.4K

$2,040 ฿68.7K

-80.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$261 YER 61.7K

$1,492 ฿50.2K

-82.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,070 YER 963.3K

$3,483 ฿117.2K

16.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$808 YER 191.1K

$2,577 ฿86.7K

-68.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$190 YER 45.0K

$500 ฿16.8K

-61.93%

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $166 in Sanaa and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 163% 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 $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $241 vs $289 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 37% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 163% 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: $166 in Sanaa versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $112 in Sanaa versus $706 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 $914 in Sanaa versus $1,250 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 37% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.