Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sanaa and Say'un

For one person, living is cheaper in Say’un: $90.4 a month against $1,026 in Sanaa, rent and utilities included – about $11,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Sanaa
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Sanaa Living Index

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Sanaa

🇾🇪 Yemen

$1,026

/mo nomad

Say'un

🇾🇪 Yemen

$90.4

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sanaa and in Say'un

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

A single person spends $1,026 per month in Sanaa vs $90 in Say’un, rent included.

Sanaa $1,026
Say'un $90

A couple spends around $1,621 per month in Sanaa vs $151 in Say’un, rent included.

Sanaa $1,621
Say'un $151

A family of three spends $2,216 per month in Sanaa vs $211 in Say’un, rent included.

Sanaa $2,216
Say'un $211

Sanaa costs about 1035% more than Say’un, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Sanaa and Say’un are more affordable than the global median – Sanaa 24% lower, Say’un 93% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.50 YER 1,532

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.10 YER 5,922

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.34 YER 2,203

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.06 YER 486

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 YER 617

Cappuccino

$3.81 YER 898

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

$1.16 YER 274

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.55 YER 131

Milk (1 liter)

$2.08 YER 490

White Bread (500g)

$1.69 YER 398

$1.08 YER 255

56.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 YER 465

$2.17 YER 511

-9.22%

Eggs

$3.68 YER 868

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.49 YER 4,125

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.40 YER 1,982

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.63 YER 4,395

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 YER 775

$2.25 YER 531

46.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 YER 249

$2.23 YER 526

-52.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 YER 514

$2.26 YER 534

-3.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.75 YER 413

$2.14 YER 504

-18.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 YER 348

$2.15 YER 507

-31.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 YER 322

$2.23 YER 526

-38.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 YER 293

$0.99 YER 232

25.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 YER 153

$0.97 YER 229

-32.99%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.55 YER 602

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 YER 438

$1.45 YER 343

28.28%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 YER 603

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.35 YER 1,263

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.44 YER 104

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.4 YER 20.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.12 YER 971

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 YER 506

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.08 YER 1,670

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 YER 488

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

$16.9K YER 4.0M

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

$34.5K YER 8.1M

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

$108 YER 25.5K

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

$23.43 YER 5,527

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$101 YER 23.9K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.5 YER 15.7K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.39 YER 3,868

Cinema Ticket

$6.09 YER 1,437

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

$117 YER 27.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,329 YER 549.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.90 YER 9,885

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$124 YER 29.2K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$47.93 YER 11.3K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.17 YER 9,714

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$218 YER 51.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$94.8 YER 22.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$406 YER 95.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$271 YER 63.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,212 YER 993.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$812 YER 191.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$194 YER 45.7K

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: November 2, 2026

Last update for Say'un: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Sanaa

$271 26.4%

Say'un

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sanaa

$233 22.7%

Say'un

–

Eating Out

Sanaa

$133 12.9%

Say'un

–

Clothing & Footwear

Sanaa

$115 11.2%

Say'un

–

Getting Around

Sanaa

$102 9.9%

Say'un

–

Accommodation & Living

Sanaa

$95 9.2%

Say'un

–

Sport & Entertainment

Sanaa

$79 7.7%

Say'un

–

Good to know

🇾🇪 Sanaa

🇾🇪 Say'un

🕒 Local time

11:21 11:21 AM

Same time as Sanaa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,527,861 Capital

48,037

💱 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 Say'un: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sanaa costs about 1035% more than Say’un, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,539 per month in Sanaa and $136 in Say’un. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,026 in Sanaa and $90 in Say’un. That makes Say’un about 91% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 200% more in Sanaa, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,026 in Sanaa and $90 in Say’un, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.