Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Yemen and the United States

Name: United States
Address: US

For one person, living is cheaper in Yemen: $1,060 a month against $2,701 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $19,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

52

Cost of Living Index in Yemen
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Yemen Living Index
133

Cost of Living Index in the United States
Learn more

United States Living Index

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🇾🇪 Yemen

$1,060

/mo nomad

🇺🇸 United States

$2,701

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Yemen and in the United States

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Yemen and in the United States actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,060 per month in Yemen vs $2,701 in the United States, rent included.

Yemen $1,060
United States $2,701

A couple spends around $1,741 per month in Yemen vs $3,980 in the United States, rent included.

Yemen $1,741
United States $3,980

A family of three spends $2,421 per month in Yemen vs $5,258 in the United States, rent included.

Yemen $2,421
United States $5,258

The regional cost range is wider in the United States ($980–$5,162) than in Yemen ($91.0–$1,387), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Yemen is roughly 61% lower than in the United States on average.

Yemen sits 21% below the global median, while the United States is 100% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.06 YER 1,901

$19.92 $19.92

-59.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.83 YER 6,093

$81.0 $81.0

-68.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 YER 2,465

$12.07 $12.07

-13.42%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.51 YER 828

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.16 YER 1,217

Cappuccino

$3.60 YER 849

$5.55 $5.55

-35.14%

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

$1.71 YER 403

$2.67 $2.67

-35.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 YER 223

$2.09 $2.09

-55.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.96 $5.96

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.76 $7.76

Milk (1 liter)

$3.01 YER 709

$1.05 $1.05

186.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 YER 309

$3.55 $3.55

-63.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.33 YER 1,021

$4.64 $4.64

-6.68%

Eggs

$5.17 YER 1,220

$4.18 $4.18

23.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.04 YER 2,603

$12.76 $12.76

-13.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.07 YER 2,376

$12.63 $12.63

-20.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$29.64 YER 6,992

$17.22 $17.22

72.13%

Apples (1kg)

$5.91 YER 1,393

$5.15 $5.15

14.76%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 YER 543

$1.64 $1.64

40.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.37 YER 1,032

$4.46 $4.46

-2.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.90 YER 685

$4.98 $4.98

-41.77%

Potato (1kg)

$2.53 YER 597

$2.84 $2.84

-10.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.50 YER 590

$3.09 $3.09

-19.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 YER 201

$2.19 $2.19

-61.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 YER 237

$2.27 $2.27

-55.95%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.52 YER 594

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 YER 421

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 YER 856

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.19 YER 1,224

$10.61 $10.61

-51.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.71 $14.71

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 $2.10

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.82 $3.82

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 YER 96.5

$2.35 $2.35

-82.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.9 YER 20.3K

$64.1 $64.1

34.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 YER 511

$3.57 $3.57

-39.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 YER 492

$1.85 $1.85

12.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.42 YER 1,749

$30.19 $30.19

-75.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.75 YER 649

$1.07 $1.07

157.01%

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

$16.9K YER 4.0M

$35.3K $35.3K

-52.07%

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

$35.1K YER 8.3M

$25.9K $25.9K

35.68%

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

$78.3 YER 18.5K

$217 $217

-63.86%

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

$20.78 YER 4,901

$61.4 $61.4

-66.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.53 YER 9,560

$74.4 $74.4

-45.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.8 YER 13.2K

$45.08 $45.08

23.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.57 YER 3,436

$23.07 $23.07

-36.84%

Cinema Ticket

$5.95 YER 1,402

$14.79 $14.79

-59.77%

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

$65.1 YER 15.4K

$1,480 $1,480

-95.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,649 YER 388.9K

$25.5K $25.5K

-93.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.5 YER 13.6K

$53.0 $53.0

8.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$82.3 YER 19.4K

$42.75 $42.75

92.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$57.4 YER 13.6K

$94.3 $94.3

-39.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.2 YER 13.7K

$115 $115

-49.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$235 YER 55.5K

$1,678 $1,678

-85.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$131 YER 30.9K

$1,313 $1,313

-90.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$491 YER 115.8K

$2,649 $2,649

-81.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$339 YER 79.9K

$2,183 $2,183

-84.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,260 YER 769.1K

$3,374 $3,374

-3.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$701 YER 165.3K

$2,661 $2,661

-73.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$273 YER 64.4K

$4,404 $4,404

-93.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.12

6.55

69.77%

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

Last update for Yemen: October 11, 2026

Last update for the United States: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Yemen

$357 33.7%

United States

$411 15.2% 15.1% $54

Eating Out

Yemen

$150 14.1%

United States

$327 12.1% 118% $177

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Yemen

$140 13.2%

United States

$352 13% 152% $213

Accommodation & Living

Yemen

$131 12.4%

United States

$1.3K 48.6% 903% $1.2K

Clothing & Footwear

Yemen

$115 10.8%

United States

$137 5.1% 19.6% $23

Getting Around

Yemen

$100 9.5%

United States

$86 3.2% 13.9% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Yemen

$68 6.4%

United States

$75 2.8% 10.3% $7

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $85.0 in Yemen vs $1,609 in the United States. For reference, capital cities sit at $219 in Sanaa and $2,730 in Washington, DC.

Average salary: $302 in Yemen vs $4,533 in the United States. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 1793% higher in the United States.

Dining out costs 150% more in the United States.

Public transport is 200% more expensive in the United States.

Salaries are 1401% higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know

🇾🇪 Yemen

🇺🇸 United States

🕒 Local time

11:44 11:44 AM

04:44 4:44 AM

7 h behind Yemen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

28,250,420

340,110,988

💱 Currency

Yemeni Rial YER ﷼

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 YER = 4.24 USD

1,000 YER = 3.77 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to YER – Yemeni Rial Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇾🇪 Yemeni Rial (﷼)

Yemeni Rial exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 236 YER (1,000 YER = 4.24 USD). 1 EUR = 265 YER (1,000 YER = 3.77 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to YER in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Yemen United States 12,370 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Yemen
United States

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Yemen vs United States: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yemen is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 155% lower on average.

Housing costs more in the United States: a central one-bedroom averages $1,609 versus $85.0 in Yemen.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Yemen, adding to the overall 155% price gap.

$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Yemen, but in the United States it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Yemen is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.