Sana'a vs Shiraz

Side-by-side comparison for digital nomads

Shiraz 4% cheaper Low / Moderate
Nomad Cost

$1,568

Sana'a

$1,506

Shiraz

Internet

10

Mbps

16

Mbps

Safety

Low

Sana'a

Moderate

Shiraz

Air Quality

5/5

Sana'a

5/5

Shiraz

Healthcare

High

Sana'a

Moderate

Shiraz

Population

1.7m

Sana'a

1.6m

Shiraz

Sana'a (Yemen) and Shiraz (Iran) are both in Middle East, offering different takes on the nomad lifestyle. Here is how they compare across the metrics that matter most.

Cost of Living

Both cities sit in a similar price range — Sana'a at $1568/mo and Shiraz at $1506/mo — so cost alone is not a deciding factor here.

Internet & Infrastructure

For bandwidth-intensive work, Shiraz has a clear edge at 16 Mbps (#0 globally) compared to Sana'a's 10 Mbps (#185).

Quality of Life

Shiraz has a stronger safety profile than Sana'a, which may be a deciding factor for solo travelers or families.

Sana'a offers better healthcare infrastructure than Shiraz — an important consideration for longer stays.

Monthly Weather Comparison

The best time to visit Sana'a is May (around 23 degrees, 0mm rain, score 395), while Shiraz peaks in June (28 degrees, 0mm rain, score 406). Timing your stay around these months can make a big difference in your experience.

Cost of Living

Sana'aShiraz
Nomad$1,568/mo$1,506/mo
Expat$1,398/mo$243/mo
Local$1,091/mo–
Family$3,818/mo–

Internet & Infrastructure

Sana'aShiraz
City Speed
10 Mbps#185
16 Mbps
Country Speed11 Mbps16 Mbps

Environment & Health

Sana'aShiraz
Air Quality Score5/55/5
PollutionHighModerate
ClimateHighModerate
Humidity3839

Quality of Life

Sana'aShiraz
SafetyLowModerate
HealthcareHighModerate

Monthly Weather Comparison

Sana'a
Shiraz
Jan
18°
0mm375
7°
0mm356
Feb
22°
0mm363
5°
0mm346
Mar
22°
0mm361
9°
0mm356
Apr
23°
0mm352
15°
0mm354
May
23°
0mm395
20°
0mm386
Jun
23°
0mm395
28°
0mm406
Jul
24°
0mm383
32°
0mm386
Aug
22°
3mm347
31°
0mm386
Sep
21°
0mm395
27°
0mm406
Oct
20°
0mm375
19°
0mm386
Nov
18°
0mm375
13°
0mm366
Dec
19°
0mm375
6°
0mm346

Who Should Choose Sana'a?

  • Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
  • Peak season in May — 23 degrees, score 395

Who Should Choose Shiraz?

  • Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
  • Peak season in June — 28 degrees, score 406

Overall Verdict

The data favors Shiraz as the more well-rounded choice. At $1506/mo versus Sana'a's $1568/mo, that is a 4% saving that adds up significantly on an extended stay.

Granular Price Comparison

Sana'a Shiraz
ItemSana'aShirazDiff
🍽️Restaurants8 items
Meal, inexpensive restaurant$5.99$3.56
41%
Meal for 2, mid-range (3-course)$17.97$58.93
70%
McMeal or equivalent combo$9$2.9
68%
Cappuccino (regular)$2.9$1.98
32%
Domestic beer (0.5L draught)$2$1.09
45%
Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$1.8$0.5
72%
Coke/Pepsi (0.33L)$1.05$1.02
3%
Water (0.33L)$0.72$0.53
26%
🛒Markets19 items
Milk (1L)$2.01$2.78
28%
White bread (500g)$1.2$0.65
46%
White rice (1kg)$3.65$5.87
38%
Eggs (12)$3.13$2.47
21%
Chicken fillets (1kg)$8.79$12.61
30%
Beef round (1kg)$22.82$32.47
30%
Local cheese (1kg)$7.13$9.84
28%
Apples (1kg)$4.99$1.8
64%
Bananas (1kg)$1.57$5.95
74%
Oranges (1kg)$4.26$1.99
53%
Tomatoes (1kg)$2.06$1.43
31%
Potatoes (1kg)$1.67$1.03
38%
Onions (1kg)$1.68$0.84
50%
Lettuce (1 head)$0.53$1.71
69%
Water (1.5L bottle)$0.91$0.93
2%
Wine, mid-range bottle$6.99$2
71%
Domestic beer (0.5L bottle)—$0.59
—
Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$3.99$1.3
67%
Cigarettes (pack of 20)$3.2$2.1
34%
🚌Transport8 items
One-way local transport ticket$0.6$0.24
60%
Monthly transport pass$54.94$13.74
75%
Taxi start (normal tariff)$2$0.24
88%
Taxi per 1km$3.99$0.35
91%
Taxi 1hr waiting$4.79$3.36
30%
Gasoline (1L)$1.79$0.71
60%
Volkswagen Golf (new)$7,988.02$60,094.34
87%
Toyota Corolla (new)$31,952.08$40,000
20%
⚡Utilities3 items
Utilities, 85m² apartment/mo$47.04$42.47
10%
Internet 60+ Mbps/mo$36.93$29.58
20%
Mobile prepaid per minute$0.04$0.02
50%
🏋️Sport & Leisure3 items
Fitness club, monthly$85.55$35.42
59%
Tennis court rent (1hr weekend)$27.31$33.51
19%
Cinema, 1 ticket—$4.75
—
👶Childcare2 items
Preschool, full-day private/mo$46.27$145.21
68%
International primary school/yr$2,282.22$2,042.78
10%
👗Clothing4 items
Jeans (Levi's 501 or similar)$66.57$46.91
30%
Summer dress (chain store)$97.87$64.53
34%
Nike running shoes (mid-range)$76.26$159.38
52%
Men's leather business shoes$56.47$74.06
24%
🏠Rent4 items
1-bedroom apartment, city centre$204.77$331.87
38%
1-bedroom apartment, outside centre$115.59$375.36
69%
3-bedroom apartment, city centre$486.91$1,857.65
74%
3-bedroom apartment, outside centre$283.45$985.2
71%
🏗️Buy2 items
Price per m², city centre$2,786.35$1,423.18
49%
Price per m², outside centre$1,015.36$2,838.42
64%
💰Finance2 items
Average monthly net salary$599.5$320.62
47%
Mortgage interest rate (20yr fixed)$12.5$18.2
31%

Lower is better for all cost items.

Data from Open-Meteo (weather) and global internet speed rankings. Updated monthly.

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