Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Al Hidd and Dubai

For one person, living is cheaper in Al Hidd: $1,787 a month against $2,896 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $13,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

86

Cost of Living Index in Al Hidd
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Al Hidd Living Index
140

Cost of Living Index in Dubai
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Dubai Living Index

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Al Hidd

🇧🇭 Bahrain

$1,787

/mo nomad

Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,896

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Al Hidd and in Dubai

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,787 in Al Hidd versus $2,896 in Dubai.

Al Hidd $1,787
Dubai $2,896

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,122 in Al Hidd versus $4,384 in Dubai.

Al Hidd $2,122
Dubai $4,384

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,457 in Al Hidd versus $5,872 in Dubai.

Al Hidd $2,457
Dubai $5,872

Living in Al Hidd costs roughly 38% less than in Dubai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Al Hidd 32% above, Dubai 115% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.26 BHD 1.99

$12.67 AED 46.55

-58.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.86 BHD 15.04

$81.7 AED 300

-51.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.59 BHD 2.86

$9.34 AED 34.30

-18.74%

Cappuccino

$3.68 BHD 1.39

$5.89 AED 21.62

-37.52%

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

$0.81 BHD 0.31

$1.69 AED 6.20

-52.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.15 BHD 0.06

$0.78 AED 2.86

-80.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.43 BHD 2.43

$13.66 AED 50.2

-52.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.05 BHD 3.79

$13.49 AED 49.54

-25.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 BHD 0.54

$1.84 AED 6.78

-22.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 BHD 0.41

$1.50 AED 5.50

-27.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.29 BHD 0.86

$2.57 AED 9.45

-10.89%

Eggs

$2.28 BHD 0.86

$3.32 AED 12.18

-31.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.59 BHD 3.24

$12.60 AED 46.28

-31.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.43 BHD 2.05

$9.66 AED 35.46

-43.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.17 BHD 1.95

$12.78 AED 46.93

-59.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 BHD 0.87

$2.60 AED 9.54

-11.15%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 BHD 0.89

$1.90 AED 6.99

23.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 BHD 0.71

$1.91 AED 7.02

-2.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.44 BHD 0.54

$1.37 AED 5.02

5.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.01 BHD 0.38

$1.13 AED 4.14

-10.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 BHD 0.52

$1.01 AED 3.71

36.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 BHD 0.56

$1.44 AED 5.30

3.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 BHD 0.29

$0.67 AED 2.48

16.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.32 BHD 2.01

$5.88 AED 21.59

-9.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.21 BHD 6.87

$16.15 AED 59.3

12.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.66 BHD 1.38

$2.72 AED 10.00

34.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 BHD 1.02

$3.08 AED 11.32

-12.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.57 BHD 0.59

$1.60 AED 5.87

-1.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.2 BHD 19.71

$76.0 AED 279

-31.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 BHD 2.04

$3.24 AED 11.91

66.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.35 BHD 1.27

$0.71 AED 2.61

371.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.64 BHD 5.90

$7.96 AED 29.22

96.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.58 BHD 0.22

$0.98 AED 3.62

-40.82%

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

$19.7K BHD 7,433

$27.4K AED 100.6K

-28.08%

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

$20.2K BHD 7,607

$22.0K AED 80.9K

-8.51%

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

$154 BHD 58.3

$249 AED 913

-37.86%

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

$24.58 BHD 9.28

$54.4 AED 200

-54.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.60 BHD 13.06

$91.5 AED 336

-62.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$103 AED 380

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$53.7 BHD 20.28

$42.32 AED 155

26.98%

Cinema Ticket

$10.51 BHD 3.97

$16.29 AED 59.8

-35.48%

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

$495 BHD 187

$844 AED 3,098

-41.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.2K BHD 4,209

$18.3K AED 67.1K

-38.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.2 BHD 19.31

$67.0 AED 246

-23.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 BHD 22.08

$57.9 AED 213

0.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.1 BHD 33.25

$102 AED 375

-13.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.9 BHD 33.16

$98.7 AED 363

-11.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$663 BHD 250

$2,393 AED 8,788

-72.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$945 BHD 357

$1,533 AED 5,630

-38.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$799 BHD 302

$4,594 AED 16.9K

-82.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$651 BHD 246

$2,939 AED 10.8K

-77.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,046 AED 25.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,222 AED 15.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,932 BHD 729

$3,461 AED 12.7K

-44.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.21

4.54

36.78%

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

Last update for Al Hidd: October 11, 2026

Last update for Dubai: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Al Hidd

$945 52.9%

Dubai

$1.5K 52.9% 62.2% $588

Groceries & Markets

Al Hidd

$233 13.1%

Dubai

$292 10.1% 25% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Al Hidd

$214 12%

Dubai

$394 13.6% 84.6% $181

Eating Out

Al Hidd

$165 9.2%

Dubai

$305 10.5% 84.9% $140

Clothing & Footwear

Al Hidd

$129 7.2%

Dubai

$147 5.1% 14% $18

Getting Around

Al Hidd

$81 4.5%

Dubai

$89 3.1% 10.5% $8.4

Sport & Entertainment

Al Hidd

$21 * 1.2%

Dubai

$136 4.7% 547% $115

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $663 in Al Hidd and $2,393 in Dubai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dubai pays 79% 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: $40.00 in Al Hidd vs $82.0 in Dubai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $233 vs $292 per month, with Al Hidd cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇭 Al Hidd

🇦🇪 Dubai

🕒 Local time

05:57 5:57 AM

06:57 6:57 AM

1 h ahead of Al Hidd

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,797

3,790,000

💱 Currency

Bahraini Dinar BHD .د.ب

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

📈 Exchange rate

1 BHD = 2.65 USD

1 BHD = 2.36 EUR

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.242 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AED, USD, EUR to BHD – Bahraini Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇭 Bahraini Dinar (.د.ب)

Bahraini Dinar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.377 BHD (1 BHD = 2.65 USD). 1 EUR = 0.424 BHD (1 BHD = 2.36 EUR).

UAE Dirham exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.13 AED (1 AED = 0.242 EUR).

USD to BHD in detail →

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Al Hidd Dubai 470 km

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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

Al Hidd vs Dubai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al Hidd is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 62% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 79% lower in Dubai. 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: $663 in Al Hidd versus $2,393 in Dubai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Al Hidd runs roughly 45% less than in Dubai. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $495 in Al Hidd versus $844 in Dubai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,787 in Al Hidd versus $2,896 in Dubai, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Al Hidd but tight or insufficient in Dubai. The gap between the two cities makes Al Hidd the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Al Hidd is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Dubai, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Al Hidd and Dubai 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 Al Hidd gentler on the wallet – expenses run 62% less than in Dubai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.