Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between 'ali and Amwaj

For one person, living is cheaper in Amwaj: $611 a month against $818 in 'ali, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in 'ali
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'ali Living Index

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'ali

🇧🇭 Bahrain

$818

/mo nomad

Amwaj

🇧🇭 Bahrain

$611

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in 'ali and in Amwaj

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

A single person spends $818 per month in 'ali vs $611 in Amwaj, rent included.

'ali $818
Amwaj $611

A couple spends around $1,299 per month in 'ali vs $2,412 in Amwaj, rent included.

'ali $1,299
Amwaj $2,412

A family of three spends $1,779 per month in 'ali vs $4,212 in Amwaj, rent included.

'ali $1,779
Amwaj $4,212

'ali costs about 34% more than Amwaj, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both 'ali and Amwaj are more affordable than the global median – 'ali 39% lower, Amwaj 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.36 BHD 2.02

$10.55 BHD 3.98

-49.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.3 BHD 20.13

$32.03 BHD 12.09

66.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.44 BHD 2.81

$9.96 BHD 3.76

-25.30%

Cappuccino

$5.01 BHD 1.89

$4.01 BHD 1.51

24.94%

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

$0.90 BHD 0.34

$2.17 BHD 0.82

-58.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 BHD 0.11

$0.64 BHD 0.24

-53.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.73 BHD 2.54

$8.06 BHD 3.04

-16.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.18 BHD 3.84

$10.57 BHD 3.99

-3.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 BHD 0.54

White Bread (500g)

$1.07 BHD 0.40

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.26 BHD 0.85

Eggs

$2.22 BHD 0.84

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.64 BHD 3.26

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.45 BHD 2.44

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.86 BHD 3.34

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 BHD 0.87

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 BHD 0.87

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 BHD 0.73

Tomato (1kg)

$1.40 BHD 0.53

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 BHD 0.39

Onion (1kg)

$1.35 BHD 0.51

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 BHD 0.57

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 BHD 0.30

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.32 BHD 2.01

$5.19 BHD 1.96

2.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.80 BHD 7.10

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.61 BHD 1.36

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 BHD 0.97

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 BHD 2.05

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.46 BHD 1.31

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.80 BHD 5.96

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.70 BHD 0.26

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

$36.7K BHD 13.9K

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

$20.1K BHD 7,592

$37.3K BHD 14.1K

-46.06%

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

$151 BHD 57.0

$131 BHD 49.32

15.47%

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

$24.17 BHD 9.12

$23.56 BHD 8.89

2.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.75 BHD 13.49

$66.1 BHD 24.94

-45.92%

Cinema Ticket

$10.67 BHD 4.03

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

$495 BHD 187

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.2K BHD 4,228

$13.1K BHD 4,943

-14.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.9 BHD 19.58

$66.3 BHD 25.02

-21.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.3 BHD 21.62

$66.8 BHD 25.20

-14.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.2 BHD 33.66

$92.9 BHD 35.05

-3.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.2 BHD 33.67

$120 BHD 45.16

-25.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,412 BHD 910

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,003 BHD 1,133

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,823 BHD 1,443

$4,033 BHD 1,522

-5.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.21

-11.29%

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

Last update for 'ali: October 12, 2026

Last update for Amwaj: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

'ali

$250 30.5%

Amwaj

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

'ali

$211 25.8%

Amwaj

–

Eating Out

'ali

$184 22.5%

Amwaj

–

Clothing & Footwear

'ali

$129 15.8%

Amwaj

–

Getting Around

'ali

$23 * 2.8%

Amwaj

–

Sport & Entertainment

'ali

$21 * 2.6%

Amwaj

–

Accommodation & Living

'ali

- * 0%

Amwaj

–

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 5% higher in Amwaj, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $53.0 in 'ali versus $32.00 in Amwaj. Use this as a proxy for overall food spending across the two cities.

Good to know

🇧🇭 'ali

🇧🇭 Amwaj

🕒 Local time

03:11 3:11 AM

Same time as 'ali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

100,553

💱 Currency

Bahraini Dinar BHD .د.ب

📈 Exchange rate

1 BHD = 2.65 USD

1 BHD = 2.37 EUR

1 BHD = 2.65 USD

1 BHD = 2.37 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

'ali Amwaj 21 km

From you

'ali
Amwaj

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

'ali vs Amwaj: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – 'ali is pricier by about 34%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,227 per month in 'ali and $916 in Amwaj. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $818 in 'ali and $611 in Amwaj. That's a gap of about 34%.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $53.0 in 'ali and $32.00 in Amwaj. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $818 in 'ali and $611 in Amwaj, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Amwaj – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Amwaj. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, 'ali makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.