Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between 'ali and Manama

For one person, living is cheaper in 'ali: $818 a month against $1,552 in Manama, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

40

Cost of Living Index in 'ali
Learn more

'ali Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Manama
Learn more

Manama Living Index

Jump to prices

'ali

🇧🇭 Bahrain

$818

/mo nomad

Manama

🇧🇭 Bahrain

$1,552

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $818 per month in 'ali vs $1,552 in Manama, rent included.

'ali $818
Manama $1,552

A couple spends around $1,299 per month in 'ali vs $2,482 in Manama, rent included.

'ali $1,299
Manama $2,482

A family of three spends $1,779 per month in 'ali vs $3,412 in Manama, rent included.

'ali $1,779
Manama $3,412

'ali is about 47% cheaper than Manama, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

'ali sits 39% below the global median, while Manama is 15% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.36 BHD 2.02

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.3 BHD 20.13

$53.4 BHD 20.15

-0.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.44 BHD 2.81

$7.39 BHD 2.79

0.68%

Cappuccino

$5.01 BHD 1.89

$4.91 BHD 1.85

2.04%

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

$0.90 BHD 0.34

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 BHD 0.11

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.73 BHD 2.54

$6.44 BHD 2.43

4.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.18 BHD 3.84

$10.13 BHD 3.82

0.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 BHD 0.54

$1.39 BHD 0.53

2.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.07 BHD 0.40

$1.09 BHD 0.41

-1.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.26 BHD 0.85

Eggs

$2.22 BHD 0.84

$2.32 BHD 0.87

-4.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.64 BHD 3.26

$8.46 BHD 3.19

2.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.45 BHD 2.44

$6.55 BHD 2.47

-1.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.86 BHD 3.34

$8.52 BHD 3.21

3.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 BHD 0.87

$2.38 BHD 0.90

-3.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 BHD 0.87

$2.23 BHD 0.84

3.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 BHD 0.73

$1.90 BHD 0.72

1.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.40 BHD 0.53

$1.39 BHD 0.52

0.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 BHD 0.39

$1.01 BHD 0.38

2.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.35 BHD 0.51

$1.41 BHD 0.53

-4.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 BHD 0.57

$1.53 BHD 0.58

-1.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 BHD 0.30

$0.79 BHD 0.30

-1.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.32 BHD 2.01

$5.44 BHD 2.05

-2.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.80 BHD 7.10

$18.64 BHD 7.03

0.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.61 BHD 1.36

$3.55 BHD 1.34

1.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 BHD 0.97

$2.63 BHD 0.99

-2.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.64 BHD 0.24

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.77 BHD 14.25

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 BHD 2.05

$5.36 BHD 2.02

1.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.46 BHD 1.31

$3.51 BHD 1.33

-1.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.80 BHD 5.96

$15.94 BHD 6.02

-0.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.70 BHD 0.26

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

$36.7K BHD 13.9K

$36.6K BHD 13.8K

0.41%

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

$20.1K BHD 7,592

$20.6K BHD 7,776

-2.37%

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

$151 BHD 57.0

$154 BHD 58.1

-2.03%

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

$24.17 BHD 9.12

$24.90 BHD 9.40

-2.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.75 BHD 13.49

$34.92 BHD 13.18

2.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.0 BHD 23.41

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.30 BHD 11.44

Cinema Ticket

$10.67 BHD 4.03

$10.66 BHD 4.02

0.09%

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

$495 BHD 187

$480 BHD 181

3.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.2K BHD 4,228

$10.8K BHD 4,089

3.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.9 BHD 19.58

$50.6 BHD 19.10

2.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.3 BHD 21.62

$58.6 BHD 22.11

-2.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.2 BHD 33.66

$88.3 BHD 33.31

1.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.2 BHD 33.67

$88.9 BHD 33.55

0.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,011 BHD 382

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 BHD 239

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,022 BHD 763

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,402 BHD 529

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,620 BHD 989

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,970 BHD 744

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,823 BHD 1,443

$2,308 BHD 871

65.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.21

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

Last update for 'ali: October 12, 2026

Last update for Manama: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

'ali

$250 30.5%

Manama

$248 16% 0.5% $1.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

'ali

$211 25.8%

Manama

$214 13.8% 1.4% $3

Eating Out

'ali

$184 22.5%

Manama

$181 11.7% 1.6% $2.9

Clothing & Footwear

'ali

$129 15.8%

Manama

$129 8.3% 0.4% $0.5

Getting Around

'ali

$23 * 2.8%

Manama

$63 4.1% 179% $41

Sport & Entertainment

'ali

$21 * 2.6%

Manama

$83 5.4% 291% $62

Accommodation & Living

'ali

- * 0%

Manama

$633 40.8%

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 66% higher in 'ali, 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 $53.0 in Manama. Groceries tell a different story – $250 in 'ali vs $248 in Manama – so Manama wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇧🇭 'ali

🇧🇭 Manama

🕒 Local time

01:09 1:09 AM

Same time as 'ali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

100,553

157,474 Capital

💱 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 Manama 9 km

From you

'ali
Manama

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 Manama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Manama is pricier by about 90%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,227 per month in 'ali and $2,328 in Manama. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Interestingly, groceries are about 1% cheaper in Manama – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in 'ali, where all-in costs run around $818, than in Manama at $1,552. In 'ali it covers expenses comfortably, while in Manama it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward 'ali – 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 'ali. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Manama makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.