Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between 'ali and Seef

For one person, living is cheaper in 'ali: $818 a month against $1,664 in Seef, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

40

Cost of Living Index in 'ali
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'ali Living Index
81

Cost of Living Index in Seef
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Seef Living Index

Jump to prices

'ali

🇧🇭 Bahrain

$818

/mo nomad

Seef

🇧🇭 Bahrain

$1,664

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $818 per month in 'ali vs $1,664 in Seef, rent included.

'ali $818
Seef $1,664

A couple spends around $1,299 per month in 'ali vs $2,619 in Seef, rent included.

'ali $1,299
Seef $2,619

A family of three spends $1,779 per month in 'ali vs $3,574 in Seef, rent included.

'ali $1,779
Seef $3,574

'ali is about 51% cheaper than Seef, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

'ali sits 39% below the global median, while Seef is 23% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.36 BHD 2.02

$8.06 BHD 3.04

-33.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.3 BHD 20.13

$52.7 BHD 19.91

1.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.44 BHD 2.81

$8.11 BHD 3.06

-8.26%

Cappuccino

$5.01 BHD 1.89

$5.06 BHD 1.91

-0.99%

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

$0.90 BHD 0.34

$1.49 BHD 0.56

-39.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 BHD 0.11

$0.81 BHD 0.30

-62.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.73 BHD 2.54

$10.75 BHD 4.06

-37.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.18 BHD 3.84

$18.33 BHD 6.92

-44.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 BHD 0.54

$2.30 BHD 0.87

-38.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.07 BHD 0.40

$1.30 BHD 0.49

-17.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.26 BHD 0.85

$3.24 BHD 1.22

-30.25%

Eggs

$2.22 BHD 0.84

$1.53 BHD 0.58

45.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.64 BHD 3.26

$10.51 BHD 3.97

-17.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.45 BHD 2.44

$5.79 BHD 2.18

11.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.86 BHD 3.34

$16.11 BHD 6.08

-45.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 BHD 0.87

$3.25 BHD 1.23

-29.23%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 BHD 0.87

$2.07 BHD 0.78

11.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 BHD 0.73

$2.51 BHD 0.95

-23.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.40 BHD 0.53

$1.89 BHD 0.71

-25.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 BHD 0.39

Onion (1kg)

$1.35 BHD 0.51

$1.04 BHD 0.39

29.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 BHD 0.57

$1.88 BHD 0.71

-20.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 BHD 0.30

$0.42 BHD 0.16

85.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.32 BHD 2.01

$3.79 BHD 1.43

40.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.80 BHD 7.10

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.61 BHD 1.36

$3.72 BHD 1.40

-2.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 BHD 0.97

$2.72 BHD 1.03

-5.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 BHD 0.25

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 BHD 24.62

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 BHD 2.05

$3.54 BHD 1.33

53.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.46 BHD 1.31

$3.36 BHD 1.27

2.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.80 BHD 5.96

$6.40 BHD 2.42

146.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.70 BHD 0.26

$0.65 BHD 0.25

7.69%

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

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

$151 BHD 57.0

$98.8 BHD 37.28

52.75%

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

$24.17 BHD 9.12

$26.56 BHD 10.02

-9.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.75 BHD 13.49

$47.06 BHD 17.76

-24.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.7 BHD 27.05

Cinema Ticket

$10.67 BHD 4.03

$10.50 BHD 3.96

1.62%

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

$495 BHD 187

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.2K BHD 4,228

$7,789 BHD 2,940

43.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.9 BHD 19.58

$70.2 BHD 26.51

-26.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.3 BHD 21.62

$52.5 BHD 19.80

9.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.2 BHD 33.66

$91.7 BHD 34.59

-2.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.2 BHD 33.67

$80.4 BHD 30.34

10.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$942 BHD 356

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$678 BHD 256

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 BHD 797

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,388 BHD 524

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,823 BHD 1,443

$3,382 BHD 1,276

13.03%

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 Seef: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

'ali

$250 30.5%

Seef

$251 * 15.1% 0.5% $1.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

'ali

$211 25.8%

Seef

$172 10.4% 18.2% $38

Eating Out

'ali

$184 22.5%

Seef

$249 15% 35.4% $65

Clothing & Footwear

'ali

$129 15.8%

Seef

$133 8% 2.5% $3.2

Getting Around

'ali

$23 * 2.8%

Seef

$88 5.3% 289% $66

Sport & Entertainment

'ali

$21 * 2.6%

Seef

$93 5.6% 335% $71

Accommodation & Living

'ali

- * 0%

Seef

$678 40.7%

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 13% 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 Seef. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $251 – making 'ali the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇭 'ali

🇧🇭 Seef

🕒 Local time

23:21 11:21 PM

Same time as 'ali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

100,553

6,564

💱 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 Seef 9 km

From you

'ali
Seef

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 Seef: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Seef is pricier by about 103%, 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 $2,495 in Seef. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Groceries cost about 0% more in Seef, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

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

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in 'ali, where all-in costs run around $818, than in Seef at $1,664. In 'ali it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seef 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, Seef makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.