Cost of Living Comparison Between Bahrain and China Cost of Living Comparison Between Bahrain and China

Name: China
Address: CN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,138 in Bahrain versus $720 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,829 in Bahrain versus $1,148 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,519 in Bahrain versus $1,576 in China.

Living in Bahrain is roughly 58% more expensive than in China on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Bahrain 17% lower, China 48% lower.

Internal cost variation is higher in Bahrain: monthly costs span $125 to $2,002, compared to $468–$1,236 in China. City choice carries more weight in Bahrain.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.19 BHD 2.71

$2.93 ¥19.60

145.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.27 BHD 15.18

$22.72 ¥152

77.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.18 BHD 3.08

$5.07 ¥33.95

61.34%

Cappuccino

$4.82 BHD 1.82

$2.94 ¥19.70

63.95%

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

$0.96 BHD 0.36

$0.48 ¥3.21

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 BHD 0.13

$0.30 ¥2.02

13.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.67 BHD 2.52

$1.06 ¥7.10

529.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.36 BHD 3.53

$2.25 ¥15.07

316.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 BHD 0.60

$1.79 ¥11.99

-11.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.21 BHD 0.46

$1.70 ¥11.35

-28.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.73 BHD 1.03

$0.96 ¥6.45

184.38%

Eggs

$2.65 BHD 1.00

$1.61 ¥10.79

64.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.02 BHD 3.78

$13.60 ¥91.1

-26.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.55 BHD 2.47

$3.41 ¥22.84

92.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.31 BHD 3.89

$11.07 ¥74.2

-6.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 BHD 1.00

$1.81 ¥12.09

46.41%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 BHD 0.82

$1.30 ¥8.74

66.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 BHD 0.86

$1.48 ¥9.91

54.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.57 BHD 0.59

$1.30 ¥8.72

20.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.25 BHD 0.47

$0.72 ¥4.82

73.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 BHD 0.43

$0.94 ¥6.31

22.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.67 BHD 0.63

$0.61 ¥4.08

173.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 BHD 0.25

$0.56 ¥3.73

17.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.91 BHD 2.23

$3.67 ¥24.58

61.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.48 BHD 8.85

$11.90 ¥79.7

97.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.68 BHD 1.39

$0.83 ¥5.56

343.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 BHD 1.22

$1.65 ¥11.08

96.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 BHD 0.31

$0.29 ¥1.92

182.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.04 BHD 13.96

$22.61 ¥151

63.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.38 BHD 2.03

$1.45 ¥9.72

271.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.53 BHD 1.33

$0.34 ¥2.31

938.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.83 BHD 5.97

$7.27 ¥48.72

117.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.62 BHD 0.23

$1.23 ¥8.26

-49.59%

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

$37.8K BHD 14.3K

$19.5K ¥130.9K

93.65%

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

$21.0K BHD 7,917

$17.2K ¥115.5K

21.80%

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

$131 BHD 49.26

$55.5 ¥371

135.67%

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

$26.15 BHD 9.86

$8.51 ¥57.0

207.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.55 BHD 15.28

$10.81 ¥72.4

275.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.3 BHD 29.15

$40.02 ¥268

93.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.36 BHD 13.70

$14.80 ¥99.1

145.68%

Cinema Ticket

$10.70 BHD 4.03

$6.73 ¥45.09

58.99%

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

$534 BHD 201

$454 ¥3,042

17.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,746 BHD 3,673

$19.5K ¥130.8K

-50.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 BHD 20.12

$44.95 ¥301

18.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 BHD 19.36

$35.81 ¥240

43.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.9 BHD 32.00

$76.8 ¥514

10.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.9 BHD 33.12

$77.3 ¥518

13.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$951 BHD 359

$385 ¥2,581

146.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$634 BHD 239

$242 ¥1,623

161.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,814 BHD 684

$837 ¥5,603

116.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,258 BHD 474

$474 ¥3,177

165.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,626 BHD 990

$4,619 ¥30.9K

-43.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,876 BHD 707

$2,316 ¥15.5K

-19.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,243 BHD 845

$1,062 ¥7,110

111.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.33

3.47

82.42%

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

Last update for Bahrain: September 6, 2026

Last update for China: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $462 in Bahrain, $295 in China. Capital cities: $997 in Manama vs $957 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $2,205 in Bahrain, $865 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 57% higher in Bahrain.

Dining out costs 100% more in Bahrain.

Salaries are 155% higher in Bahrain, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Bahrain.

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

Bahrain vs China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,064 per month in Bahrain and $852 in China, there's a 25% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in China: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Bahrain is consistently higher than in China across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In China, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in Bahrain it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: China wins on affordability; Bahrain may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.