Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bahrain and China

Name: China
Address: CN

For one person, living is cheaper in China: $791 a month against $1,592 in Bahrain, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Bahrain
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Bahrain Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in China
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China Living Index

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🇧🇭 Bahrain

$1,592

/mo nomad

🇨🇳 China

$791

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bahrain and in China

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,592 in Bahrain versus $791 in China.

Bahrain $1,592
China $791

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,414 in Bahrain versus $1,251 in China.

Bahrain $2,414
China $1,251

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,236 in Bahrain versus $1,711 in China.

Bahrain $3,236
China $1,711

Internal cost variation is higher in Bahrain: monthly costs span $126 to $1,997, compared to $465–$1,222 in China. City choice carries more weight in Bahrain.

Living in Bahrain is roughly 101% more expensive than in China on average.

Bahrain (17% above) and China (42% below) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.13 BHD 2.69

$2.98 ¥19.81

139.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.71 BHD 14.98

$22.09 ¥147

79.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.08 BHD 3.05

$5.20 ¥34.60

55.38%

Cappuccino

$4.85 BHD 1.83

$2.97 ¥19.74

63.30%

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

$0.96 BHD 0.36

$0.48 ¥3.19

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 BHD 0.12

$0.30 ¥2.01

6.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.48 BHD 2.44

$1.08 ¥7.18

500.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.13 BHD 3.44

$2.28 ¥15.15

300.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 BHD 0.59

$1.80 ¥11.96

-13.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 BHD 0.47

$1.68 ¥11.15

-25.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.60 BHD 0.98

$0.92 ¥6.13

182.61%

Eggs

$2.63 BHD 0.99

$1.61 ¥10.73

63.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.61 BHD 3.63

$13.38 ¥89.1

-28.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.31 BHD 2.38

$3.35 ¥22.28

88.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.43 BHD 3.93

$11.35 ¥75.5

-8.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.62 BHD 0.99

$1.82 ¥12.12

43.96%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 BHD 0.83

$1.31 ¥8.69

67.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 BHD 0.83

$1.49 ¥9.89

47.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 BHD 0.62

$1.27 ¥8.47

29.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 BHD 0.46

$0.71 ¥4.73

70.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 BHD 0.43

$0.93 ¥6.21

21.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 BHD 0.61

$0.62 ¥4.12

159.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 BHD 0.26

$0.56 ¥3.74

25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.81 BHD 2.19

$3.78 ¥25.15

53.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$24.33 BHD 9.18

$12.13 ¥80.8

100.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.59 BHD 1.35

$0.83 ¥5.54

332.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 BHD 1.20

$1.68 ¥11.21

88.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 BHD 0.29

$0.29 ¥1.92

162.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.45 BHD 13.75

$17.83 ¥119

104.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 BHD 2.02

$1.49 ¥9.89

259.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.41 BHD 1.29

$0.37 ¥2.49

821.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.09 BHD 6.07

$7.10 ¥47.24

126.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.64 BHD 0.24

$1.26 ¥8.37

-49.21%

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

$26.3K BHD 9,910

$19.4K ¥129.4K

35.11%

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

$20.0K BHD 7,529

$17.5K ¥116.7K

13.82%

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

$134 BHD 50.4

$54.6 ¥363

144.89%

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

$25.34 BHD 9.56

$8.73 ¥58.1

190.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.43 BHD 15.25

$11.07 ¥73.7

265.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$78.9 BHD 29.76

$40.77 ¥271

93.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.73 BHD 13.85

$14.48 ¥96.4

153.66%

Cinema Ticket

$10.55 BHD 3.98

$6.78 ¥45.12

55.60%

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

$605 BHD 228

$517 ¥3,438

17.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,560 BHD 3,606

$19.8K ¥131.8K

-51.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 BHD 20.14

$46.53 ¥310

14.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.3 BHD 19.73

$35.66 ¥237

46.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.1 BHD 32.85

$77.0 ¥512

13.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.8 BHD 33.12

$80.3 ¥534

9.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$962 BHD 363

$386 ¥2,567

149.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 BHD 238

$235 ¥1,561

169.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,830 BHD 690

$822 ¥5,469

122.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,185 BHD 447

$453 ¥3,015

161.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,611 BHD 985

$4,697 ¥31.3K

-44.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,865 BHD 703

$2,372 ¥15.8K

-21.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,294 BHD 865

$1,093 ¥7,275

109.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.33

3.46

82.95%

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

Last update for Bahrain: October 25, 2026

Last update for China: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bahrain

$631 39.7%

China

$235 29.6% 62.8% $397

Groceries & Markets

Bahrain

$278 17.5%

China

$210 26.5% 24.4% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bahrain

$199 12.5%

China

$74 9.4% 62.7% $125

Eating Out

Bahrain

$195 12.3%

China

$88 11.1% 54.9% $107

Clothing & Footwear

Bahrain

$126 7.9%

China

$108 13.6% 14.7% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Bahrain

$100 6.3%

China

$54 6.9% 45.7% $46

Getting Around

Bahrain

$62 3.9%

China

$22 2.8% 63.9% $40

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $830 in Bahrain, $298 in China. Capital cities: $1,004 in Manama vs $933 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $2,201 in Bahrain, $873 in China. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 179% higher in Bahrain.

Dining out costs 105% more in Bahrain.

Public transport is 117% more expensive in Bahrain.

Salaries are about 2.5 times higher in Bahrain, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Bahrain.

Good to know

🇧🇭 Bahrain

🇨🇳 China

🕒 Local time

12:22 12:22 PM

17:22 5:22 PM

5 h ahead of Bahrain

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,569,666

1,442,965,000

💱 Currency

Bahraini Dinar BHD .د.ب

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 BHD = 2.65 USD

1 BHD = 2.38 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to BHD – Bahraini Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇭 Bahraini Dinar (.د.ب)

Bahraini Dinar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 0.377 BHD (1 BHD = 2.65 USD). 1 EUR = 0.421 BHD (1 BHD = 2.38 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 6.65 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.43 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

USD to BHD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Bahrain China 6,180 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Bahrain
China

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

Bahrain vs China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,592 per month in Bahrain and $791 in China, China comes out about 50% cheaper. 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 cheaper in China: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $830 in Bahrain and $298 in China. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

It depends on what you’re after: China wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.