Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Manama Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Manama

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,496 in Manama.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $2,408 in Manama.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $3,319 in Manama.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 58% more expensive than Manama, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Manama 12% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$6.48 BHD 2.44

171.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$53.5 BHD 20.16

28.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$7.27 BHD 2.74

93.40%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$5.34 BHD 2.01

-47.94%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$0.87 BHD 0.33

221.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.36 BHD 0.14

472.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$8.09 BHD 3.05

-44.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$10.54 BHD 3.97

-56.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.71 BHD 0.64

-27.49%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$1.27 BHD 0.48

59.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$2.43 BHD 0.91

-20.99%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$2.47 BHD 0.93

34.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$8.59 BHD 3.24

114.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$7.74 BHD 2.92

22.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.50

$10.28 BHD 3.88

86.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.36 BHD 0.89

11.86%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.11 BHD 0.79

16.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.77 BHD 0.67

19.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$1.18 BHD 0.44

141.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.93 BHD 0.35

119.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.09 BHD 0.41

69.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$1.46 BHD 0.55

0.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.86 BHD 0.32

-2.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$6.58 BHD 2.48

8.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$18.88 BHD 7.12

-58.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$3.44 BHD 1.30

-59.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$3.29 BHD 1.24

-29.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$0.83 BHD 0.31

259.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.20

$31.28 BHD 11.79

-6.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$4.58 BHD 1.72

0.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$3.96 BHD 1.49

-47.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.13

$26.86 BHD 10.13

8.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$0.52 BHD 0.19

253.85%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$36.8K BHD 13.9K

5.95%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$20.7K BHD 7,796

58.11%

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

$188 €162

$121 BHD 45.53

55.52%

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

$22.93 €19.75

$26.86 BHD 10.13

-14.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$38.52 BHD 14.52

-4.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.41

$71.0 BHD 26.78

-19.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$45.13 BHD 17.01

-54.13%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$10.78 BHD 4.06

3.80%

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

$721 €621

$382 BHD 144

88.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$8,953 BHD 3,375

68.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$46.73 BHD 17.62

84.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$63.8 BHD 24.03

-41.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$84.8 BHD 31.98

20.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$88.8 BHD 33.47

30.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,321

$818 BHD 308

87.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$559 BHD 211

118.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$1,791 BHD 675

50.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,734

$1,244 BHD 469

61.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,217

$2,629 BHD 991

174.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,468

$1,941 BHD 732

167.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,032

$2,360 BHD 890

-0.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

8.56

-60.40%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Manama: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $818 in Manama. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Manama pays 0% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $53.0 in Manama for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $265 per month, with Manama cheaper across the board.

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

Barcelona vs Manama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Manama differ by about 58% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,496 including rent). Manama is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Manama earns 0% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $818 in Manama. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $382 in Manama. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,496 in Manama versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Manama but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Manama the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Barcelona and Manama are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Manama gentler on the wallet – expenses run 58% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.