Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Berlin and Manama

For one person, living is cheaper in Manama: $1,536 a month against $2,545 in Berlin, rent and utilities included – about $12,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Berlin
🇩🇪 Germany
$2,545
/mo nomad
Manama
🇧🇭 Bahrain
$1,536
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Berlin 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 Berlin and in Manama actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,545 per month in Berlin vs $1,536 in Manama, rent included.

  • Berlin $2,545
  • Manama $1,536

A couple spends around $3,901 per month in Berlin vs $2,433 in Manama, rent included.

  • Berlin $3,901
  • Manama $2,433

A family of three spends $5,257 per month in Berlin vs $3,331 in Manama, rent included.

  • Berlin $5,257
  • Manama $3,331

Berlin costs about 66% more than Manama, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Berlin and Manama sit above the global median – Berlin by 90%, Manama by 15%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Berlin
Manama
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.81 €15.00
$5.24 BHD 1.98
220.80%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$79.6 €71.0
$52.8 BHD 19.92
50.75%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.38 €11.94
$7.30 BHD 2.75
83.29%
Cappuccino
$4.27 €3.81
$4.86 BHD 1.83
-12.14%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.40 €3.03
$0.88 BHD 0.33
286.36%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.12 €2.79
$0.30 BHD 0.11
940.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.48 €4.89
$6.72 BHD 2.54
-18.45%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.56 €4.07
$9.99 BHD 3.77
-54.35%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Berlin
Manama
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.27 €1.13
$1.37 BHD 0.52
-7.30%
White Bread (500g)
$2.45 €2.19
$1.11 BHD 0.42
120.72%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.30 €2.94
$2.28 BHD 0.86
44.74%
Eggs
$4.45 €3.97
$2.20 BHD 0.83
102.27%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.10 €15.26
$8.47 BHD 3.19
101.89%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.19 €10.88
$6.34 BHD 2.39
92.27%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.30 €16.33
$8.42 BHD 3.18
117.34%
Apples (1kg)
$3.58 €3.19
$2.41 BHD 0.91
48.55%
Banana (1kg)
$1.98 €1.77
$2.32 BHD 0.87
-14.66%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.27 €2.92
$1.89 BHD 0.71
73.02%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.81 €3.40
$1.44 BHD 0.54
164.58%
Potato (1kg)
$2.13 €1.90
$1.06 BHD 0.40
100.94%
Onion (1kg)
$2.21 €1.97
$1.41 BHD 0.53
56.74%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.49 €1.33
$1.54 BHD 0.58
-3.25%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.01 €0.90
$0.83 BHD 0.31
21.69%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.49 €9.37
$5.34 BHD 2.01
96.44%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.76 €6.03
$18.36 BHD 6.93
-63.18%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.34 €1.20
$3.63 BHD 1.37
-63.09%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.10 €1.87
$2.58 BHD 0.97
-18.60%
🚌 Getting Around
Berlin
Manama
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.37 €3.90
$0.65 BHD 0.24
572.31%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$71.0 €63.3
$37.30 BHD 14.08
90.24%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.29 €4.72
$5.19 BHD 1.96
1.93%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.05 €2.73
$3.38 BHD 1.27
-9.76%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$36.30 €32.39
$15.88 BHD 5.99
128.59%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.28 €2.03
$0.65 BHD 0.25
250.77%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.2K €29.7K
$37.7K BHD 14.2K
-11.94%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.1K €34.9K
$20.9K BHD 7,896
86.65%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Berlin
Manama
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$379 €339
$151 BHD 57.1
150.70%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$19.31 €17.23
$24.40 BHD 9.21
-20.86%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$48.41 €43.20
$34.61 BHD 13.06
39.87%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Berlin
Manama
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$40.31 €35.97
$62.3 BHD 23.50
-35.27%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$35.51 €31.69
$30.23 BHD 11.41
17.47%
Cinema Ticket
$15.53 €13.86
$10.77 BHD 4.06
44.20%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Berlin
Manama
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$144 €128
$488 BHD 184
-70.57%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$15.8K €14.1K
$11.2K BHD 4,238
40.27%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Berlin
Manama
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$94.6 €84.5
$50.7 BHD 19.13
86.70%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$46.33 €41.34
$58.6 BHD 22.13
-20.99%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$103 €92.2
$86.1 BHD 32.51
19.94%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$141 €126
$90.0 BHD 33.97
57.00%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Berlin
Manama
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,488 €1,328
$997 BHD 376
49.28%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,098 €980
$650 BHD 245
68.87%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,665 €2,378
$2,040 BHD 770
30.66%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,080 €1,856
$1,399 BHD 528
48.67%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$8,578 €7,655
$2,643 BHD 997
224.62%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,438 €4,853
$1,999 BHD 754
172.08%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Berlin
Manama
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,487 €3,112
$2,382 BHD 899
46.38%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.8
6.21
-38.81%

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

Last update for Berlin: October 3, 2026

Last update for Manama: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Berlin
$1.1K
Manama
$650 40.8% $448
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Berlin
$447
Manama
$210 53% $237
Groceries & Markets
Berlin
$351
Manama
$248 29.2% $103
Eating Out
Berlin
$289
Manama
$180 37.4% $108
Clothing & Footwear
Berlin
$174
Manama
$128 26% $45
Getting Around
Berlin
$109
Manama
$62 43.2% $47
Sport & Entertainment
Berlin
$71
Manama
$84 17.4% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,488 in Berlin versus $997 in Manama. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 46% higher in Berlin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $80.0 in Berlin versus $53.0 in Manama. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $351 vs $248 – making Manama the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇩🇪 Berlin
🇧🇭 Manama
🕒 Local time
14:58 2:58 PM
15:58 3:58 PM
1 h ahead of Berlin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,769,962 Capital
157,474 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Bahraini Dinar BHD .د.ب
Exchange rates and currency converter

BHD, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Bahraini Dinar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.377 BHD (1 BHD = 2.65 USD). 1 EUR = 0.423 BHD (1 BHD = 2.36 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Berlin Manama 4,250 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Berlin
  • 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
Berlin vs Manama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Manama cheaper than Berlin?
Yes – Berlin is pricier by about 66%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,818 per month in Berlin and $2,304 in Manama. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Manama, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Berlin and in Manama?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,545 in Berlin and $1,536 in Manama. That's a gap of about 66%.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 90% less in Manama. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Berlin or in Manama?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Manama, where all-in costs run around $1,536, than in Berlin at $2,545. In Manama it covers expenses comfortably, while in Berlin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Berlin or Manama more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Manama – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Berlin or Manama?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Manama. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Berlin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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