Cost of Living Comparison Between Bratislava and Manama Cost of Living Comparison Between Bratislava and Manama

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,742 in Bratislava versus $1,479 in Manama.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,562 in Bratislava versus $2,410 in Manama.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,382 in Bratislava versus $3,340 in Manama.

Living in Bratislava is roughly 18% more expensive than in Manama, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bratislava 30% above, Manama 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 €10.24

$6.57 BHD 2.48

78.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 €50.8

$52.0 BHD 19.60

11.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.52 €9.20

$7.56 BHD 2.85

39.15%

Cappuccino

$3.21 €2.81

$5.46 BHD 2.06

-41.21%

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

$2.19 €1.92

$0.79 BHD 0.30

177.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$0.37 BHD 0.14

370.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 €2.58

$8.01 BHD 3.02

-63.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 €3.12

$10.46 BHD 3.94

-65.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 €1.10

$1.65 BHD 0.62

-23.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.33 BHD 0.50

31.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.72

$2.34 BHD 0.88

-15.81%

Eggs

$3.69 €3.22

$2.40 BHD 0.90

53.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.35 €13.41

$8.62 BHD 3.25

78.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.33 €7.28

$7.50 BHD 2.83

11.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.82 €11.20

$10.23 BHD 3.86

25.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.13 €1.86

$2.45 BHD 0.92

-13.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 €1.69

$2.10 BHD 0.79

-7.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.54 €2.22

$1.70 BHD 0.64

49.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.77 €4.17

$1.17 BHD 0.44

307.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 €1.66

$0.92 BHD 0.35

107.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 €1.60

$1.08 BHD 0.41

69.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.36

$1.44 BHD 0.54

7.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.77

$0.91 BHD 0.34

-3.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.31 €5.51

$6.48 BHD 2.44

-2.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.89 €6.02

$18.75 BHD 7.07

-63.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 €0.99

$3.35 BHD 1.26

-66.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.79

$3.14 BHD 1.18

-34.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.30 €1.14

$0.78 BHD 0.29

66.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.90 €35.74

$32.29 BHD 12.17

26.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.86 €5.12

$4.66 BHD 1.76

25.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 €1.40

$4.00 BHD 1.51

-60.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.36 €27.40

$26.04 BHD 9.81

20.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 €1.52

$0.53 BHD 0.20

228.30%

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

$27.4K €23.9K

$37.7K BHD 14.2K

-27.37%

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

$29.7K €25.9K

$20.7K BHD 7,813

43.22%

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

$255 €223

$122 BHD 46.06

108.53%

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

$23.80 €20.79

$26.99 BHD 10.17

-11.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.31 €17.74

$38.99 BHD 14.70

-47.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.8 €44.35

$71.4 BHD 26.90

-28.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.49 €16.16

$44.42 BHD 16.74

-58.37%

Cinema Ticket

$12.37 €10.81

$10.53 BHD 3.97

17.47%

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

$657 €574

$394 BHD 148

66.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K €11.1K

$8,780 BHD 3,309

44.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.3 €80.6

$46.27 BHD 17.44

99.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.67 €35.53

$61.5 BHD 23.19

-33.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.0 €78.6

$82.8 BHD 31.21

8.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 €95.4

$89.4 BHD 33.71

22.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$950 €830

$803 BHD 303

18.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$700 €612

$548 BHD 207

27.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,530 €1,337

$1,794 BHD 676

-14.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,137 €994

$1,208 BHD 455

-5.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,514 €5,691

$2,668 BHD 1,006

144.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,150 €3,626

$1,960 BHD 739

111.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,733 €1,514

$2,276 BHD 858

-23.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.25

8.56

-50.35%

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

Last update for Bratislava: July 12, 2026

Last update for Manama: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $950 in Bratislava and $803 in Manama. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Manama pays 31% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $58.0 in Bratislava vs $52.0 in Manama for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $285 vs $262 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

Bratislava vs Manama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Manama wins on cost – living expenses run 18% lower than in Bratislava. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Manama the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 31% lower in Manama. 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: $950 in Bratislava versus $803 in Manama. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Manama – a meal for two runs $52.0 versus $58.0 in Bratislava. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,742 per month in Bratislava versus $1,479 in Manama – a 18% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,479 in Manama versus $1,742 in Bratislava, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Manama but tight or insufficient in Bratislava. The gap between the two cities makes Manama the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Manama delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,479 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Manama hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Bratislava 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 18% less than in Bratislava. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.