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: $1,997 in Bratislava versus $1,606 in Manama.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,945 in Bratislava versus $2,517 in Manama.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,893 in Bratislava versus $3,428 in Manama.

Living in Bratislava is roughly 24% more expensive than in Manama, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bratislava 46% above, Manama 17% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.38 €9.92

$6.67 BHD 2.52

70.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.6 €61.5

$52.1 BHD 19.64

35.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.83 €9.44

$7.30 BHD 2.75

48.36%

Cappuccino

$3.66 €3.19

$4.82 BHD 1.82

-24.07%

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

$2.36 €2.06

$0.84 BHD 0.32

180.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.53

$0.33 BHD 0.12

433.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.97

$6.65 BHD 2.51

-48.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.41 €2.97

$9.84 BHD 3.71

-65.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.07

$1.43 BHD 0.54

-13.99%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.84

$1.06 BHD 0.40

99.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.73

$2.30 BHD 0.87

-13.48%

Eggs

$4.64 €4.04

$2.22 BHD 0.84

109.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.77 €14.62

$8.78 BHD 3.31

91.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.38 €8.18

$6.33 BHD 2.39

48.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 €13.19

$8.45 BHD 3.19

79.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.48 €2.16

$2.39 BHD 0.90

3.77%

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 €1.74

$2.35 BHD 0.89

-14.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.02 €2.63

$1.88 BHD 0.71

60.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.05 €4.40

$1.44 BHD 0.54

250.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.73 €1.51

$1.06 BHD 0.40

63.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 €1.44

$1.43 BHD 0.54

15.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.88 €1.64

$1.55 BHD 0.59

21.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 €0.89

$0.78 BHD 0.29

30.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.11

$5.18 BHD 1.95

35.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.73 €5.87

$18.37 BHD 6.92

-63.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 €1.03

$3.47 BHD 1.31

-65.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 €1.84

$2.62 BHD 0.99

-19.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 €1.19

$0.64 BHD 0.24

112.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.16 €41.11

$37.78 BHD 14.24

24.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.16 €6.24

$5.38 BHD 2.03

33.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.76 €1.53

$3.51 BHD 1.32

-49.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.38 €29.97

$15.79 BHD 5.95

117.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.98 €1.73

$0.64 BHD 0.24

209.37%

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

$26.9K €23.5K

$37.3K BHD 14.0K

-27.78%

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

$27.4K €23.9K

$20.4K BHD 7,674

34.80%

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

$268 €234

$154 BHD 57.9

74.66%

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

$23.18 €20.21

$24.27 BHD 9.15

-4.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.29 €16.82

$34.61 BHD 13.04

-44.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.8 €49.49

$61.8 BHD 23.30

-8.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.26 €20.27

$30.54 BHD 11.51

-23.84%

Cinema Ticket

$12.94 €11.28

$10.77 BHD 4.06

20.15%

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

$841 €733

$495 BHD 187

69.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.3K €16.8K

$10.9K BHD 4,096

77.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €88.1

$50.5 BHD 19.05

99.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.12 €36.72

$57.7 BHD 21.74

-26.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €92.2

$87.2 BHD 32.85

21.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 €97.7

$91.0 BHD 34.29

23.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,124 €980

$1,002 BHD 378

12.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$825 €719

$643 BHD 242

28.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,906 €1,661

$2,079 BHD 783

-8.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,361 €1,186

$1,381 BHD 521

-1.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,557 €5,716

$2,652 BHD 1,000

147.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,198 €3,659

$1,959 BHD 738

114.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,778 €1,550

$2,273 BHD 857

-21.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.48

6.21

-43.96%

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

Last update for Bratislava: September 13, 2026

Last update for Manama: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,124 in Bratislava and $1,002 in Manama. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Manama pays 28% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $71.0 in Bratislava vs $52.0 in Manama for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $316 vs $248 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 24% 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 28% 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: $1,124 in Bratislava versus $1,002 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 $71.0 in Bratislava. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,997 per month in Bratislava versus $1,606 in Manama – a 24% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,606 in Manama versus $1,997 in Bratislava, a $2,000 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 $1,606 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 24% less than in Bratislava. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.