Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Manama

For one person, living is cheaper in Manama: $1,536 a month against $1,621 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $1,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Manama
Learn more

Manama Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Manama

🇧🇭 Bahrain

$1,536

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,621 per month in Budapest vs $1,536 in Manama, rent included.

Budapest $1,621
Manama $1,536

A couple spends around $2,555 per month in Budapest vs $2,433 in Manama, rent included.

Budapest $2,555
Manama $2,433

A family of three spends $3,489 per month in Budapest vs $3,331 in Manama, rent included.

Budapest $3,489
Manama $3,331

Budapest costs about 6% more than Manama, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Budapest and Manama sit above the global median – Budapest by 21%, Manama by 15%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.99 Ft 4,551

$5.24 BHD 1.98

166.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

$52.8 BHD 19.92

14.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 Ft 3,241

$7.30 BHD 2.75

36.44%

Cappuccino

$3.38 Ft 1,100

$4.86 BHD 1.83

-30.45%

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

$2.13 Ft 692

$0.88 BHD 0.33

142.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 Ft 608

$0.30 BHD 0.11

523.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.75 Ft 1,221

$6.72 BHD 2.54

-44.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 Ft 1,162

$9.99 BHD 3.77

-64.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 Ft 368

$1.37 BHD 0.52

-17.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 Ft 599

$1.11 BHD 0.42

65.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 Ft 777

$2.28 BHD 0.86

4.82%

Eggs

$3.83 Ft 1,245

$2.20 BHD 0.83

74.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.33 Ft 3,686

$8.47 BHD 3.19

33.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.74 Ft 2,192

$6.34 BHD 2.39

6.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,780

$8.42 BHD 3.18

74.47%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 Ft 597

$2.41 BHD 0.91

-23.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 Ft 653

$2.32 BHD 0.87

-13.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 Ft 767

$1.89 BHD 0.71

24.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.77 Ft 1,226

$1.44 BHD 0.54

161.81%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 Ft 313

$1.06 BHD 0.40

-9.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 Ft 334

$1.41 BHD 0.53

-26.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 Ft 509

$1.54 BHD 0.58

1.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 Ft 216

$0.83 BHD 0.31

-20.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,591

$5.34 BHD 2.01

49.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.01 Ft 1,954

$18.36 BHD 6.93

-67.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 Ft 421

$3.63 BHD 1.37

-64.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 Ft 676

$2.58 BHD 0.97

-19.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 Ft 489

$0.65 BHD 0.24

130.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.61 Ft 8,982

$37.30 BHD 14.08

-25.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 Ft 1,074

$5.19 BHD 1.96

-36.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 Ft 424

$3.38 BHD 1.27

-61.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.78 Ft 6,436

$15.88 BHD 5.99

24.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 Ft 591

$0.65 BHD 0.25

178.46%

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

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

$37.7K BHD 14.2K

-22.30%

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

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

$20.9K BHD 7,896

63.02%

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

$170 Ft 55.3K

$151 BHD 57.1

12.31%

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

$23.98 Ft 7,802

$24.40 BHD 9.21

-1.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.42 Ft 7,621

$34.61 BHD 13.06

-32.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

$62.3 BHD 23.50

6.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.18 Ft 6,239

$30.23 BHD 11.41

-36.55%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 Ft 3,098

$10.77 BHD 4.06

-11.61%

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

$537 Ft 174.6K

$488 BHD 184

9.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

$11.2K BHD 4,238

47.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 Ft 33.0K

$50.7 BHD 19.13

99.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

$58.6 BHD 22.13

-26.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 Ft 36.7K

$86.1 BHD 32.51

30.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.6K

$90.0 BHD 33.97

31.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 Ft 262.0K

$997 BHD 376

-19.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 Ft 204.7K

$650 BHD 245

-3.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

$2,040 BHD 770

-24.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

$1,399 BHD 528

-16.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

$2,643 BHD 997

112.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

$1,999 BHD 754

98.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

$2,382 BHD 899

-31.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

6.21

3.54%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Last update for Manama: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$629 38.7%

Manama

$650 41.6% 3.3% $21

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.8%

Manama

$248 15.9% 3.7% $9.6

Eating Out

Budapest

$224 13.8%

Manama

$180 11.5% 19.5% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$217 13.4%

Manama

$210 13.5% 3.2% $7

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$169 10.4%

Manama

$128 8.2% 24% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$85 5.2%

Manama

$84 5.4% 1.7% $1.5

Getting Around

Budapest

$43 2.7%

Manama

$62 4% 42.6% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $805 in Budapest 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 47% higher in Manama, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Budapest versus $53.0 in Manama. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $248 – making Manama the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇧🇭 Manama

🕒 Local time

08:17 8:17 AM

09:17 9:17 AM

1 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

157,474 Capital

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Bahraini Dinar BHD .د.ب

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

1 BHD = 2.65 USD

1 BHD = 2.36 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BHD, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 325 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 365 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR).

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).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Budapest Manama 3,630 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
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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

Budapest vs Manama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 6%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,432 per month in Budapest and $2,304 in Manama. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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.

Public transport costs about 35% less in Manama. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $537 per month in Budapest and $488 in Manama. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Manama, where all-in costs run around $1,536, than in Budapest at $1,621. In Manama it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Manama. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Budapest makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.