Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Bahrain

Name: Bahrain
Address: BH

For one person, living is cheaper in China: $791 a month against $1,592 in Bahrain, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in China
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China Living Index
77

Cost of Living Index in Bahrain
Learn more

Bahrain Living Index

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🇨🇳 China

$791

/mo nomad

🇧🇭 Bahrain

$1,592

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in China and in Bahrain

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in China and in Bahrain actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $791 in China versus $1,592 in Bahrain.

China $791
Bahrain $1,592

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,251 in China versus $2,414 in Bahrain.

China $1,251
Bahrain $2,414

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,711 in China versus $3,236 in Bahrain.

China $1,711
Bahrain $3,236

Internal cost variation is higher in Bahrain: monthly costs span $126 to $1,997, compared to $465–$1,222 in China. City choice carries more weight in Bahrain.

Living in China costs about 50% less than in Bahrain on average.

China (42% below) and Bahrain (17% above) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.98 ¥19.80

$7.13 BHD 2.69

-58.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.09 ¥147

$39.71 BHD 14.98

-44.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.20 ¥34.58

$8.08 BHD 3.05

-35.64%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ¥19.73

$4.85 BHD 1.83

-38.76%

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

$0.48 ¥3.19

$0.96 BHD 0.36

-50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ¥2.01

$0.32 BHD 0.12

-6.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.08 ¥7.17

$6.48 BHD 2.44

-83.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 ¥15.14

$9.13 BHD 3.44

-75.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ¥11.95

$1.56 BHD 0.59

15.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 ¥11.14

$1.26 BHD 0.47

33.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.13

$2.60 BHD 0.98

-64.62%

Eggs

$1.61 ¥10.73

$2.63 BHD 0.99

-38.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.38 ¥89.0

$9.61 BHD 3.63

39.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.35 ¥22.27

$6.31 BHD 2.38

-46.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.35 ¥75.5

$10.43 BHD 3.93

8.82%

Apples (1kg)

$1.82 ¥12.12

$2.62 BHD 0.99

-30.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 ¥8.69

$2.20 BHD 0.83

-40.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 ¥9.89

$2.20 BHD 0.83

-32.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.27 ¥8.47

$1.64 BHD 0.62

-22.56%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 ¥4.73

$1.21 BHD 0.46

-41.32%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.21

$1.13 BHD 0.43

-17.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ¥4.12

$1.61 BHD 0.61

-61.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.74

$0.70 BHD 0.26

-20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.78 ¥25.14

$5.81 BHD 2.19

-34.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.13 ¥80.7

$24.33 BHD 9.18

-50.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥5.54

$3.59 BHD 1.35

-76.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 ¥11.20

$3.17 BHD 1.20

-47.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.91

$0.76 BHD 0.29

-61.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.83 ¥119

$36.45 BHD 13.75

-51.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.49 ¥9.89

$5.36 BHD 2.02

-72.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 ¥2.49

$3.41 BHD 1.29

-89.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.10 ¥47.21

$16.09 BHD 6.07

-55.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 ¥8.37

$0.64 BHD 0.24

96.88%

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

$19.4K ¥129.3K

$26.3K BHD 9,910

-25.99%

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

$17.5K ¥116.6K

$20.0K BHD 7,529

-12.15%

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

$54.6 ¥363

$134 BHD 50.4

-59.16%

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

$8.73 ¥58.1

$25.34 BHD 9.56

-65.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.07 ¥73.6

$40.43 BHD 15.25

-72.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.77 ¥271

$78.9 BHD 29.76

-48.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.48 ¥96.3

$36.73 BHD 13.85

-60.58%

Cinema Ticket

$6.78 ¥45.09

$10.55 BHD 3.98

-35.73%

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

$517 ¥3,436

$605 BHD 228

-14.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.8K ¥131.8K

$9,560 BHD 3,606

107.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.53 ¥309

$53.4 BHD 20.14

-12.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.66 ¥237

$52.3 BHD 19.73

-31.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ¥512

$87.1 BHD 32.85

-11.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.3 ¥534

$87.8 BHD 33.12

-8.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$386 ¥2,566

$962 BHD 363

-59.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$235 ¥1,560

$631 BHD 238

-62.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 ¥5,466

$1,830 BHD 690

-55.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$453 ¥3,013

$1,185 BHD 447

-61.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,697 ¥31.2K

$2,611 BHD 985

79.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,372 ¥15.8K

$1,865 BHD 703

27.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,093 ¥7,270

$2,294 BHD 865

-52.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

6.33

-45.34%

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

Last update for China: October 24, 2026

Last update for Bahrain: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

China

$235 29.6%

Bahrain

$631 39.7% 169% $397

Groceries & Markets

China

$210 26.5%

Bahrain

$278 17.5% 32.2% $68

Clothing & Footwear

China

$108 13.6%

Bahrain

$126 7.9% 17.2% $19

Eating Out

China

$88 11.1%

Bahrain

$195 12.3% 122% $107

Monthly Utilities & Internet

China

$74 9.4%

Bahrain

$199 12.5% 168% $125

Sport & Entertainment

China

$54 6.9%

Bahrain

$100 6.3% 84.1% $46

Getting Around

China

$22 2.8%

Bahrain

$62 3.9% 177% $40

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $298 in China, $830 in Bahrain. Capital cities: $933 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,004 in Manama.

National salary averages: $873 in China, $2,201 in Bahrain. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 179% higher in Bahrain.

Dining out costs 105% more in Bahrain.

Public transport is 117% more expensive in Bahrain.

Salaries are about 2.5 times higher in Bahrain, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Bahrain.

Good to know

🇨🇳 China

🇧🇭 Bahrain

🕒 Local time

04:24 4:24 AM

23:24 11:24 PM

5 h behind China

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,442,965,000

1,569,666

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Bahraini Dinar BHD .د.ب

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

1 BHD = 2.65 USD

1 BHD = 2.38 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BHD, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 6.65 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.41 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

Bahraini Dinar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 0.377 BHD (1 BHD = 2.65 USD). 1 EUR = 0.42 BHD (1 BHD = 2.38 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

China Bahrain 6,180 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

China
Bahrain

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

China vs Bahrain: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,592 per month in Bahrain and $791 in China, China comes out about 50% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is cheaper in China: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $830 in Bahrain and $298 in China. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

It depends on what you’re after: China wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.