Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Doha and Manama

For one person, living is cheaper in Manama: $1,561 a month against $2,149 in Doha, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

104

Cost of Living Index in Doha
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Doha Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Manama
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Manama Living Index

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Doha

🇶🇦 Qatar

$2,149

/mo nomad

Manama

🇧🇭 Bahrain

$1,561

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,149 per month in Doha vs $1,561 in Manama, rent included.

Doha $2,149
Manama $1,561

A couple spends around $3,429 per month in Doha vs $2,442 in Manama, rent included.

Doha $3,429
Manama $2,442

A family of three spends $4,709 per month in Doha vs $3,323 in Manama, rent included.

Doha $4,709
Manama $3,323

Doha costs about 38% more than Manama, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Doha and Manama sit above the global median – Doha by 58%, Manama by 15%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.36 QAR 34.05

$5.17 BHD 1.93

81.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.1 QAR 251

$53.4 BHD 19.97

29.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.88 QAR 28.70

$7.22 BHD 2.70

9.14%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.99 QAR 43.63

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.81 QAR 50.3

Cappuccino

$5.69 QAR 20.72

$5.01 BHD 1.88

13.57%

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

$0.90 QAR 3.29

$0.88 BHD 0.33

2.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.41 QAR 1.48

$0.32 BHD 0.12

28.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.48 BHD 2.42

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.09 BHD 3.78

Milk (1 liter)

$2.08 QAR 7.57

$1.39 BHD 0.52

49.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 QAR 4.96

$1.05 BHD 0.39

29.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 QAR 6.99

$2.33 BHD 0.87

-17.60%

Eggs

$3.38 QAR 12.29

$2.22 BHD 0.83

52.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.36 QAR 41.34

$8.62 BHD 3.22

31.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.73 QAR 28.12

$6.58 BHD 2.46

17.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.07 QAR 40.28

$8.38 BHD 3.13

32.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 QAR 8.32

$2.39 BHD 0.89

-4.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 QAR 6.75

$2.31 BHD 0.86

-19.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 QAR 5.75

$1.94 BHD 0.73

-18.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.26 QAR 4.60

$1.38 BHD 0.52

-8.70%

Potato (1kg)

$0.98 QAR 3.55

$1.01 BHD 0.38

-2.97%

Onion (1kg)

$0.97 QAR 3.52

$1.36 BHD 0.51

-28.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 QAR 5.19

$1.56 BHD 0.58

-8.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 QAR 1.84

$0.84 BHD 0.32

-40.48%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$9.69 QAR 35.27

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 QAR 6.76

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 QAR 8.33

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.33 QAR 23.04

$5.26 BHD 1.97

20.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.18 BHD 6.80

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.63 BHD 1.36

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 BHD 1.00

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 QAR 2.04

$0.78 BHD 0.29

-28.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.40 QAR 118

$36.65 BHD 13.71

-11.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.89 QAR 6.87

$5.18 BHD 1.94

-63.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 QAR 7.61

$3.42 BHD 1.28

-38.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.50 QAR 49.14

$15.82 BHD 5.92

-14.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.55 QAR 2.00

$0.66 BHD 0.25

-16.67%

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

$24.2K QAR 88.1K

$25.9K BHD 9,671

-6.41%

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

$21.4K QAR 77.9K

$19.3K BHD 7,234

10.62%

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

$83.6 QAR 304

$153 BHD 57.1

-45.19%

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

$33.81 QAR 123

$24.67 BHD 9.23

37.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.0 QAR 320

$35.29 BHD 13.20

149.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$194 QAR 707

$68.9 BHD 25.77

181.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.58 QAR 67.6

$30.13 BHD 11.27

-38.33%

Cinema Ticket

$12.28 QAR 44.68

$10.78 BHD 4.03

13.91%

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

$720 QAR 2,619

$622 BHD 233

15.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,469 QAR 34.5K

$10.9K BHD 4,091

-13.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.6 QAR 217

$50.1 BHD 18.74

18.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.0 QAR 197

$58.0 BHD 21.71

-6.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.4 QAR 362

$89.1 BHD 33.32

11.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 QAR 305

$88.7 BHD 33.16

-5.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,014 QAR 7,332

$1,004 BHD 376

100.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,159 QAR 4,220

$638 BHD 239

81.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,486 QAR 12.7K

$2,052 BHD 767

69.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,403 QAR 8,748

$1,303 BHD 487

84.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,079 QAR 14.8K

$2,590 BHD 969

57.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,416 QAR 8,796

$1,974 BHD 738

22.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,308 QAR 12.0K

$2,384 BHD 892

38.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.92

6.21

-4.67%

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

Last update for Doha: October 26, 2026

Last update for Manama: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Doha

$1.2K 53.9%

Manama

$638 40.9% 45% $522

Sport & Entertainment

Doha

$219 10.2%

Manama

$90 5.8% 58.6% $128

Groceries & Markets

Doha

$213 9.9%

Manama

$249 16% 16.7% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Doha

$205 9.6%

Manama

$213 13.6% 3.4% $7.1

Eating Out

Doha

$172 8%

Manama

$181 11.6% 5% $8.6

Clothing & Footwear

Doha

$134 6.2%

Manama

$129 8.2% 3.6% $4.8

Getting Around

Doha

$47 2.2%

Manama

$62 4% 32.1% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,014 in Doha versus $1,004 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 39% higher in Doha. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $69 in Doha versus $53 in Manama. Groceries tell a different story – $213 in Doha vs $249 in Manama – so Doha wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇶🇦 Doha

🇧🇭 Manama

🕒 Local time

05:33 5:33 AM

Same time as Doha

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,312,947 Capital

157,474 Capital

💱 Currency

Qatari Riyal QAR ر.ق

Bahraini Dinar BHD .د.ب

📈 Exchange rate

1 QAR = 0.275 USD

1 QAR = 0.246 EUR

1 BHD = 2.67 USD

1 BHD = 2.39 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BHD, USD, EUR to QAR – Qatari Riyal Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇶🇦 Qatari Riyal (ر.ق)

Qatari Riyal exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3.64 QAR (1 QAR = 0.275 USD). 1 EUR = 4.06 QAR (1 QAR = 0.246 EUR).

Bahraini Dinar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.374 BHD (1 BHD = 2.67 USD). 1 EUR = 0.418 BHD (1 BHD = 2.39 EUR).

USD to QAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Doha Manama 140 km

From you

Doha
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

Doha vs Manama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Doha is pricier by about 38%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,224 per month in Doha and $2,342 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,004 there versus $2,014 in Doha.

Public transport costs about 12% less in Doha. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $720 per month in Doha and $622 in Manama. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,149 in Doha and $1,561 in Manama. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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 cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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