Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Isa Town and Manama

For one person, living is cheaper in Isa Town: $747 a month against $1,554 in Manama, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Manama
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Manama Living Index

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Isa Town

🇧🇭 Bahrain

$747

/mo nomad

Manama

🇧🇭 Bahrain

$1,554

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $747 per month in Isa Town vs $1,554 in Manama, rent included.

Isa Town $747
Manama $1,554

A couple spends around $1,771 per month in Isa Town vs $2,478 in Manama, rent included.

Isa Town $1,771
Manama $2,478

A family of three spends $2,794 per month in Isa Town vs $3,403 in Manama, rent included.

Isa Town $2,794
Manama $3,403

Isa Town is about 52% cheaper than Manama, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Isa Town sits 45% below the global median, while Manama is 15% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.00 BHD 3.02

$5.34 BHD 2.02

49.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.34 BHD 9.94

$54.0 BHD 20.39

-51.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.48 BHD 2.45

$7.25 BHD 2.74

-10.62%

Cappuccino

$4.59 BHD 1.73

$5.03 BHD 1.90

-8.75%

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

$0.90 BHD 0.34

$0.84 BHD 0.32

7.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 BHD 0.10

$0.30 BHD 0.11

-10.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.63 BHD 2.50

$6.51 BHD 2.46

1.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.82 BHD 3.71

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 BHD 0.51

$1.39 BHD 0.53

-2.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 BHD 0.51

$1.07 BHD 0.40

26.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.19 BHD 1.96

$2.25 BHD 0.85

130.67%

Eggs

$3.16 BHD 1.19

$2.21 BHD 0.83

42.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.39 BHD 3.92

$8.70 BHD 3.28

19.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.00 BHD 3.02

$6.55 BHD 2.47

22.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.52 BHD 8.12

$8.85 BHD 3.34

143.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.68 BHD 1.01

$2.28 BHD 0.86

17.54%

Banana (1kg)

$2.71 BHD 1.02

$2.25 BHD 0.85

20.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.58 BHD 0.97

$1.95 BHD 0.74

32.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.60 BHD 0.98

$1.38 BHD 0.52

88.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 BHD 1.01

$1.01 BHD 0.38

166.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.57 BHD 0.59

$1.41 BHD 0.53

11.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.55 BHD 0.21

$1.51 BHD 0.57

-63.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 BHD 0.41

$0.79 BHD 0.30

36.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.40 BHD 2.04

Wine (Bottle)

$18.59 BHD 7.02

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.66 BHD 1.38

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 BHD 0.97

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.03 BHD 0.39

$0.63 BHD 0.24

63.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.28 BHD 5.01

$36.50 BHD 13.77

-63.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.38 BHD 2.03

$5.34 BHD 2.02

0.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.40 BHD 1.28

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.00 BHD 6.04

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.76 BHD 0.29

$0.69 BHD 0.26

10.14%

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

$25.6K BHD 9,660

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

$13.3K BHD 5,002

$19.7K BHD 7,442

-32.78%

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

$150 BHD 56.7

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

$24.82 BHD 9.37

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.36 BHD 14.86

$35.16 BHD 13.27

11.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$105 BHD 39.50

$63.1 BHD 23.82

65.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.87 BHD 11.65

Cinema Ticket

$10.53 BHD 3.97

$10.57 BHD 3.99

-0.38%

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

$497 BHD 188

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,078 BHD 3,049

$11.0K BHD 4,159

-26.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.42 BHD 14.88

$51.9 BHD 19.58

-24.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.07 BHD 4.93

$56.6 BHD 21.35

-76.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.2 BHD 29.89

$89.1 BHD 33.62

-11.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 BHD 40.37

$89.2 BHD 33.68

19.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,010 BHD 381

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$638 BHD 241

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,308 BHD 493

$2,072 BHD 782

-36.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,067 BHD 403

$1,390 BHD 525

-23.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,572 BHD 971

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 BHD 732

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,078 BHD 407

$2,318 BHD 875

-53.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.21

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

Last update for Isa Town: October 18, 2026

Last update for Manama: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Isa Town

–

Manama

$638 41%

Groceries & Markets

Isa Town

–

Manama

$250 16.1%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Isa Town

–

Manama

$210 13.5%

Eating Out

Isa Town

–

Manama

$182 11.7%

Clothing & Footwear

Isa Town

–

Manama

$129 8.3%

Sport & Entertainment

Isa Town

–

Manama

$84 5.4%

Getting Around

Isa Town

–

Manama

$61 4%

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 115% higher in Manama, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $26.00 in Isa Town versus $54.0 in Manama. Groceries tell a different story – $276 in Isa Town vs $250 in Manama – so Manama wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇧🇭 Isa Town

🇧🇭 Manama

🕒 Local time

05:30 5:30 AM

Same time as Isa Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

36,876

157,474 Capital

💱 Currency

Bahraini Dinar BHD .د.ب

📈 Exchange rate

1 BHD = 2.65 USD

1 BHD = 2.36 EUR

1 BHD = 2.65 USD

1 BHD = 2.36 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Isa Town Manama 6 km

From you

Isa Town
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

Isa Town vs Manama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Manama is pricier by about 108%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,121 per month in Isa Town and $2,331 in Manama. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $747 in Isa Town and $1,554 in Manama. That's a gap of about 108%.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $26.00 in Isa Town and $54.0 in Manama. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Isa Town, where all-in costs run around $747, than in Manama at $1,554. In Isa Town it covers expenses comfortably, while in Manama it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Isa Town – 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 Isa Town. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Manama makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.