Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Manama

For one person, living is cheaper in Manama: $1,561 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lisbon, Portugal
Manama, Bahrain
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Manama
🇧🇭 Bahrain
$1,561
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,561 in Manama.

  • Lisbon $2,210
  • Manama $1,561

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $2,442 in Manama.

  • Lisbon $3,275
  • Manama $2,442

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $3,323 in Manama.

  • Lisbon $4,341
  • Manama $3,323

Living in Lisbon is roughly 42% more expensive than in Manama, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 62% above, Manama 15% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Manama
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.65 €14.91
$5.17 BHD 1.93
222.05%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.7 €55.3
$53.4 BHD 19.97
15.64%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.36 €10.17
$7.22 BHD 2.70
57.34%
Cappuccino
$2.97 €2.66
$5.01 BHD 1.88
-40.72%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 €2.05
$0.88 BHD 0.33
160.23%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.56
$0.32 BHD 0.12
443.75%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.40 €3.05
$6.48 BHD 2.42
-47.53%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.31 €2.96
$10.09 BHD 3.78
-67.20%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Manama
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 €1.04
$1.39 BHD 0.52
-16.55%
White Bread (500g)
$1.91 €1.71
$1.05 BHD 0.39
81.90%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 €1.35
$2.33 BHD 0.87
-35.19%
Eggs
$4.02 €3.60
$2.22 BHD 0.83
81.08%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.94 €11.59
$8.62 BHD 3.22
50.12%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.77 €6.96
$6.58 BHD 2.46
18.09%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.76 €15.91
$8.38 BHD 3.13
111.93%
Apples (1kg)
$2.30 €2.06
$2.39 BHD 0.89
-3.77%
Banana (1kg)
$1.73 €1.55
$2.31 BHD 0.86
-25.11%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.86 €1.66
$1.94 BHD 0.73
-4.12%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.59 €2.32
$1.38 BHD 0.52
87.68%
Potato (1kg)
$1.82 €1.63
$1.01 BHD 0.38
80.20%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.76
$1.36 BHD 0.51
44.85%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.47 €1.32
$1.56 BHD 0.58
-5.77%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 €0.65
$0.84 BHD 0.32
-14.29%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.58 €5.90
$5.26 BHD 1.97
25.10%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.61 €5.02
$18.18 BHD 6.80
-69.14%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.36 €1.22
$3.63 BHD 1.36
-62.53%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 €1.91
$2.66 BHD 1.00
-19.55%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Manama
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.33 €2.09
$0.78 BHD 0.29
198.72%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.68 €40.01
$36.65 BHD 13.71
21.91%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.85 €3.45
$5.18 BHD 1.94
-25.68%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.07 €0.96
$3.42 BHD 1.28
-68.71%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.46 €14.74
$15.82 BHD 5.92
4.05%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.20 €1.97
$0.66 BHD 0.25
233.33%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.2K €30.6K
$25.9K BHD 9,671
32.23%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K €34.7K
$19.3K BHD 7,234
100.20%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Manama
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$161 €144
$153 BHD 57.1
5.67%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.41 €16.49
$24.67 BHD 9.23
-25.37%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.74 €29.32
$35.29 BHD 13.20
-7.23%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Manama
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.55 €39.90
$68.9 BHD 25.77
-35.34%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.10 €17.10
$30.13 BHD 11.27
-36.61%
Cinema Ticket
$9.60 €8.60
$10.78 BHD 4.03
-10.95%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Manama
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$668 €598
$622 BHD 233
7.31%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.8K
$10.9K BHD 4,091
61.03%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Manama
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 €91.4
$50.1 BHD 18.74
103.59%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.46 €39.82
$58.0 BHD 21.71
-23.40%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.5 €88.2
$89.1 BHD 33.32
10.56%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124 €111
$88.7 BHD 33.16
39.47%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Manama
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,608 €1,440
$1,004 BHD 376
60.13%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,190 €1,066
$638 BHD 239
86.59%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,812 €2,519
$2,052 BHD 767
37.06%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,013 €1,803
$1,303 BHD 487
54.51%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,839 €7,021
$2,590 BHD 969
202.67%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,576 €4,098
$1,974 BHD 738
131.84%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Manama
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,575 €1,411
$2,384 BHD 892
-33.93%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
6.21
-38.00%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Manama: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Manama
$638 46.4% $552
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$272
Manama
$249 8.6% $23
Eating Out
Lisbon
$243
Manama
$181 25.6% $62
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$212
Manama
$213 0.1% $0.2
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166
Manama
$129 22.4% $37
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64
Manama
$90 41.9% $27
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Manama
$62 1.8% $1.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $1,004 in Manama. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Manama pays 51% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $62 in Lisbon vs $53 in Manama for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $249 per month, with Manama cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇧🇭 Manama
🕒 Local time
08:31 8:31 AM
11:31 11:31 AM
3 h ahead of Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
157,474 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Bahraini Dinar BHD .د.ب
Exchange rates and currency converter

BHD, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

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

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Manama 5,670 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • 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
Lisbon vs Manama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lisbon and in Manama?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,210 in Lisbon and $1,561 in Manama, so Manama is about 29% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 34% lower in Lisbon. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Lisbon and in Manama?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,608 in Lisbon versus $1,004 in Manama. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Lisbon and Manama?
Childcare runs $668 in Lisbon versus $622 in Manama. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is feasible on a $1,000 budget?
Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Manama is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
Where should families live: Lisbon or Manama?
For families, Manama is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Lisbon, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Is Lisbon or Manama safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Lisbon and Manama are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Where should expats move: Lisbon or Manama?
Expats usually find Manama gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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