Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Manama Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Manama

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $1,606 in Manama.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $2,517 in Manama.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $3,428 in Manama.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 43% more expensive than in Manama, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 68% above, Manama 17% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.33

$6.67 BHD 2.52

163.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.8

$52.1 BHD 19.64

20.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.10

$7.30 BHD 2.75

58.63%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$4.82 BHD 1.82

-35.68%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$0.84 BHD 0.32

196.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$0.33 BHD 0.12

427.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$6.65 BHD 2.51

-47.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$9.84 BHD 3.71

-65.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$1.43 BHD 0.54

-19.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$1.06 BHD 0.40

80.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$2.30 BHD 0.87

-34.78%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$2.22 BHD 0.84

79.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.59

$8.78 BHD 3.31

51.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.98

$6.33 BHD 2.39

26.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.73

$8.45 BHD 3.19

113.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$2.39 BHD 0.90

-1.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.53

$2.35 BHD 0.89

-25.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$1.88 BHD 0.71

-1.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$1.44 BHD 0.54

77.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

$1.06 BHD 0.40

73.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$1.43 BHD 0.54

46.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.30

$1.55 BHD 0.59

-3.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.78 BHD 0.29

5.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.19

$5.18 BHD 1.95

37.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.15

$18.37 BHD 6.92

-67.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.15

$3.47 BHD 1.31

-62.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$2.62 BHD 0.99

-18.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$0.64 BHD 0.24

268.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.63

$37.78 BHD 14.24

23.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$5.38 BHD 2.03

-24.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$3.51 BHD 1.32

-67.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.90

$15.79 BHD 5.95

8.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$0.64 BHD 0.24

260.94%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$37.3K BHD 14.0K

-8.40%

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

$41.4K €36.1K

$20.4K BHD 7,674

103.21%

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

$169 €147

$154 BHD 57.9

9.65%

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

$19.33 €16.85

$24.27 BHD 9.15

-20.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.21

$34.61 BHD 13.04

-3.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.57

$61.8 BHD 23.30

-21.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.94

$30.54 BHD 11.51

-36.38%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.34

$10.77 BHD 4.06

-11.14%

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

$696 €607

$495 BHD 187

40.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$10.9K BHD 4,096

59.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.8

$50.5 BHD 19.05

108.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.62

$57.7 BHD 21.74

-17.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.6

$87.2 BHD 32.85

15.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$91.0 BHD 34.29

36.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,449

$1,002 BHD 378

65.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,086

$643 BHD 242

93.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,584

$2,079 BHD 783

42.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,786

$1,381 BHD 521

48.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,829

$2,652 BHD 1,000

195.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,892

$1,959 BHD 738

127.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,422

$2,273 BHD 857

-28.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

6.21

-39.13%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Manama: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $1,002 in Manama. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Manama pays 39% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $52.0 in Manama for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $248 per month, with Manama cheaper across the board.

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

Lisbon and Manama differ by about 43% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $1,606 including rent). Manama is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 39% lower in Manama. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,662 in Lisbon versus $1,002 in Manama. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Lisbon versus $495 in Manama. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,606 in Manama versus $2,296 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Manama but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Manama the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Manama are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Manama gentler on the wallet – expenses run 43% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.