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: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $1,479 in Manama.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $2,410 in Manama.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $3,340 in Manama.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 55% more expensive than in Manama, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 71% above, Manama 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.15

$6.57 BHD 2.48

146.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.3

$52.0 BHD 19.60

21.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.02

$7.56 BHD 2.85

36.51%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.47

$5.46 BHD 2.06

-48.17%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$0.79 BHD 0.30

189.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.37 BHD 0.14

327.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.97

$8.01 BHD 3.02

-57.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$10.46 BHD 3.94

-61.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$1.65 BHD 0.62

-33.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.33 BHD 0.50

31.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$2.34 BHD 0.88

-24.79%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$2.40 BHD 0.90

32.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.53

$8.62 BHD 3.25

53.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.96

$7.50 BHD 2.83

6.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.57

$10.23 BHD 3.86

51.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$2.45 BHD 0.92

-3.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$2.10 BHD 0.79

-18.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.75

$1.70 BHD 0.64

18.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.12

$1.17 BHD 0.44

107.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.92 BHD 0.35

91.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.08 BHD 0.41

87.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.44 BHD 0.54

33.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.91 BHD 0.34

-6.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.75

$6.48 BHD 2.44

1.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.87

$18.75 BHD 7.07

-70.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.16

$3.35 BHD 1.26

-60.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$3.14 BHD 1.18

-5.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.78 BHD 0.29

192.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.01

$32.29 BHD 12.17

41.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.69

$4.66 BHD 1.76

-9.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$4.00 BHD 1.51

-79.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.11

$26.04 BHD 9.81

-29.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$0.53 BHD 0.20

292.45%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$37.7K BHD 14.2K

-8.04%

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

$39.2K €34.2K

$20.7K BHD 7,813

88.89%

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

$148 €129

$122 BHD 46.06

21.14%

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

$20.46 €17.88

$26.99 BHD 10.17

-24.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.56

$38.99 BHD 14.70

1.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.93

$71.4 BHD 26.90

-32.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.25

$44.42 BHD 16.74

-58.13%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.06

$10.53 BHD 3.97

-12.44%

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

$616 €538

$394 BHD 148

56.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$8,780 BHD 3,309

87.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.7

$46.27 BHD 17.44

121.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.47

$61.5 BHD 23.19

-32.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.8

$82.8 BHD 31.21

14.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$89.4 BHD 33.71

36.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,426

$803 BHD 303

103.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,077

$548 BHD 207

124.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,707

$1,794 BHD 676

72.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,775

$1,208 BHD 455

68.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,842

$2,668 BHD 1,006

193.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,835

$1,960 BHD 739

123.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,404

$2,276 BHD 858

-29.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

8.56

-55.49%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Manama: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $803 in Manama. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Manama pays 42% 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 $267 vs $262 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 55% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $1,479 including rent). Manama is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 42% 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $803 in Manama. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $394 in Manama. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,479 in Manama versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $1,000 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 55% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.