Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Madinat Hamad and Cape Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Madinat Hamad: $1,199 a month against $1,586 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Madinat Hamad
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Madinat Hamad Living Index
77

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index

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Madinat Hamad

🇧🇭 Bahrain

$1,199

/mo nomad

Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,586

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Madinat Hamad and in Cape Town

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Madinat Hamad and in Cape Town actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,199 per month in Madinat Hamad vs $1,586 in Cape Town, rent included.

Madinat Hamad $1,199
Cape Town $1,586

A couple spends around $1,913 per month in Madinat Hamad vs $2,425 in Cape Town, rent included.

Madinat Hamad $1,913
Cape Town $2,425

A family of three spends $2,626 per month in Madinat Hamad vs $3,263 in Cape Town, rent included.

Madinat Hamad $2,626
Cape Town $3,263

Madinat Hamad is about 24% cheaper than Cape Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Madinat Hamad sits 11% below the global median, while Cape Town is 17% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.61 BHD 0.99

$12.14 R 200

-78.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 BHD 20.02

$45.34 R 747

17.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.30 BHD 2.76

$5.88 R 96.9

24.15%

Cappuccino

$2.60 BHD 0.98

$2.50 R 41.18

4.00%

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

$0.90 BHD 0.34

$1.27 R 20.94

-29.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 BHD 0.11

$0.98 R 16.14

-69.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.48 BHD 2.44

$2.99 R 49.33

116.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.81 BHD 3.70

$3.72 R 61.4

163.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 BHD 0.53

$1.30 R 21.40

7.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 BHD 0.39

$1.25 R 20.68

-16.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.38 BHD 0.90

$2.23 R 36.76

6.73%

Eggs

$2.06 BHD 0.78

$3.11 R 51.2

-33.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.59 BHD 3.24

$9.06 R 149

-5.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.38 BHD 2.41

$6.92 R 114

-7.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.70 BHD 3.28

$9.30 R 153

-6.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.16 BHD 0.82

$1.84 R 30.25

17.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 BHD 0.58

$1.96 R 32.29

-20.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 BHD 0.73

$1.67 R 27.45

15.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.33 BHD 0.50

$2.17 R 35.70

-38.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 BHD 0.38

$1.57 R 25.81

-35.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 BHD 0.41

$1.48 R 24.45

-26.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 BHD 0.59

$1.30 R 21.41

20.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 BHD 0.21

$1.13 R 18.60

-51.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.35 BHD 2.02

$3.60 R 59.3

48.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.44 BHD 6.96

$6.15 R 101

199.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.67 BHD 1.39

$1.38 R 22.66

165.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 BHD 0.97

$2.14 R 35.20

20.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.63 BHD 0.24

$1.50 R 24.65

-58.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.67 BHD 13.09

$60.8 R 1,001

-42.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 BHD 2.02

$0.59 R 9.71

808.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.60 BHD 0.98

$1.50 R 24.65

73.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.62 BHD 5.90

$5.11 R 84.2

205.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.39 BHD 0.15

$1.55 R 25.50

-74.84%

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

$37.6K BHD 14.2K

$36.2K R 596.5K

3.92%

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

$20.7K BHD 7,822

$31.2K R 514.8K

-33.67%

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

$155 BHD 58.4

$114 R 1,883

35.37%

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

$24.29 BHD 9.17

$28.91 R 476

-15.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.20 BHD 6.87

$39.73 R 654

-54.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$119 BHD 45.06

$49.01 R 808

143.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$52.4 BHD 19.76

$10.99 R 181

376.43%

Cinema Ticket

$5.16 BHD 1.95

$9.15 R 151

-43.61%

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

$489 BHD 185

$259 R 4,264

88.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K BHD 4,170

$6,794 R 111.9K

62.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.1 BHD 18.90

$56.2 R 926

-10.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 BHD 22.09

$32.41 R 534

80.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.8 BHD 33.53

$121 R 1,987

-26.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 BHD 33.54

$108 R 1,781

-17.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$398 BHD 150

$1,021 R 16.8K

-60.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$318 BHD 120

$717 R 11.8K

-55.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 BHD 304

$1,824 R 30.1K

-55.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$665 BHD 251

$1,327 R 21.9K

-49.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,391 R 39.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,542 R 25.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$669 BHD 252

$1,639 R 27.0K

-59.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.21

10.97

-43.39%

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

Last update for Madinat Hamad: October 10, 2026

Last update for Cape Town: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Madinat Hamad

$318 26.5%

Cape Town

$717 45.2% 126% $399

Groceries & Markets

Madinat Hamad

$239 19.9%

Cape Town

$225 14.2% 5.9% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Madinat Hamad

$197 16.5%

Cape Town

$183 11.5% 7.2% $14

Eating Out

Madinat Hamad

$131 10.9%

Cape Town

$176 11.1% 34.7% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Madinat Hamad

$130 10.8%

Cape Town

$67 4.2% 48.1% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Madinat Hamad

$129 10.8%

Cape Town

$143 9% 10.8% $14

Getting Around

Madinat Hamad

$56 4.6%

Cape Town

$75 4.7% 34.7% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $398 in Madinat Hamad versus $1,021 in Cape Town. 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 145% higher in Cape Town, 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 $53.0 in Madinat Hamad versus $45.00 in Cape Town. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $239 vs $225 – making Cape Town the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇭 Madinat Hamad

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🕒 Local time

13:42 1:42 PM

12:42 12:42 PM

1 h behind Madinat Hamad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

133,350

3,740,026 Capital

💱 Currency

Bahraini Dinar BHD .د.ب

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

1 BHD = 2.65 USD

1 BHD = 2.36 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to BHD – Bahraini Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇭 Bahraini Dinar (.د.ب)

Bahraini Dinar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.377 BHD (1 BHD = 2.65 USD). 1 EUR = 0.424 BHD (1 BHD = 2.36 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

USD to BHD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Madinat Hamad Cape Town 7,490 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Madinat Hamad
Cape Town

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

Madinat Hamad vs Cape Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town costs about 32% more than Madinat Hamad, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from leisure. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,798 per month in Madinat Hamad and $2,379 in Cape Town. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Madinat Hamad, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,199 in Madinat Hamad and $1,586 in Cape Town. That's a gap of about 32%.

Public transport costs about 75% less in Madinat Hamad. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Madinat Hamad, where all-in costs run around $1,199, than in Cape Town at $1,586. In Madinat Hamad it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cape Town it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Madinat Hamad costs $1,199 versus $1,586 in Cape Town. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Madinat Hamad. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cape Town makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.