Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Madinat Hamad and Manama

For one person, living is cheaper in Madinat Hamad: $1,192 a month against $1,566 in Manama, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Madinat Hamad
Learn more

Madinat Hamad Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Manama
Learn more

Manama Living Index

Jump to prices

Madinat Hamad

🇧🇭 Bahrain

$1,192

/mo nomad

Manama

🇧🇭 Bahrain

$1,566

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,192 per month in Madinat Hamad vs $1,566 in Manama, rent included.

Madinat Hamad $1,192
Manama $1,566

A couple spends around $1,906 per month in Madinat Hamad vs $2,442 in Manama, rent included.

Madinat Hamad $1,906
Manama $2,442

A family of three spends $2,620 per month in Madinat Hamad vs $3,319 in Manama, rent included.

Madinat Hamad $2,620
Manama $3,319

Madinat Hamad is about 24% cheaper than Manama, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Madinat Hamad sits 12% below the global median, while Manama is 15% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.60 BHD 0.98

$5.22 BHD 1.97

-50.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.6 BHD 19.82

$53.5 BHD 20.16

-1.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.62 BHD 2.87

$7.87 BHD 2.97

-3.18%

Cappuccino

$2.62 BHD 0.99

$4.67 BHD 1.76

-43.90%

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

$0.89 BHD 0.33

$0.85 BHD 0.32

4.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 BHD 0.12

$0.30 BHD 0.11

6.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.44 BHD 2.43

$6.75 BHD 2.54

-4.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.77 BHD 3.68

$10.22 BHD 3.85

-4.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 BHD 0.54

$1.40 BHD 0.53

2.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 BHD 0.39

$1.11 BHD 0.42

-7.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 BHD 0.90

$2.28 BHD 0.86

4.82%

Eggs

$2.02 BHD 0.76

$2.31 BHD 0.87

-12.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.86 BHD 3.34

$8.81 BHD 3.32

0.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.41 BHD 2.42

$6.44 BHD 2.43

-0.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.36 BHD 3.15

$8.45 BHD 3.19

-1.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.18 BHD 0.82

$2.29 BHD 0.86

-4.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 BHD 0.61

$2.23 BHD 0.84

-27.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 BHD 0.72

$1.93 BHD 0.73

-1.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 BHD 0.51

$1.38 BHD 0.52

-2.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 BHD 0.38

$1.01 BHD 0.38

0.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 BHD 0.39

$1.42 BHD 0.54

-27.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 BHD 0.56

$1.55 BHD 0.58

-3.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 BHD 0.19

$0.84 BHD 0.32

-40.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.17 BHD 1.95

$5.39 BHD 2.03

-4.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.64 BHD 7.03

$18.82 BHD 7.10

-0.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.66 BHD 1.38

$3.63 BHD 1.37

0.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 BHD 1.02

$2.63 BHD 0.99

3.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.64 BHD 0.24

$0.77 BHD 0.29

-16.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.51 BHD 13.01

$36.68 BHD 13.83

-5.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.15 BHD 1.94

$5.26 BHD 1.98

-2.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.59 BHD 0.98

$3.52 BHD 1.33

-26.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.06 BHD 6.06

$15.84 BHD 5.97

1.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.39 BHD 0.15

$0.70 BHD 0.26

-44.29%

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

$25.7K BHD 9,693

$26.3K BHD 9,926

-2.35%

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

$19.9K BHD 7,510

$19.8K BHD 7,465

0.61%

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

$155 BHD 58.3

$154 BHD 58.0

0.53%

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

$23.42 BHD 8.83

$24.50 BHD 9.24

-4.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.89 BHD 7.12

$34.60 BHD 13.05

-45.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$118 BHD 44.36

$68.4 BHD 25.80

71.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$53.9 BHD 20.34

$30.54 BHD 11.52

76.62%

Cinema Ticket

$5.21 BHD 1.96

$10.73 BHD 4.05

-51.44%

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

$619 BHD 233

$614 BHD 231

0.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K BHD 4,194

$11.4K BHD 4,302

-2.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.5 BHD 19.41

$50.5 BHD 19.05

1.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 BHD 21.67

$57.5 BHD 21.69

-0.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 BHD 32.80

$87.3 BHD 32.91

-0.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.4 BHD 34.10

$88.2 BHD 33.25

2.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$397 BHD 150

$1,010 BHD 381

-60.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$312 BHD 118

$642 BHD 242

-51.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$797 BHD 300

$2,120 BHD 799

-62.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$670 BHD 253

$1,300 BHD 490

-48.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,588 BHD 976

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,992 BHD 751

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$669 BHD 252

$2,384 BHD 899

-71.93%

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 Madinat Hamad: October 31, 2026

Last update for Manama: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Madinat Hamad

$312 26.2%

Manama

$642 41% 106% $330

Groceries & Markets

Madinat Hamad

$239 20.1%

Manama

$250 16% 4.5% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Madinat Hamad

$197 16.5%

Manama

$213 13.6% 8.1% $16

Eating Out

Madinat Hamad

$132 11.1%

Manama

$180 11.5% 36.7% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Madinat Hamad

$129 10.8%

Manama

$128 8.2% 1% $1.3

Sport & Entertainment

Madinat Hamad

$128 10.7%

Manama

$90 5.7% 29.8% $38

Getting Around

Madinat Hamad

$55 4.6%

Manama

$63 4% 13.4% $7.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $397 in Madinat Hamad versus $1,010 in Manama. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Manama are about 3.6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $53 in Madinat Hamad versus $53 in Manama. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $239 vs $250 – making Madinat Hamad the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇭 Madinat Hamad

🇧🇭 Manama

🕒 Local time

14:30 2:30 PM

Same time as Madinat Hamad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

133,350

157,474 Capital

💱 Currency

Bahraini Dinar BHD .د.ب

📈 Exchange rate

1 BHD = 2.65 USD

1 BHD = 2.37 EUR

1 BHD = 2.65 USD

1 BHD = 2.37 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Madinat Hamad Manama 14 km

From you

Madinat Hamad
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

Madinat Hamad vs Manama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,192 in Madinat Hamad, $1,566 in Manama – Madinat Hamad comes out roughly 24% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,788 per month in Madinat Hamad and $2,348 in Manama. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $397 there versus $1,010 in Manama.

Public transport costs about 7% less in Madinat Hamad. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 5% more in Manama, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,192 in Madinat Hamad and $1,566 in Manama, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Manama has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,192 in Madinat Hamad to $1,566 in Manama. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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