Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Madinat Hamad and Saar

For one person, living is cheaper in Madinat Hamad: $1,192 a month against $1,975 in Saar, rent and utilities included – about $9,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Madinat Hamad
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Madinat Hamad Living Index

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Madinat Hamad

🇧🇭 Bahrain

$1,192

/mo nomad

Saar

🇧🇭 Bahrain

$1,975

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Madinat Hamad and in Saar

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 Saar actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,192 per month in Madinat Hamad vs $1,975 in Saar, rent included.

Madinat Hamad $1,192
Saar $1,975

A couple spends around $1,906 per month in Madinat Hamad vs $2,750 in Saar, rent included.

Madinat Hamad $1,906
Saar $2,750

A family of three spends $2,620 per month in Madinat Hamad vs $3,525 in Saar, rent included.

Madinat Hamad $2,620
Saar $3,525

Madinat Hamad is about 40% cheaper than Saar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Madinat Hamad sits 12% below the global median, while Saar is 45% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.60 BHD 0.98

$10.57 BHD 3.99

-75.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.6 BHD 19.82

$33.55 BHD 12.65

56.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.62 BHD 2.87

$10.52 BHD 3.97

-27.57%

Cappuccino

$2.62 BHD 0.99

$5.68 BHD 2.14

-53.87%

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

$0.89 BHD 0.33

$1.73 BHD 0.65

-48.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 BHD 0.12

$1.01 BHD 0.38

-68.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.44 BHD 2.43

$5.94 BHD 2.24

8.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.77 BHD 3.68

$9.05 BHD 3.41

7.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 BHD 0.54

$1.71 BHD 0.64

-15.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 BHD 0.39

$1.32 BHD 0.50

-21.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 BHD 0.90

$2.69 BHD 1.02

-11.15%

Eggs

$2.02 BHD 0.76

$2.62 BHD 0.99

-22.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.86 BHD 3.34

$13.48 BHD 5.08

-34.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.41 BHD 2.42

$6.62 BHD 2.50

-3.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.36 BHD 3.15

$16.08 BHD 6.07

-48.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.18 BHD 0.82

$4.04 BHD 1.52

-46.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 BHD 0.61

$2.36 BHD 0.89

-31.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 BHD 0.72

$3.75 BHD 1.42

-49.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 BHD 0.51

$2.02 BHD 0.76

-33.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 BHD 0.38

$0.69 BHD 0.26

47.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 BHD 0.39

$1.69 BHD 0.64

-39.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 BHD 0.56

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 BHD 0.19

$0.79 BHD 0.30

-36.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.17 BHD 1.95

Wine (Bottle)

$18.64 BHD 7.03

$26.71 BHD 10.07

-30.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.66 BHD 1.38

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 BHD 1.02

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.64 BHD 0.24

$0.79 BHD 0.30

-18.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.51 BHD 13.01

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.15 BHD 1.94

$5.29 BHD 1.99

-2.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.59 BHD 0.98

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.06 BHD 6.06

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.39 BHD 0.15

$0.60 BHD 0.23

-35.00%

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

$25.7K BHD 9,693

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

$19.9K BHD 7,510

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

$155 BHD 58.3

$133 BHD 49.99

16.71%

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

$23.42 BHD 8.83

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.89 BHD 7.12

$31.44 BHD 11.86

-39.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$118 BHD 44.36

$159 BHD 60.0

-26.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$53.9 BHD 20.34

$105 BHD 39.59

-48.62%

Cinema Ticket

$5.21 BHD 1.96

$15.93 BHD 6.01

-67.29%

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

$619 BHD 233

$545 BHD 205

13.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K BHD 4,194

$7,793 BHD 2,939

42.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.5 BHD 19.41

$94.2 BHD 35.52

-45.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 BHD 21.67

$40.02 BHD 15.09

43.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 BHD 32.80

$104 BHD 39.27

-16.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.4 BHD 34.10

$105 BHD 39.63

-13.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$397 BHD 150

$1,310 BHD 494

-69.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$312 BHD 118

$914 BHD 344

-65.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$797 BHD 300

$2,125 BHD 801

-62.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$670 BHD 253

$1,183 BHD 446

-43.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,078 BHD 784

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$669 BHD 252

$2,401 BHD 905

-72.13%

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 Saar: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Madinat Hamad

$312 26.2%

Saar

–

Groceries & Markets

Madinat Hamad

$239 20.1%

Saar

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Madinat Hamad

$197 16.5%

Saar

–

Eating Out

Madinat Hamad

$132 11.1%

Saar

–

Clothing & Footwear

Madinat Hamad

$129 10.8%

Saar

–

Sport & Entertainment

Madinat Hamad

$128 10.7%

Saar

–

Getting Around

Madinat Hamad

$55 4.6%

Saar

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $397 in Madinat Hamad versus $1,319 in Saar. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Saar 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 $32 in Saar. Groceries tell a different story – $239 in Madinat Hamad vs $297 in Saar – so Madinat Hamad wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇧🇭 Madinat Hamad

🇧🇭 Saar

🕒 Local time

14:30 2:30 PM

Same time as Madinat Hamad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

133,350

6,000

💱 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

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Madinat Hamad Saar 7 km

From you

Madinat Hamad
Saar

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 Saar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,192 in Madinat Hamad, $1,975 in Saar – Madinat Hamad comes out roughly 40% 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 $2,963 in Saar. 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 $1,319 in Saar.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $53 in Madinat Hamad and $32 in Saar. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 24% more in Saar, though the gap depends on what you buy.

It depends on your priorities. Madinat Hamad has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,192 in Madinat Hamad to $1,975 in Saar. 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, Saar makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.