Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manama and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Manama: $1,536 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $14,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

76

Cost of Living Index in Manama
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Manama Living Index
129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index

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Manama

🇧🇭 Bahrain

$1,536

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manama and in Austin, TX

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,536 in Manama versus $2,704 in Austin, TX.

Manama $1,536
Austin, TX $2,704

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,433 in Manama versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Manama $2,433
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,331 in Manama versus $5,562 in Austin, TX.

Manama $3,331
Austin, TX $5,562

Living in Manama costs roughly 43% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Manama 15% above, Austin, TX 102% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.24 BHD 1.98

$20.22 $20.22

-74.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.8 BHD 19.92

$85.0 $85.0

-37.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.30 BHD 2.75

$12.35 $12.35

-40.89%

Cappuccino

$4.86 BHD 1.83

$5.47 $5.47

-11.15%

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

$0.88 BHD 0.33

$3.82 $3.82

-76.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 BHD 0.11

$2.50 $2.50

-88.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.72 BHD 2.54

$8.06 $8.06

-16.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.99 BHD 3.77

$8.99 $8.99

11.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 BHD 0.52

$1.13 $1.13

21.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 BHD 0.42

$3.78 $3.78

-70.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.28 BHD 0.86

$3.25 $3.25

-29.85%

Eggs

$2.20 BHD 0.83

$4.14 $4.14

-46.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.47 BHD 3.19

$13.08 $13.08

-35.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.34 BHD 2.39

$14.31 $14.31

-55.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.42 BHD 3.18

$15.96 $15.96

-47.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.41 BHD 0.91

$4.38 $4.38

-44.98%

Banana (1kg)

$2.32 BHD 0.87

$1.45 $1.45

60.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 BHD 0.71

$4.54 $4.54

-58.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.44 BHD 0.54

$4.19 $4.19

-65.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.06 BHD 0.40

$2.63 $2.63

-59.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.41 BHD 0.53

$2.36 $2.36

-40.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 BHD 0.58

$1.76 $1.76

-12.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 BHD 0.31

$2.16 $2.16

-61.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.34 BHD 2.01

$9.81 $9.81

-45.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.36 BHD 6.93

$14.72 $14.72

24.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.63 BHD 1.37

$2.78 $2.78

30.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 BHD 0.97

$3.48 $3.48

-25.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.65 BHD 0.24

$1.49 $1.49

-56.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.30 BHD 14.08

$40.51 $40.51

-7.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.19 BHD 1.96

$2.67 $2.67

94.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.38 BHD 1.27

$1.58 $1.58

113.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.88 BHD 5.99

$35.29 $35.29

-55.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.65 BHD 0.25

$0.99 $0.99

-34.34%

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

$37.7K BHD 14.2K

$35.8K $35.8K

5.42%

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

$20.9K BHD 7,896

$27.2K $27.2K

-23.01%

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

$151 BHD 57.1

$219 $219

-30.99%

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

$24.40 BHD 9.21

$58.0 $58.0

-57.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.61 BHD 13.06

$68.4 $68.4

-49.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.3 BHD 23.50

$57.9 $57.9

7.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.23 BHD 11.41

$14.82 $14.82

103.98%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 BHD 4.06

$14.13 $14.13

-23.78%

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

$488 BHD 184

$1,509 $1,509

-67.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.2K BHD 4,238

$21.5K $21.5K

-47.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.7 BHD 19.13

$51.7 $51.7

-1.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.6 BHD 22.13

$44.05 $44.05

33.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.1 BHD 32.51

$85.1 $85.1

1.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 BHD 33.97

$105 $105

-14.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$997 BHD 376

$1,932 $1,932

-48.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 BHD 245

$1,272 $1,272

-48.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 BHD 770

$3,670 $3,670

-44.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,399 BHD 528

$2,525 $2,525

-44.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,643 BHD 997

$7,617 $7,617

-65.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,999 BHD 754

$3,199 $3,199

-37.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,382 BHD 899

$5,105 $5,105

-53.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.21

6.79

-8.54%

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

Last update for Manama: October 5, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manama

$650 41.6%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2% 95.7% $622

Groceries & Markets

Manama

$248 15.9%

Austin, TX

$403 15.3% 62.4% $155

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manama

$210 13.5%

Austin, TX

$346 13.1% 64.3% $135

Eating Out

Manama

$180 11.5%

Austin, TX

$348 13.2% 92.8% $168

Clothing & Footwear

Manama

$128 8.2%

Austin, TX

$129 4.9% 0.2% $0.3

Sport & Entertainment

Manama

$84 5.4%

Austin, TX

$86 3.3% 2.8% $2.4

Getting Around

Manama

$62 4%

Austin, TX

$57 2.2% 8% $4.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $997 in Manama and $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 114% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $53.0 in Manama vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $248 vs $403 per month, with Manama cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇭 Manama

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

06:25 6:25 AM

22:25 10:25 PM

8 h behind Manama

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

157,474 Capital

974,447

💱 Currency

Bahraini Dinar BHD .د.ب

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BHD = 2.65 USD

1 BHD = 2.36 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to BHD – Bahraini Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇭 Bahraini Dinar (.د.ب)

Bahraini Dinar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.377 BHD (1 BHD = 2.65 USD). 1 EUR = 0.423 BHD (1 BHD = 2.36 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to BHD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Manama Austin, TX 12,890 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Manama
Austin, TX

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

Manama vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Manama wins on cost – living expenses run 76% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Manama the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 114% lower in Austin, TX. 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: $997 in Manama versus $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,536 per month in Manama versus $2,704 in Austin, TX – a 76% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Manama runs roughly 9% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,536 in Manama versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Manama but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. 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, Manama and Austin, TX 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 76% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.