Cost of Living Comparison Between Manama and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Manama and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,479 in Manama versus $2,320 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,410 in Manama versus $3,426 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,340 in Manama versus $4,532 in Barcelona.

Living in Manama costs roughly 36% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Manama 11% above, Barcelona 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.57 BHD 2.48

$17.66 €15.43

-62.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.0 BHD 19.60

$69.7 €60.9

-25.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.56 BHD 2.85

$14.16 €12.37

-46.61%

Cappuccino

$5.46 BHD 2.06

$2.80 €2.45

95.00%

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

$0.79 BHD 0.30

$2.81 €2.46

-71.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 BHD 0.14

$2.06 €1.80

-82.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.01 BHD 3.02

$4.60 €4.02

74.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.46 BHD 3.94

$4.69 €4.10

123.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 BHD 0.62

$1.23 €1.07

34.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.33 BHD 0.50

$2.03 €1.78

-34.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.34 BHD 0.88

$1.98 €1.73

18.18%

Eggs

$2.40 BHD 0.90

$3.49 €3.05

-31.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.62 BHD 3.25

$18.33 €16.01

-52.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.50 BHD 2.83

$9.83 €8.59

-23.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.23 BHD 3.86

$19.13 €16.71

-46.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.45 BHD 0.92

$2.73 €2.38

-10.26%

Banana (1kg)

$2.10 BHD 0.79

$2.38 €2.08

-11.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.70 BHD 0.64

$2.08 €1.82

-18.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.17 BHD 0.44

$2.75 €2.41

-57.45%

Potato (1kg)

$0.92 BHD 0.35

$1.96 €1.71

-53.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 BHD 0.41

$1.79 €1.57

-39.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 BHD 0.54

$1.48 €1.29

-2.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 BHD 0.34

$0.91 €0.80

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.48 BHD 2.44

$7.13 €6.23

-9.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.75 BHD 7.07

$7.88 €6.88

137.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.35 BHD 1.26

$1.38 €1.20

142.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 BHD 1.18

$2.39 €2.09

31.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.78 BHD 0.29

$3.01 €2.63

-74.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.29 BHD 12.17

$29.35 €25.65

10.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.66 BHD 1.76

$4.36 €3.81

6.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.00 BHD 1.51

$2.13 €1.86

87.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.04 BHD 9.81

$29.60 €25.86

-12.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.53 BHD 0.20

$1.82 €1.59

-70.88%

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

$37.7K BHD 14.2K

$37.9K €33.1K

-0.50%

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

$20.7K BHD 7,813

$32.4K €28.3K

-35.98%

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

$122 BHD 46.06

$189 €165

-35.35%

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

$26.99 BHD 10.17

$22.29 €19.48

21.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.99 BHD 14.70

$37.16 €32.47

4.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 BHD 26.90

$58.0 €50.7

23.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$44.42 BHD 16.74

$20.66 €18.05

115.00%

Cinema Ticket

$10.53 BHD 3.97

$10.87 €9.50

-3.13%

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

$394 BHD 148

$706 €617

-44.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,780 BHD 3,309

$14.9K €13.0K

-40.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.27 BHD 17.44

$89.4 €78.2

-48.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.5 BHD 23.19

$36.60 €31.98

68.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.8 BHD 31.21

$104 €90.9

-20.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.4 BHD 33.71

$119 €104

-25.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$803 BHD 303

$1,579 €1,379

-49.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$548 BHD 207

$1,238 €1,082

-55.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,794 BHD 676

$2,712 €2,370

-33.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 BHD 455

$2,039 €1,782

-40.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,668 BHD 1,006

$7,527 €6,576

-64.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,960 BHD 739

$5,239 €4,577

-62.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,276 BHD 858

$2,364 €2,065

-3.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.56

3.39

152.51%

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

Last update for Manama: July 14, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $803 in Manama and $1,579 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 4% 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: $52.0 in Manama vs $70.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $262 vs $320 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

Manama vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Manama and Barcelona differ by about 57% in total monthly costs ($1,479 vs $2,320 including rent). Manama is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 4% lower in Barcelona. 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: $803 in Manama versus $1,579 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $394 in Manama versus $706 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,479 in Manama versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Manama but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. 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 Barcelona 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 57% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.