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: $1,496 in Manama versus $2,367 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,408 in Manama versus $3,465 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,319 in Manama versus $4,563 in Barcelona.

Living in Manama costs roughly 37% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Manama 12% above, Barcelona 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.48 BHD 2.44

$17.58 €15.12

-63.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 BHD 20.16

$68.4 €58.9

-21.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.27 BHD 2.74

$14.06 €12.09

-48.29%

Cappuccino

$5.34 BHD 2.01

$2.78 €2.39

92.09%

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

$0.87 BHD 0.33

$2.80 €2.41

-68.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 BHD 0.14

$2.06 €1.78

-82.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.09 BHD 3.05

$4.46 €3.84

81.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.54 BHD 3.97

$4.61 €3.96

128.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 BHD 0.64

$1.24 €1.07

37.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.27 BHD 0.48

$2.03 €1.74

-37.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.43 BHD 0.91

$1.92 €1.65

26.56%

Eggs

$2.47 BHD 0.93

$3.31 €2.85

-25.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.59 BHD 3.24

$18.43 €15.85

-53.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.74 BHD 2.92

$9.49 €8.16

-18.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.28 BHD 3.88

$19.16 €16.48

-46.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.36 BHD 0.89

$2.64 €2.27

-10.61%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 BHD 0.79

$2.45 €2.11

-13.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 BHD 0.67

$2.12 €1.82

-16.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.18 BHD 0.44

$2.85 €2.45

-58.60%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 BHD 0.35

$2.04 €1.75

-54.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 BHD 0.41

$1.85 €1.59

-41.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 BHD 0.55

$1.47 €1.26

-0.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 BHD 0.32

$0.84 €0.73

2.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 BHD 2.48

$7.14 €6.14

-7.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 BHD 7.12

$7.88 €6.78

139.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.44 BHD 1.30

$1.38 €1.19

149.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 BHD 1.24

$2.31 €1.99

42.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 BHD 0.31

$2.98 €2.56

-72.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.28 BHD 11.79

$29.26 €25.17

6.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 BHD 1.72

$4.60 €3.95

-0.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.96 BHD 1.49

$2.07 €1.78

91.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.86 BHD 10.13

$29.18 €25.10

-7.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.52 BHD 0.19

$1.84 €1.58

-71.74%

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

$36.8K BHD 13.9K

$39.0K €33.6K

-5.61%

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

$20.7K BHD 7,796

$32.7K €28.1K

-36.75%

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

$121 BHD 45.53

$188 €162

-35.70%

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

$26.86 BHD 10.13

$22.93 €19.73

17.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.52 BHD 14.52

$36.71 €31.58

4.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.0 BHD 26.78

$57.4 €49.35

23.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$45.13 BHD 17.01

$20.70 €17.80

118.02%

Cinema Ticket

$10.78 BHD 4.06

$11.19 €9.63

-3.66%

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

$382 BHD 144

$721 €620

-47.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,953 BHD 3,375

$15.0K €12.9K

-40.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.73 BHD 17.62

$86.2 €74.2

-45.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.8 BHD 24.03

$37.07 €31.89

71.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 BHD 31.98

$102 €87.8

-16.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.8 BHD 33.47

$116 €99.7

-23.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$818 BHD 308

$1,534 €1,319

-46.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$559 BHD 211

$1,220 €1,050

-54.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,791 BHD 675

$2,696 €2,319

-33.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,244 BHD 469

$2,013 €1,732

-38.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,629 BHD 991

$7,220 €6,211

-63.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,941 BHD 732

$5,189 €4,463

-62.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,360 BHD 890

$2,359 €2,029

0.03%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $818 in Manama and $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Manama pays 0% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $53.0 in Manama vs $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $265 vs $318 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 58% in total monthly costs ($1,496 vs $2,367 including rent). Manama is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Manama pays 0% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $818 in Manama versus $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $382 in Manama versus $721 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,496 in Manama versus $2,367 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 58% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.