Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manama and Budaiya

For one person, living is cheaper in Budaiya: $812 a month against $1,561 in Manama, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Manama
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Manama Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Budaiya
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Budaiya Living Index

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Manama

🇧🇭 Bahrain

$1,561

/mo nomad

Budaiya

🇧🇭 Bahrain

$812

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manama and in Budaiya

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,561 in Manama versus $812 in Budaiya.

Manama $1,561
Budaiya $812

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,442 in Manama versus $1,288 in Budaiya.

Manama $2,442
Budaiya $1,288

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,323 in Manama versus $1,763 in Budaiya.

Manama $3,323
Budaiya $1,763

Living in Manama is roughly 92% more expensive than in Budaiya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

The two cities straddle the global median: Manama is 15% above, Budaiya is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.17 BHD 1.95

$5.44 BHD 2.05

-4.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.4 BHD 20.14

$52.2 BHD 19.67

2.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.22 BHD 2.72

$6.61 BHD 2.49

9.23%

Cappuccino

$5.01 BHD 1.89

$5.03 BHD 1.90

-0.40%

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

$0.88 BHD 0.33

$0.84 BHD 0.32

4.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 BHD 0.12

$0.28 BHD 0.11

14.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.48 BHD 2.45

$6.78 BHD 2.56

-4.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.09 BHD 3.81

$9.98 BHD 3.77

1.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 BHD 0.52

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 BHD 0.40

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.33 BHD 0.88

$2.39 BHD 0.90

-2.51%

Eggs

$2.22 BHD 0.84

$2.24 BHD 0.84

-0.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.62 BHD 3.25

$8.45 BHD 3.19

2.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.58 BHD 2.48

$6.59 BHD 2.49

-0.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.38 BHD 3.16

$8.45 BHD 3.19

-0.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 BHD 0.90

$2.35 BHD 0.89

1.70%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 BHD 0.87

$2.22 BHD 0.84

4.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 BHD 0.73

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 BHD 0.52

$1.45 BHD 0.55

-4.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.01 BHD 0.38

$1.02 BHD 0.38

-0.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 BHD 0.51

$1.43 BHD 0.54

-4.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 BHD 0.59

$1.53 BHD 0.58

1.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 BHD 0.32

$0.79 BHD 0.30

6.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.26 BHD 1.98

$5.37 BHD 2.03

-2.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.18 BHD 6.86

$18.20 BHD 6.87

-0.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.63 BHD 1.37

$3.68 BHD 1.39

-1.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 BHD 1.01

$2.60 BHD 0.98

2.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.78 BHD 0.29

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.65 BHD 13.83

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.18 BHD 1.95

$5.22 BHD 1.97

-0.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.42 BHD 1.29

$3.43 BHD 1.29

-0.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.82 BHD 5.97

$16.15 BHD 6.09

-2.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.66 BHD 0.25

$0.69 BHD 0.26

-4.35%

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

$25.9K BHD 9,753

$26.5K BHD 9,987

-2.34%

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

$19.3K BHD 7,296

$19.9K BHD 7,509

-2.84%

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

$153 BHD 57.6

$151 BHD 57.0

1.03%

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

$24.67 BHD 9.30

$24.28 BHD 9.16

1.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.29 BHD 13.31

$34.89 BHD 13.16

1.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 BHD 25.99

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.13 BHD 11.36

Cinema Ticket

$10.78 BHD 4.07

$10.40 BHD 3.92

3.65%

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

$622 BHD 235

$614 BHD 232

1.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.9K BHD 4,126

$10.9K BHD 4,129

-0.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.1 BHD 18.90

$50.6 BHD 19.08

-0.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 BHD 21.89

$57.2 BHD 21.56

1.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.1 BHD 33.61

$89.5 BHD 33.74

-0.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.7 BHD 33.45

$88.8 BHD 33.50

-0.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,004 BHD 379

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$638 BHD 241

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,052 BHD 774

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,303 BHD 491

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,590 BHD 977

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,974 BHD 744

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,384 BHD 899

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 Manama: October 26, 2026

Last update for Budaiya: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manama

$638 40.9%

Budaiya

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Manama

$249 16%

Budaiya

$248 30.6% 0.3% $0.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manama

$213 13.6%

Budaiya

$210 25.9% 1.1% $2.3

Eating Out

Manama

$181 11.6%

Budaiya

$182 22.4% 0.9% $1.5

Clothing & Footwear

Manama

$129 8.2%

Budaiya

$129 15.8% 0% $0

Sport & Entertainment

Manama

$90 5.8%

Budaiya

$21 * 2.6% 77% $70

Getting Around

Manama

$62 4%

Budaiya

$22 * 2.8% 63.9% $40

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $53 in Manama vs $52 in Budaiya for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $248 per month, with Budaiya cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇭 Manama

🇧🇭 Budaiya

🕒 Local time

07:02 7:02 AM

Same time as Manama

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

157,474 Capital

30,702

💱 Currency

Bahraini Dinar BHD .د.ب

📈 Exchange rate

1 BHD = 2.65 USD

1 BHD = 2.38 EUR

1 BHD = 2.65 USD

1 BHD = 2.38 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Manama Budaiya 13 km

From you

Manama
Budaiya

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 Budaiya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Budaiya wins on cost – living expenses run 48% lower than in Manama. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Budaiya the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $2,342 in Manama and $1,219 in Budaiya to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $622 in Manama versus $614 in Budaiya. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

All in, you’ll spend $1,561 per month in Manama versus $812 in Budaiya – Budaiya is about 48% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Budaiya is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Safety-wise, Manama and Budaiya are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.