Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manama and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Manama: $1,536 a month against $1,621 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $1,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

76

Cost of Living Index in Manama
Learn more

Manama Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
Learn more

Budapest Living Index

Jump to prices

Manama

🇧🇭 Bahrain

$1,536

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manama and in Budapest

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

A single person spends $1,536 per month in Manama vs $1,621 in Budapest, rent included.

Manama $1,536
Budapest $1,621

A couple spends around $2,433 per month in Manama vs $2,555 in Budapest, rent included.

Manama $2,433
Budapest $2,555

A family of three spends $3,331 per month in Manama vs $3,489 in Budapest, rent included.

Manama $3,331
Budapest $3,489

Manama is about 5% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Manama and Budapest sit above the global median – Manama by 15%, Budapest by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.24 BHD 1.98

$13.99 Ft 4,551

-62.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.8 BHD 19.92

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

-12.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.30 BHD 2.75

$9.96 Ft 3,241

-26.71%

Cappuccino

$4.86 BHD 1.83

$3.38 Ft 1,100

43.79%

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

$0.88 BHD 0.33

$2.13 Ft 692

-58.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 BHD 0.11

$1.87 Ft 608

-83.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.72 BHD 2.54

$3.75 Ft 1,221

79.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.99 BHD 3.77

$3.57 Ft 1,162

179.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 BHD 0.52

$1.13 Ft 368

21.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 BHD 0.42

$1.84 Ft 599

-39.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.28 BHD 0.86

$2.39 Ft 777

-4.60%

Eggs

$2.20 BHD 0.83

$3.83 Ft 1,245

-42.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.47 BHD 3.19

$11.33 Ft 3,686

-25.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.34 BHD 2.39

$6.74 Ft 2,192

-5.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.42 BHD 3.18

$14.69 Ft 4,780

-42.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.41 BHD 0.91

$1.84 Ft 597

30.98%

Banana (1kg)

$2.32 BHD 0.87

$2.01 Ft 653

15.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 BHD 0.71

$2.36 Ft 767

-19.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.44 BHD 0.54

$3.77 Ft 1,226

-61.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.06 BHD 0.40

$0.96 Ft 313

10.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.41 BHD 0.53

$1.03 Ft 334

36.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 BHD 0.58

$1.56 Ft 509

-1.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 BHD 0.31

$0.66 Ft 216

25.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.34 BHD 2.01

$7.96 Ft 2,591

-32.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.36 BHD 6.93

$6.01 Ft 1,954

205.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.63 BHD 1.37

$1.30 Ft 421

179.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 BHD 0.97

$2.08 Ft 676

24.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.65 BHD 0.24

$1.50 Ft 489

-56.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.30 BHD 14.08

$27.61 Ft 8,982

35.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.19 BHD 1.96

$3.30 Ft 1,074

57.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.38 BHD 1.27

$1.30 Ft 424

160.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.88 BHD 5.99

$19.78 Ft 6,436

-19.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.65 BHD 0.25

$1.81 Ft 591

-64.09%

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

$37.7K BHD 14.2K

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

28.71%

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

$20.9K BHD 7,896

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

-38.66%

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

$151 BHD 57.1

$170 Ft 55.3K

-10.96%

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

$24.40 BHD 9.21

$23.98 Ft 7,802

1.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.61 BHD 13.06

$23.42 Ft 7,621

47.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.3 BHD 23.50

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

-5.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.23 BHD 11.41

$19.18 Ft 6,239

57.61%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 BHD 4.06

$9.52 Ft 3,098

13.13%

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

$488 BHD 184

$537 Ft 174.6K

-9.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.2K BHD 4,238

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

-32.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.7 BHD 19.13

$101 Ft 33.0K

-49.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.6 BHD 22.13

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

36.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.1 BHD 32.51

$113 Ft 36.7K

-23.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 BHD 33.97

$119 Ft 38.6K

-24.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$997 BHD 376

$805 Ft 262.0K

23.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 BHD 245

$629 Ft 204.7K

3.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 BHD 770

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

31.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,399 BHD 528

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

19.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,643 BHD 997

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

-52.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,999 BHD 754

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

-49.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,382 BHD 899

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

46.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.21

6.43

-3.42%

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

Last update for Manama: October 5, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manama

$650 41.6%

Budapest

$629 38.7% 3.2% $21

Groceries & Markets

Manama

$248 15.9%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 3.9% $9.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manama

$210 13.5%

Budapest

$217 13.4% 3.3% $7

Eating Out

Manama

$180 11.5%

Budapest

$224 13.8% 24.3% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Manama

$128 8.2%

Budapest

$169 10.4% 31.6% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Manama

$84 5.4%

Budapest

$85 5.2% 1.8% $1.5

Getting Around

Manama

$62 4%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 29.9% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $997 in Manama versus $805 in Budapest. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 47% higher in Manama, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $53.0 in Manama versus $60.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $248 vs $258 – making Manama the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇭 Manama

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

06:08 6:08 AM

05:08 5:08 AM

1 h behind Manama

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

157,474 Capital

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Bahraini Dinar BHD .د.ب

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1 BHD = 2.65 USD

1 BHD = 2.36 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, 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).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 325 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 365 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR).

USD to BHD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Manama Budapest 3,630 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Manama
Budapest

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 Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 6%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,304 per month in Manama and $2,432 in Budapest. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Manama, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 35% less in Manama. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $488 per month in Manama and $537 in Budapest. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Manama, where all-in costs run around $1,536, than in Budapest at $1,621. In Manama it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Manama – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Manama. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Budapest makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.