Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manama and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $934 a month against $1,536 in Manama, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 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
44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index

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Manama

🇧🇭 Bahrain

$1,536

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manama and in Cebu

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,536 in Manama versus $934 in Cebu.

Manama $1,536
Cebu $934

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,433 in Manama versus $1,415 in Cebu.

Manama $2,433
Cebu $1,415

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,331 in Manama versus $1,896 in Cebu.

Manama $3,331
Cebu $1,896

Living in Manama is roughly 64% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Manama is 15% above, Cebu is 30% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.24 BHD 1.98

$3.03 ₱190

72.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.8 BHD 19.92

$23.48 ₱1,473

124.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.30 BHD 2.75

$4.09 ₱256

78.48%

Cappuccino

$4.86 BHD 1.83

$2.52 ₱158

92.86%

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

$0.88 BHD 0.33

$1.54 ₱96.9

-42.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 BHD 0.11

$0.49 ₱30.98

-38.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.72 BHD 2.54

$1.79 ₱112

275.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.99 BHD 3.77

$2.26 ₱142

342.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 BHD 0.52

$1.95 ₱122

-29.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 BHD 0.42

$1.43 ₱89.7

-22.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.28 BHD 0.86

$1.02 ₱63.8

123.53%

Eggs

$2.20 BHD 0.83

$2.06 ₱129

6.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.47 BHD 3.19

$9.81 ₱615

-13.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.34 BHD 2.39

$4.61 ₱289

37.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.42 BHD 3.18

$7.70 ₱483

9.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.41 BHD 0.91

$3.31 ₱207

-27.19%

Banana (1kg)

$2.32 BHD 0.87

$1.45 ₱90.9

60.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 BHD 0.71

$2.36 ₱148

-19.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.44 BHD 0.54

$1.54 ₱96.4

-6.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.06 BHD 0.40

$2.36 ₱148

-55.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.41 BHD 0.53

$1.99 ₱125

-29.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 BHD 0.58

$1.15 ₱72.1

33.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 BHD 0.31

$0.67 ₱42.15

23.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.34 BHD 2.01

$3.00 ₱188

78.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.36 BHD 6.93

$6.35 ₱398

189.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.63 BHD 1.37

$1.31 ₱81.9

177.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 BHD 0.97

$1.73 ₱108

49.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.65 BHD 0.24

$0.25 ₱15.78

160.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.30 BHD 14.08

$12.65 ₱793

194.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.19 BHD 1.96

$0.74 ₱46.32

601.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.38 BHD 1.27

$0.21 ₱13.11

1509.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.88 BHD 5.99

$4.33 ₱271

266.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.65 BHD 0.25

$1.33 ₱83.5

-51.13%

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

$37.7K BHD 14.2K

$21.8K ₱1.4M

73.42%

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

$20.9K BHD 7,896

$19.4K ₱1.2M

7.86%

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

$151 BHD 57.1

$121 ₱7,563

25.49%

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

$24.40 BHD 9.21

$14.45 ₱907

68.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.61 BHD 13.06

$28.29 ₱1,774

22.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.3 BHD 23.50

$32.68 ₱2,050

90.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.23 BHD 11.41

$6.39 ₱401

373.08%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 BHD 4.06

$5.46 ₱342

97.25%

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

$488 BHD 184

$273 ₱17.1K

78.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.2K BHD 4,238

$8,156 ₱511.5K

37.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.7 BHD 19.13

$49.57 ₱3,109

2.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.6 BHD 22.13

$24.87 ₱1,560

135.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.1 BHD 32.51

$76.6 ₱4,804

12.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 BHD 33.97

$59.3 ₱3,717

51.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$997 BHD 376

$506 ₱31.7K

97.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 BHD 245

$309 ₱19.4K

110.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 BHD 770

$1,052 ₱66.0K

93.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,399 BHD 528

$619 ₱38.8K

126.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,643 BHD 997

$2,915 ₱182.9K

-9.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,999 BHD 754

$1,867 ₱117.1K

7.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,382 BHD 899

$341 ₱21.4K

598.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.21

7.2

-13.75%

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

Last update for Manama: October 5, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manama

$650 41.6%

Cebu

$309 33.5% 52.4% $341

Groceries & Markets

Manama

$248 15.9%

Cebu

$210 22.7% 15.2% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manama

$210 13.5%

Cebu

$163 17.7% 22.4% $47

Eating Out

Manama

$180 11.5%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 51% $92

Clothing & Footwear

Manama

$128 8.2%

Cebu

$95 10.2% 26.3% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Manama

$84 5.4%

Cebu

$44 4.7% 48% $40

Getting Around

Manama

$62 4%

Cebu

$15 1.7% 75.1% $47

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $997 in Manama and $506 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Manama pays 598% 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 $23.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $248 vs $210 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇭 Manama

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

08:25 8:25 AM

13:25 1:25 PM

5 h ahead of Manama

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

157,474 Capital

964,169

💱 Currency

Bahraini Dinar BHD .د.ب

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1 BHD = 2.65 USD

1 BHD = 2.36 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, 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).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.72 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.35 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

USD to BHD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Manama Cebu 7,850 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Manama
Cebu

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 Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 64% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 598% higher in Manama, 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: $997 in Manama versus $506 in Cebu. 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 $934 in Cebu – a 64% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 195% less than in Manama. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $934 in Cebu versus $1,536 in Manama, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Manama. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cebu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Manama, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Manama and Cebu 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 Cebu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 64% less than in Manama. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.