Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manama and Juffair

For one person, living is cheaper in Juffair: $1,520 a month against $1,561 in Manama, rent and utilities included – about $490 less a year. The total is higher in Manama despite lower rent and utilities.

75

Cost of Living Index in Manama
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Manama Living Index
73

Cost of Living Index in Juffair
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Juffair Living Index

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Manama

🇧🇭 Bahrain

$1,561

/mo nomad

Juffair

🇧🇭 Bahrain

$1,520

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manama and in Juffair

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,561 in Manama versus $1,520 in Juffair.

Manama $1,561
Juffair $1,520

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,442 in Manama versus $2,212 in Juffair.

Manama $2,442
Juffair $2,212

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,323 in Manama versus $2,903 in Juffair.

Manama $3,323
Juffair $2,903

Living in Manama is roughly 3% more expensive than in Juffair, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Manama 15% above, Juffair 12% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.17 BHD 1.95

$5.21 BHD 1.96

-0.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.4 BHD 20.14

$32.42 BHD 12.23

64.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.22 BHD 2.72

$7.25 BHD 2.73

-0.41%

Cappuccino

$5.01 BHD 1.89

$4.97 BHD 1.87

0.80%

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

$0.88 BHD 0.33

$0.73 BHD 0.28

20.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 BHD 0.12

$0.26 BHD 0.10

23.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.48 BHD 2.45

$5.37 BHD 2.03

20.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.09 BHD 3.81

$5.36 BHD 2.02

88.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 BHD 0.52

$1.44 BHD 0.54

-3.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 BHD 0.40

$1.06 BHD 0.40

-0.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.33 BHD 0.88

$1.62 BHD 0.61

43.83%

Eggs

$2.22 BHD 0.84

$2.32 BHD 0.87

-4.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.62 BHD 3.25

$6.82 BHD 2.57

26.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.58 BHD 2.48

$6.56 BHD 2.47

0.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.38 BHD 3.16

$8.84 BHD 3.33

-5.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 BHD 0.90

$2.37 BHD 0.89

0.84%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 BHD 0.87

$2.34 BHD 0.88

-1.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 BHD 0.73

$1.89 BHD 0.71

2.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 BHD 0.52

$1.39 BHD 0.52

-0.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.01 BHD 0.38

$1.00 BHD 0.38

1.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 BHD 0.51

$1.17 BHD 0.44

16.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 BHD 0.59

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 BHD 0.32

$0.83 BHD 0.31

1.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.26 BHD 1.98

$5.25 BHD 1.98

0.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.18 BHD 6.86

$18.42 BHD 6.95

-1.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.63 BHD 1.37

$3.48 BHD 1.31

4.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 BHD 1.01

$2.61 BHD 0.98

1.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.78 BHD 0.29

$0.78 BHD 0.30

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.65 BHD 13.83

$24.91 BHD 9.40

47.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.18 BHD 1.95

$3.52 BHD 1.33

47.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.42 BHD 1.29

$3.53 BHD 1.33

-3.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.82 BHD 5.97

$15.62 BHD 5.89

1.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.66 BHD 0.25

$0.38 BHD 0.14

73.68%

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

$25.9K BHD 9,753

$25.8K BHD 9,727

0.27%

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

$19.3K BHD 7,296

$19.3K BHD 7,288

0.11%

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

$153 BHD 57.6

$113 BHD 42.54

35.29%

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

$24.67 BHD 9.30

$24.41 BHD 9.21

1.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.29 BHD 13.31

$31.58 BHD 11.91

11.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 BHD 25.99

$52.6 BHD 19.84

30.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.13 BHD 11.36

$39.35 BHD 14.84

-23.43%

Cinema Ticket

$10.78 BHD 4.07

$9.44 BHD 3.56

14.19%

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

$622 BHD 235

$238 BHD 89.9

161.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.9K BHD 4,126

$11.1K BHD 4,198

-1.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.1 BHD 18.90

$42.07 BHD 15.87

19.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 BHD 21.89

$31.21 BHD 11.77

85.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.1 BHD 33.61

$65.1 BHD 24.57

36.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.7 BHD 33.45

$65.9 BHD 24.86

34.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,004 BHD 379

$967 BHD 365

3.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$638 BHD 241

$733 BHD 276

-12.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,052 BHD 774

$1,760 BHD 664

16.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,303 BHD 491

$1,212 BHD 457

7.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,590 BHD 977

$2,080 BHD 784

24.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,974 BHD 744

$1,594 BHD 601

23.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,384 BHD 899

$2,697 BHD 1,017

-11.60%

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 Juffair: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manama

$638 40.9%

Juffair

$733 48.2% 14.9% $95

Groceries & Markets

Manama

$249 16%

Juffair

$242 15.9% 2.9% $7.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manama

$213 13.6%

Juffair

$169 11.1% 20.6% $44

Eating Out

Manama

$181 11.6%

Juffair

$165 10.8% 8.9% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Manama

$129 8.2%

Juffair

$92 6.1% 28.5% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Manama

$90 5.8%

Juffair

$71 4.7% 21% $19

Getting Around

Manama

$62 4%

Juffair

$49 3.2% 20.7% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,004 in Manama and $967 in Juffair. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Juffair pays 13% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $53 in Manama vs $32 in Juffair for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $242 per month, with Juffair cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇭 Manama

🇧🇭 Juffair

🕒 Local time

01:04 1:04 AM

Same time as Manama

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

157,474 Capital

147,074

💱 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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Between locations

Manama Juffair 2 km

From you

Manama
Juffair

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 Juffair: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Juffair wins on cost – living expenses run 3% lower than in Manama. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Juffair the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 12% lower in Manama. 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: $1,004 in Manama versus $967 in Juffair. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,561 per month in Manama versus $1,520 in Juffair – Juffair is about 3% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Juffair runs roughly 32% less than in Manama. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Juffair is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Juffair are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Juffair gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Manama. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.