Cost of Living Comparison Between Manama and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Manama and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,555 in Manama versus $1,677 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,484 in Manama versus $2,608 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,413 in Manama versus $3,540 in Mexico City.

Living in Manama costs roughly 7% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Manama 13% above, Mexico City 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.78 BHD 2.56

$12.14 MX$206

-44.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 BHD 20.17

$53.9 MX$914

-0.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.59 BHD 2.86

$11.09 MX$188

-31.56%

Cappuccino

$4.88 BHD 1.84

$4.10 MX$69.5

19.02%

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

$0.88 BHD 0.33

$1.68 MX$28.53

-47.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 BHD 0.11

$1.39 MX$23.55

-78.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.80 BHD 2.56

$3.33 MX$56.5

104.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.22 BHD 3.85

$5.88 MX$99.7

73.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 BHD 0.55

$1.85 MX$31.41

-21.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.10 BHD 0.41

$3.17 MX$53.8

-65.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.29 BHD 0.86

$2.07 MX$35.13

10.63%

Eggs

$2.31 BHD 0.87

$2.93 MX$49.67

-21.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.87 BHD 3.34

$12.59 MX$214

-29.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.60 BHD 2.49

$10.11 MX$172

-34.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.55 BHD 3.22

$16.09 MX$273

-46.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 BHD 0.90

$3.39 MX$57.5

-29.20%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 BHD 0.86

$2.08 MX$35.26

9.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 BHD 0.73

$2.12 MX$35.97

-8.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.46 BHD 0.55

$2.41 MX$40.95

-39.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 BHD 0.38

$2.13 MX$36.11

-52.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.43 BHD 0.54

$2.01 MX$34.02

-28.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 BHD 0.57

$1.55 MX$26.21

-2.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 BHD 0.29

$1.36 MX$23.15

-42.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.27 BHD 1.99

$5.77 MX$97.8

-8.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.59 BHD 7.01

$17.74 MX$301

4.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.50 BHD 1.32

$2.07 MX$35.11

69.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 BHD 0.97

$4.61 MX$78.3

-44.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.65 BHD 0.24

$0.37 MX$6.21

75.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.84 BHD 14.26

$21.18 MX$359

78.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 BHD 1.98

$2.05 MX$34.84

155.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.52 BHD 1.33

$0.58 MX$9.79

506.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.09 BHD 6.06

$6.07 MX$103

165.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.64 BHD 0.24

$1.55 MX$26.34

-58.71%

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

$36.4K BHD 13.7K

$22.9K MX$388.1K

59.13%

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

$20.8K BHD 7,829

$27.2K MX$462.0K

-23.72%

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

$151 BHD 56.9

$67.4 MX$1,144

123.90%

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

$24.64 BHD 9.29

$30.62 MX$520

-19.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.82 BHD 13.12

$37.24 MX$632

-6.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.3 BHD 23.49

$61.5 MX$1,043

1.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.02 BHD 11.31

$27.12 MX$460

10.69%

Cinema Ticket

$10.59 BHD 3.99

$7.11 MX$121

48.95%

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

$488 BHD 184

$456 MX$7,739

6.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K BHD 4,059

$13.7K MX$232.3K

-21.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.0 BHD 19.21

$74.2 MX$1,259

-31.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 BHD 21.65

$57.0 MX$967

0.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.5 BHD 32.99

$115 MX$1,958

-24.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.6 BHD 34.13

$122 MX$2,061

-25.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$997 BHD 376

$1,148 MX$19.5K

-13.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$649 BHD 245

$709 MX$12.0K

-8.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,076 BHD 783

$2,577 MX$43.7K

-19.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,387 BHD 523

$1,295 MX$22.0K

7.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,576 BHD 971

$4,005 MX$67.9K

-35.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,960 BHD 739

$2,130 MX$36.1K

-7.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,337 BHD 881

$1,082 MX$18.4K

115.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.21

11.3

-45.04%

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

Last update for Manama: September 7, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $997 in Manama and $1,148 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Manama pays 116% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $54.0 in Manama vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $345 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 Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Manama wins on cost – living expenses run 8% lower than in Mexico City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Manama the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 116% 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 $1,148 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Manama runs roughly 79% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $488 in Manama versus $456 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,555 in Manama versus $1,677 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Manama but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Manama the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Manama delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,555 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Manama hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Manama and Mexico City 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 8% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.