Cost of Living Comparison Between Manama and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Manama and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,606 in Manama versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,517 in Manama versus $2,279 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,428 in Manama versus $3,292 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Manama is roughly 27% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Manama is 17% above, Playa del Carmen is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.67 BHD 2.52

$11.60 MX$200

-42.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.1 BHD 19.64

$47.11 MX$812

10.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.30 BHD 2.75

$11.88 MX$205

-38.55%

Cappuccino

$4.82 BHD 1.82

$3.98 MX$68.6

21.11%

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

$0.84 BHD 0.32

$1.43 MX$24.60

-41.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 BHD 0.12

$0.82 MX$14.22

-59.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.65 BHD 2.51

$3.19 MX$55.0

108.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 BHD 3.71

$6.79 MX$117

44.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 BHD 0.54

$1.68 MX$28.89

-14.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.06 BHD 0.40

$2.20 MX$37.88

-51.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.30 BHD 0.87

$1.71 MX$29.45

34.50%

Eggs

$2.22 BHD 0.84

$2.74 MX$47.26

-18.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.78 BHD 3.31

$9.58 MX$165

-8.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.33 BHD 2.39

$9.01 MX$155

-29.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.45 BHD 3.19

$12.81 MX$221

-34.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 BHD 0.90

$2.89 MX$49.81

-17.30%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 BHD 0.89

$1.50 MX$25.81

56.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.88 BHD 0.71

$2.15 MX$37.03

-12.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.44 BHD 0.54

$2.26 MX$38.96

-36.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.06 BHD 0.40

$1.98 MX$34.15

-46.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.43 BHD 0.54

$1.99 MX$34.30

-28.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 BHD 0.59

$1.23 MX$21.28

26.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 BHD 0.29

$1.20 MX$20.63

-35.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 BHD 1.95

$4.55 MX$78.5

13.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.37 BHD 6.92

$10.37 MX$179

77.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.47 BHD 1.31

$1.62 MX$27.91

114.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 BHD 0.99

$2.88 MX$49.67

-9.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.64 BHD 0.24

$0.60 MX$10.35

6.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.78 BHD 14.24

$28.80 MX$497

31.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.38 BHD 2.03

$5.39 MX$92.9

-0.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.51 BHD 1.32

$3.73 MX$64.3

-5.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.79 BHD 5.95

$5.77 MX$99.5

173.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.64 BHD 0.24

$1.54 MX$26.48

-58.44%

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

$37.3K BHD 14.0K

$22.5K MX$388.8K

65.24%

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

$20.4K BHD 7,674

$26.1K MX$449.3K

-21.86%

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

$154 BHD 57.9

$91.4 MX$1,576

68.22%

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

$24.27 BHD 9.15

$25.20 MX$435

-3.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.61 BHD 13.04

$31.24 MX$539

10.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 BHD 23.30

$67.2 MX$1,159

-8.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.54 BHD 11.51

$29.11 MX$502

4.91%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 BHD 4.06

$4.86 MX$83.8

121.60%

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

$495 BHD 187

$224 MX$3,856

121.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.9K BHD 4,096

$4,229 MX$72.9K

156.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.5 BHD 19.05

$47.10 MX$812

7.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.7 BHD 21.74

$44.29 MX$764

30.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.2 BHD 32.85

$80.1 MX$1,381

8.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.0 BHD 34.29

$92.7 MX$1,598

-1.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,002 BHD 378

$1,063 MX$18.3K

-5.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$643 BHD 242

$390 MX$6,728

64.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,079 BHD 783

$2,149 MX$37.1K

-3.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,381 BHD 521

$1,272 MX$21.9K

8.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,652 BHD 1,000

$4,001 MX$69.0K

-33.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,959 BHD 738

$6,502 MX$112.1K

-69.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,273 BHD 857

$758 MX$13.1K

199.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.21

11.45

-45.76%

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

Last update for Manama: September 12, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,002 in Manama and $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Manama pays 200% 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: $52.0 in Manama vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $248 vs $276, with Manama cheaper for home cooking.

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 Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 27% lower than in Manama. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 200% 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: $1,002 in Manama versus $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 31% less than in Manama. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $495 in Manama versus $224 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,606 in Manama, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Manama. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,266 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Manama and Playa del Carmen 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 Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Manama. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.