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: $1,496 in Manama versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,408 in Manama versus $2,181 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,319 in Manama versus $3,065 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Manama is roughly 15% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

The two cities straddle the global median: Manama is 12% above, Playa del Carmen is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.48 BHD 2.44

$11.73 MX$203

-44.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 BHD 20.16

$41.62 MX$720

28.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.27 BHD 2.74

$10.64 MX$184

-31.67%

Cappuccino

$5.34 BHD 2.01

$3.52 MX$60.9

51.70%

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

$0.87 BHD 0.33

$1.51 MX$26.12

-42.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 BHD 0.14

$0.97 MX$16.84

-62.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.09 BHD 3.05

$2.95 MX$51.0

174.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.54 BHD 3.97

$4.45 MX$77.0

136.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 BHD 0.64

$1.38 MX$23.93

23.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.27 BHD 0.48

$1.89 MX$32.72

-32.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.43 BHD 0.91

$1.64 MX$28.32

48.17%

Eggs

$2.47 BHD 0.93

$2.51 MX$43.34

-1.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.59 BHD 3.24

$8.34 MX$144

3.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.74 BHD 2.92

$8.34 MX$144

-7.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.28 BHD 3.88

$10.73 MX$186

-4.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.36 BHD 0.89

$2.60 MX$45.04

-9.23%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 BHD 0.79

$1.46 MX$25.20

44.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 BHD 0.67

$1.90 MX$32.87

-6.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.18 BHD 0.44

$2.08 MX$35.91

-43.27%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 BHD 0.35

$1.78 MX$30.71

-47.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 BHD 0.41

$2.19 MX$37.80

-50.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 BHD 0.55

$1.04 MX$17.99

40.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 BHD 0.32

$1.08 MX$18.62

-20.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 BHD 2.48

$4.08 MX$70.6

61.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 BHD 7.12

$10.32 MX$178

82.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.44 BHD 1.30

$1.71 MX$29.61

101.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 BHD 1.24

$2.58 MX$44.54

27.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 BHD 0.31

$0.51 MX$8.81

62.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.28 BHD 11.79

$26.46 MX$458

18.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 BHD 1.72

$3.26 MX$56.4

40.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.96 BHD 1.49

$2.49 MX$43.09

59.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.86 BHD 10.13

$3.25 MX$56.2

726.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.52 BHD 0.19

$1.31 MX$22.61

-60.31%

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

$36.8K BHD 13.9K

$30.3K MX$523.7K

21.61%

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

$20.7K BHD 7,796

$23.4K MX$405.3K

-11.74%

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

$121 BHD 45.53

$82.9 MX$1,433

45.73%

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

$26.86 BHD 10.13

$22.22 MX$384

20.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.52 BHD 14.52

$29.34 MX$507

31.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.0 BHD 26.78

$51.6 MX$893

37.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$45.13 BHD 17.01

$18.32 MX$317

146.34%

Cinema Ticket

$10.78 BHD 4.06

$5.07 MX$87.6

112.62%

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

$382 BHD 144

$201 MX$3,473

90.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,953 BHD 3,375

$5,212 MX$90.1K

71.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.73 BHD 17.62

$36.92 MX$639

26.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.8 BHD 24.03

$39.79 MX$688

60.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 BHD 31.98

$78.5 MX$1,357

8.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.8 BHD 33.47

$87.1 MX$1,506

1.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$818 BHD 308

$973 MX$16.8K

-15.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$559 BHD 211

$468 MX$8,090

19.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,791 BHD 675

$1,641 MX$28.4K

9.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,244 BHD 469

$1,221 MX$21.1K

1.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,629 BHD 991

$3,946 MX$68.3K

-33.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,941 BHD 732

$6,498 MX$112.4K

-70.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,360 BHD 890

$664 MX$11.5K

255.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.56

11.42

-25.04%

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

Last update for Manama: May 31, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $818 in Manama and $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Manama pays 255% 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $265 vs $249 per month, with Playa del Carmen 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 Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 15% 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.

Manama pays 255% more on average, 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: $818 in Manama versus $973 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 18% less than in Manama. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $382 in Manama versus $201 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,496 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 $1,297 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 15% less than in Manama. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.