Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manama and Saar

For one person, living is cheaper in Manama: $1,554 a month against $1,973 in Saar, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Manama
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Manama Living Index

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Manama

🇧🇭 Bahrain

$1,554

/mo nomad

Saar

🇧🇭 Bahrain

$1,973

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manama and in Saar

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,554 in Manama versus $1,973 in Saar.

Manama $1,554
Saar $1,973

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,478 in Manama versus $2,761 in Saar.

Manama $2,478
Saar $2,761

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,403 in Manama versus $3,549 in Saar.

Manama $3,403
Saar $3,549

Living in Manama costs roughly 21% less than in Saar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Manama 15% above, Saar 46% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.34 BHD 2.02

$10.72 BHD 4.05

-50.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.0 BHD 20.39

$33.26 BHD 12.55

62.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.25 BHD 2.74

$10.54 BHD 3.98

-31.21%

Cappuccino

$5.03 BHD 1.90

$5.74 BHD 2.17

-12.37%

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

$0.84 BHD 0.32

$1.63 BHD 0.62

-48.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 BHD 0.11

$1.00 BHD 0.38

-70.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.51 BHD 2.46

$6.05 BHD 2.28

7.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.82 BHD 3.71

$9.54 BHD 3.60

2.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 BHD 0.53

$1.73 BHD 0.65

-19.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.07 BHD 0.40

$1.30 BHD 0.49

-17.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 BHD 0.85

$2.68 BHD 1.01

-16.04%

Eggs

$2.21 BHD 0.83

$2.72 BHD 1.03

-18.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.70 BHD 3.28

$13.28 BHD 5.01

-34.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.55 BHD 2.47

$6.69 BHD 2.52

-2.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.85 BHD 3.34

$15.98 BHD 6.03

-44.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 BHD 0.86

$3.86 BHD 1.46

-40.93%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 BHD 0.85

$2.41 BHD 0.91

-6.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 BHD 0.74

$3.62 BHD 1.37

-46.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 BHD 0.52

$1.95 BHD 0.73

-29.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.01 BHD 0.38

$0.67 BHD 0.25

50.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.41 BHD 0.53

$1.62 BHD 0.61

-12.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 BHD 0.57

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 BHD 0.30

$0.80 BHD 0.30

-1.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.40 BHD 2.04

Wine (Bottle)

$18.59 BHD 7.02

$26.02 BHD 9.82

-28.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.66 BHD 1.38

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 BHD 0.97

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.63 BHD 0.24

$0.80 BHD 0.30

-21.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.50 BHD 13.77

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.34 BHD 2.02

$5.27 BHD 1.99

1.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.40 BHD 1.28

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.00 BHD 6.04

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.69 BHD 0.26

$0.61 BHD 0.23

13.11%

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

$25.6K BHD 9,660

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

$19.7K BHD 7,442

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

$150 BHD 56.7

$130 BHD 49.12

15.51%

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

$24.82 BHD 9.37

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.16 BHD 13.27

$32.23 BHD 12.16

9.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.1 BHD 23.82

$157 BHD 59.4

-59.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.87 BHD 11.65

$105 BHD 39.56

-70.55%

Cinema Ticket

$10.57 BHD 3.99

$15.57 BHD 5.88

-32.11%

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

$497 BHD 188

$554 BHD 209

-10.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K BHD 4,159

$7,839 BHD 2,958

40.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.9 BHD 19.58

$91.1 BHD 34.40

-43.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.6 BHD 21.35

$39.39 BHD 14.87

43.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.1 BHD 33.62

$104 BHD 39.32

-14.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.2 BHD 33.68

$105 BHD 39.45

-14.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,010 BHD 381

$1,345 BHD 508

-24.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$638 BHD 241

$917 BHD 346

-30.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,072 BHD 782

$2,141 BHD 808

-3.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,390 BHD 525

$1,210 BHD 457

14.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,572 BHD 971

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 BHD 732

$2,111 BHD 797

-8.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,318 BHD 875

$2,423 BHD 915

-4.35%

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 17, 2026

Last update for Saar: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manama

$638 41%

Saar

–

Groceries & Markets

Manama

$250 16.1%

Saar

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manama

$210 13.5%

Saar

–

Eating Out

Manama

$182 11.7%

Saar

–

Clothing & Footwear

Manama

$129 8.3%

Saar

–

Sport & Entertainment

Manama

$84 5.4%

Saar

–

Getting Around

Manama

$61 4%

Saar

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,010 in Manama and $1,345 in Saar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saar pays 5% 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: $54.0 in Manama vs $33.00 in Saar. Groceries flip the comparison at $250 vs $298, with Manama cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇧🇭 Manama

🇧🇭 Saar

🕒 Local time

02:29 2:29 AM

Same time as Manama

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

157,474 Capital

6,000

💱 Currency

Bahraini Dinar BHD .د.ب

📈 Exchange rate

1 BHD = 2.65 USD

1 BHD = 2.36 EUR

1 BHD = 2.65 USD

1 BHD = 2.36 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Manama Saar 10 km

From you

Manama
Saar

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 Saar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

On paper, salaries run 5% lower in Saar. 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: $1,010 in Manama versus $1,345 in Saar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Saar. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,554 per month in Manama versus $1,973 in Saar – a 27% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,554 in Manama versus $1,973 in Saar, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Manama but tight or insufficient in Saar. The gap between the two cities makes Manama the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Saar 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 27% less than in Saar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.