Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manama and Seef

For one person, living is cheaper in Manama: $1,554 a month against $1,660 in Seef, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. The total is higher in Seef despite lower rent and utilities.

76

Cost of Living Index in Manama
Learn more

Manama Living Index
81

Cost of Living Index in Seef
Learn more

Seef Living Index

Jump to prices

Manama

🇧🇭 Bahrain

$1,554

/mo nomad

Seef

🇧🇭 Bahrain

$1,660

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manama and in Seef

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,554 in Manama versus $1,660 in Seef.

Manama $1,554
Seef $1,660

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,478 in Manama versus $2,637 in Seef.

Manama $2,478
Seef $2,637

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,403 in Manama versus $3,615 in Seef.

Manama $3,403
Seef $3,615

Living in Manama costs roughly 6% less than in Seef, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Manama 15% above, Seef 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.34 BHD 2.02

$8.29 BHD 3.13

-35.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.0 BHD 20.39

$52.1 BHD 19.67

3.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.25 BHD 2.74

$8.30 BHD 3.13

-12.65%

Cappuccino

$5.03 BHD 1.90

$5.13 BHD 1.93

-1.95%

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

$0.84 BHD 0.32

$1.56 BHD 0.59

-46.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 BHD 0.11

$0.76 BHD 0.29

-60.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.51 BHD 2.46

$10.73 BHD 4.05

-39.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.82 BHD 3.71

$18.39 BHD 6.94

-46.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 BHD 0.53

$2.27 BHD 0.86

-38.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.07 BHD 0.40

$1.35 BHD 0.51

-20.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 BHD 0.85

$3.12 BHD 1.18

-27.88%

Eggs

$2.21 BHD 0.83

$1.55 BHD 0.59

42.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.70 BHD 3.28

$10.77 BHD 4.06

-19.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.55 BHD 2.47

$5.97 BHD 2.25

9.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.85 BHD 3.34

$16.15 BHD 6.09

-45.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 BHD 0.86

$3.15 BHD 1.19

-27.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 BHD 0.85

$2.01 BHD 0.76

11.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 BHD 0.74

$2.51 BHD 0.95

-22.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 BHD 0.52

$1.84 BHD 0.69

-25.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.01 BHD 0.38

Onion (1kg)

$1.41 BHD 0.53

$1.07 BHD 0.41

31.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 BHD 0.57

$1.89 BHD 0.71

-20.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 BHD 0.30

$0.39 BHD 0.15

102.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.40 BHD 2.04

$3.91 BHD 1.48

38.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.59 BHD 7.02

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.66 BHD 1.38

$3.68 BHD 1.39

-0.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 BHD 0.97

$2.60 BHD 0.98

-1.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.63 BHD 0.24

$0.65 BHD 0.25

-3.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.50 BHD 13.77

$66.4 BHD 25.04

-45.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.34 BHD 2.02

$3.58 BHD 1.35

49.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.40 BHD 1.28

$3.39 BHD 1.28

0.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.00 BHD 6.04

$6.43 BHD 2.43

148.83%

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

$97.9 BHD 36.93

53.62%

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

$24.82 BHD 9.37

$27.31 BHD 10.31

-9.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.16 BHD 13.27

$46.92 BHD 17.71

-25.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.1 BHD 23.82

$74.2 BHD 28.01

-14.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.87 BHD 11.65

Cinema Ticket

$10.57 BHD 3.99

$10.78 BHD 4.07

-1.95%

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

$497 BHD 188

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K BHD 4,159

$7,875 BHD 2,972

39.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.9 BHD 19.58

$67.9 BHD 25.62

-23.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.6 BHD 21.35

$52.6 BHD 19.84

7.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.1 BHD 33.62

$93.2 BHD 35.18

-4.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.2 BHD 33.68

$79.0 BHD 29.82

12.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,010 BHD 381

$941 BHD 355

7.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$638 BHD 241

$668 BHD 252

-4.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,072 BHD 782

$2,121 BHD 800

-2.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,390 BHD 525

$1,418 BHD 535

-1.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,572 BHD 971

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 BHD 732

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,318 BHD 875

$3,393 BHD 1,281

-31.69%

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 Seef: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manama

$638 41%

Seef

$668 40.2% 4.7% $30

Groceries & Markets

Manama

$250 16.1%

Seef

$250 * 15.1% 0.4% $0.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manama

$210 13.5%

Seef

$172 10.4% 18.2% $38

Eating Out

Manama

$182 11.7%

Seef

$252 15.2% 39% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Manama

$129 8.3%

Seef

$132 7.9% 2.1% $2.6

Sport & Entertainment

Manama

$84 5.4%

Seef

$96 5.8% 13.7% $12

Getting Around

Manama

$61 4%

Seef

$90 5.4% 45.8% $28

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,010 in Manama and $941 in Seef. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seef pays 46% 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 $52.0 in Seef. Groceries flip the comparison at $250 vs $250, with Manama cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇧🇭 Manama

🇧🇭 Seef

🕒 Local time

06:17 6:17 AM

Same time as Manama

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

157,474 Capital

6,564

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Manama Seef 5 km

From you

Manama
Seef

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 Seef: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Manama wins on cost – living expenses run 7% lower than in Seef. 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 46% lower in Seef. 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 $941 in Seef. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 0% higher in Seef. 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 $1,660 in Seef – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,554 in Manama versus $1,660 in Seef, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Manama but tight or insufficient in Seef. 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 $1,554 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Manama hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Manama and Seef 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 7% less than in Seef. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.