Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manama and Sofia

For one person, living costs are similar in Manama and in Sofia: $1,566 and $1,585 a month, rent and utilities included.

76

Cost of Living Index in Manama
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Manama Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index

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Manama

🇧🇭 Bahrain

$1,566

/mo nomad

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,585

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manama and in Sofia

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,566 in Manama versus $1,585 in Sofia.

Manama $1,566
Sofia $1,585

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,442 in Manama versus $2,486 in Sofia.

Manama $2,442
Sofia $2,486

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,319 in Manama versus $3,387 in Sofia.

Manama $3,319
Sofia $3,387

Monthly costs are close between Manama and Sofia; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Manama 16% above, Sofia 17% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.22 BHD 1.97

$16.57 BGN 28.84

-68.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 BHD 20.16

$67.7 BGN 118

-21.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.87 BHD 2.97

$11.68 BGN 20.33

-32.62%

Cappuccino

$4.67 BHD 1.76

$3.41 BGN 5.93

36.95%

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

$0.85 BHD 0.32

$2.36 BGN 4.11

-63.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 BHD 0.11

$1.67 BGN 2.91

-82.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.75 BHD 2.55

$3.99 BGN 6.94

69.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.22 BHD 3.86

$4.53 BGN 7.88

125.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 BHD 0.53

$1.94 BGN 3.38

-27.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 BHD 0.42

$1.55 BGN 2.70

-28.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.28 BHD 0.86

$2.35 BGN 4.09

-2.98%

Eggs

$2.31 BHD 0.87

$4.60 BGN 8.00

-49.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.81 BHD 3.32

$11.47 BGN 19.96

-23.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.44 BHD 2.43

$8.65 BGN 15.04

-25.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.45 BHD 3.19

$17.34 BGN 30.17

-51.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 BHD 0.86

$2.15 BGN 3.73

6.51%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 BHD 0.84

$1.98 BGN 3.45

12.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 BHD 0.73

$1.83 BGN 3.18

5.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 BHD 0.52

$4.27 BGN 7.43

-67.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.01 BHD 0.38

$1.04 BGN 1.82

-2.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 BHD 0.54

$0.89 BGN 1.54

59.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 BHD 0.58

$1.19 BGN 2.06

30.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 BHD 0.32

$0.83 BGN 1.45

1.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.39 BHD 2.03

$4.40 BGN 7.66

22.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.82 BHD 7.10

$7.42 BGN 12.91

153.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.63 BHD 1.37

$1.16 BGN 2.01

212.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 BHD 0.99

$1.90 BGN 3.30

38.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 BHD 0.29

$0.92 BGN 1.60

-16.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.68 BHD 13.84

$28.11 BGN 48.91

30.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.26 BHD 1.98

$1.67 BGN 2.90

214.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.52 BHD 1.33

$0.85 BGN 1.49

314.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.84 BHD 5.98

$16.59 BGN 28.87

-4.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.70 BHD 0.26

$1.74 BGN 3.03

-59.77%

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

$26.3K BHD 9,929

$29.9K BGN 52.1K

-12.07%

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

$19.8K BHD 7,467

$25.0K BGN 43.5K

-20.86%

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

$154 BHD 58.1

$158 BGN 275

-2.50%

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

$24.50 BHD 9.24

$21.27 BGN 37.01

15.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.60 BHD 13.05

$15.12 BGN 26.30

128.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.4 BHD 25.81

$46.85 BGN 81.5

46.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.54 BHD 11.52

$27.82 BGN 48.41

9.78%

Cinema Ticket

$10.73 BHD 4.05

$10.00 BGN 17.39

7.30%

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

$614 BHD 231

$815 BGN 1,419

-24.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K BHD 4,303

$14.6K BGN 25.5K

-22.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.5 BHD 19.05

$87.1 BGN 152

-42.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 BHD 21.70

$38.28 BGN 66.6

50.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.3 BHD 32.92

$106 BGN 184

-17.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.2 BHD 33.26

$107 BGN 187

-17.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,010 BHD 381

$769 BGN 1,338

31.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 BHD 242

$593 BGN 1,032

8.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,120 BHD 800

$1,530 BGN 2,662

38.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,300 BHD 490

$1,061 BGN 1,846

22.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,588 BHD 976

$4,526 BGN 7,875

-42.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,992 BHD 751

$3,109 BGN 5,410

-35.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,384 BHD 899

$1,780 BGN 3,098

33.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.21

2.89

114.88%

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

Last update for Manama: October 31, 2026

Last update for Sofia: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manama

$642 41%

Sofia

$593 37.4% 7.7% $49

Groceries & Markets

Manama

$250 16%

Sofia

$288 18.2% 15.1% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manama

$213 13.6%

Sofia

$194 12.3% 8.8% $19

Eating Out

Manama

$180 11.5%

Sofia

$254 16% 40.8% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Manama

$128 8.2%

Sofia

$152 9.6% 19.3% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Manama

$90 5.7%

Sofia

$67 4.2% 25.6% $23

Getting Around

Manama

$63 4%

Sofia

$38 2.4% 39.7% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,010 in Manama and $769 in Sofia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Manama pays 34% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $53 in Manama vs $68 in Sofia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $288 per month, with Manama cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇭 Manama

🇧🇬 Sofia

🕒 Local time

02:41 2:41 AM

01:41 1:41 AM

1 h behind Manama

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

157,474 Capital

1,286,383 Capital

💱 Currency

Bahraini Dinar BHD .د.ب

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1 BHD = 2.65 USD

1 BHD = 2.36 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.512 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to BHD – Bahraini Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇭 Bahraini Dinar (.د.ب)

Bahraini Dinar exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 0.377 BHD (1 BHD = 2.65 USD). 1 EUR = 0.423 BHD (1 BHD = 2.36 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BGN (1 BGN = 0.512 EUR).

USD to BHD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Manama Sofia 3,080 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Manama
Sofia

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 Sofia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Average pay runs 34% 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: $1,010 in Manama versus $769 in Sofia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Sofia runs roughly 23% less than in Manama. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Sofia. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Manama is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Safety-wise, Manama and Sofia are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.