Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manama and Zinj

For one person, living is cheaper in Zinj: $813 a month against $1,566 in Manama, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

76

Cost of Living Index in Manama
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Manama Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Zinj
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Zinj Living Index

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Manama

🇧🇭 Bahrain

$1,566

/mo nomad

Zinj

🇧🇭 Bahrain

$813

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manama and in Zinj

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,566 in Manama versus $813 in Zinj.

Manama $1,566
Zinj $813

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,442 in Manama versus $1,290 in Zinj.

Manama $2,442
Zinj $1,290

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,319 in Manama versus $1,767 in Zinj.

Manama $3,319
Zinj $1,767

Living in Manama is roughly 93% more expensive than in Zinj, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

The two cities straddle the global median: Manama is 16% above, Zinj is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.22 BHD 1.97

$5.18 BHD 1.96

0.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 BHD 20.16

$53.1 BHD 20.02

0.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.87 BHD 2.97

$7.40 BHD 2.79

6.35%

Cappuccino

$4.67 BHD 1.76

$5.00 BHD 1.89

-6.60%

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

$0.85 BHD 0.32

$0.88 BHD 0.33

-3.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 BHD 0.11

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.75 BHD 2.55

$6.43 BHD 2.43

4.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.22 BHD 3.86

$10.17 BHD 3.84

0.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 BHD 0.53

$1.43 BHD 0.54

-2.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 BHD 0.42

$1.07 BHD 0.40

3.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.28 BHD 0.86

$2.37 BHD 0.89

-3.80%

Eggs

$2.31 BHD 0.87

$2.24 BHD 0.84

3.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.81 BHD 3.32

$8.70 BHD 3.28

1.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.44 BHD 2.43

$6.31 BHD 2.38

2.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.45 BHD 3.19

$8.40 BHD 3.17

0.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 BHD 0.86

$2.37 BHD 0.89

-3.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 BHD 0.84

$2.26 BHD 0.85

-1.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 BHD 0.73

$1.86 BHD 0.70

3.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 BHD 0.52

$1.44 BHD 0.54

-4.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.01 BHD 0.38

$1.04 BHD 0.39

-2.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 BHD 0.54

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 BHD 0.58

$1.56 BHD 0.59

-0.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 BHD 0.32

$0.77 BHD 0.29

9.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.39 BHD 2.03

$5.31 BHD 2.00

1.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.82 BHD 7.10

$18.72 BHD 7.06

0.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.63 BHD 1.37

$3.51 BHD 1.32

3.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 BHD 0.99

$2.58 BHD 0.97

1.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 BHD 0.29

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.68 BHD 13.84

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.26 BHD 1.98

$5.19 BHD 1.96

1.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.52 BHD 1.33

$3.39 BHD 1.28

3.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.84 BHD 5.98

$15.82 BHD 5.97

0.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.70 BHD 0.26

$0.66 BHD 0.25

6.06%

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

$26.3K BHD 9,929

$26.3K BHD 9,916

0.13%

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

$19.8K BHD 7,467

$19.3K BHD 7,292

2.39%

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

$154 BHD 58.1

$152 BHD 57.3

1.28%

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

$24.50 BHD 9.24

$24.29 BHD 9.16

0.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.60 BHD 13.05

$34.72 BHD 13.09

-0.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.4 BHD 25.81

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.54 BHD 11.52

Cinema Ticket

$10.73 BHD 4.05

$10.69 BHD 4.03

0.37%

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

$614 BHD 231

$626 BHD 236

-2.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K BHD 4,303

$10.9K BHD 4,108

4.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.5 BHD 19.05

$51.0 BHD 19.25

-1.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 BHD 21.70

$58.1 BHD 21.90

-0.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.3 BHD 32.92

$88.7 BHD 33.45

-1.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.2 BHD 33.26

$90.5 BHD 34.15

-2.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,010 BHD 381

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 BHD 242

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,120 BHD 800

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,300 BHD 490

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,588 BHD 976

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,992 BHD 751

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,384 BHD 899

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 31, 2026

Last update for Zinj: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manama

$642 41%

Zinj

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Manama

$250 16%

Zinj

$248 30.5% 0.9% $2.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manama

$213 13.6%

Zinj

$211 26% 1% $2.1

Eating Out

Manama

$180 11.5%

Zinj

$181 22.3% 0.4% $0.8

Clothing & Footwear

Manama

$128 8.2%

Zinj

$130 16% 1.7% $2.2

Sport & Entertainment

Manama

$90 5.7%

Zinj

$21 * 2.6% 76.2% $68

Getting Around

Manama

$63 4%

Zinj

$22 * 2.7% 64.7% $40

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $53 in Manama vs $53 in Zinj. Groceries flip the comparison at $250 vs $248, with Zinj cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇧🇭 Manama

🇧🇭 Zinj

🕒 Local time

05:33 5:33 AM

Same time as Manama

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

157,474 Capital

66,588

💱 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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Highest

Between locations

Manama Zinj 3 km

From you

Manama
Zinj

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 Zinj: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zinj wins on cost – living expenses run 48% lower than in Manama. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Zinj the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $2,348 in Manama and $1,219 in Zinj to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $614 in Manama versus $626 in Zinj. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

All in, you’ll spend $1,566 per month in Manama versus $813 in Zinj – Zinj is about 48% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $813 in Zinj versus $1,566 in Manama, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Zinj but tight or insufficient in Manama. The gap between the two cities makes Zinj the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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