Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Manama Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Manama

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,677 in Mexico City versus $1,555 in Manama.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,608 in Mexico City versus $2,484 in Manama.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,540 in Mexico City versus $3,413 in Manama.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 8% more expensive than in Manama, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 22% above, Manama 13% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 MX$206

$6.78 BHD 2.56

79.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$914

$53.5 BHD 20.17

0.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 MX$188

$7.59 BHD 2.86

46.11%

Cappuccino

$4.10 MX$69.5

$4.88 BHD 1.84

-15.98%

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

$1.68 MX$28.53

$0.88 BHD 0.33

90.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.55

$0.30 BHD 0.11

363.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 MX$56.5

$6.80 BHD 2.56

-51.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 MX$99.7

$10.22 BHD 3.85

-42.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.41

$1.46 BHD 0.55

26.71%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.8

$1.10 BHD 0.41

188.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.13

$2.29 BHD 0.86

-9.61%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$49.67

$2.31 BHD 0.87

26.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 MX$214

$8.87 BHD 3.34

41.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$172

$6.60 BHD 2.49

53.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 MX$273

$8.55 BHD 3.22

88.19%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$57.5

$2.40 BHD 0.90

41.25%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.26

$2.27 BHD 0.86

-8.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$35.97

$1.94 BHD 0.73

9.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 MX$40.95

$1.46 BHD 0.55

65.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.11

$1.02 BHD 0.38

108.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.02

$1.43 BHD 0.54

40.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$26.21

$1.51 BHD 0.57

2.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 MX$23.15

$0.78 BHD 0.29

74.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.77 MX$97.8

$5.27 BHD 1.99

9.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.74 MX$301

$18.59 BHD 7.01

-4.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$35.11

$3.50 BHD 1.32

-40.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$78.3

$2.58 BHD 0.97

78.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MX$6.21

$0.65 BHD 0.24

-43.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$359

$37.84 BHD 14.26

-44.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$34.84

$5.24 BHD 1.98

-60.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.79

$3.52 BHD 1.33

-83.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 MX$103

$16.09 BHD 6.06

-62.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.34

$0.64 BHD 0.24

142.19%

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

$22.9K MX$388.1K

$36.4K BHD 13.7K

-37.16%

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

$27.2K MX$462.0K

$20.8K BHD 7,829

31.10%

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

$67.4 MX$1,144

$151 BHD 56.9

-55.34%

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

$30.62 MX$520

$24.64 BHD 9.29

24.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.24 MX$632

$34.82 BHD 13.12

6.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 MX$1,043

$62.3 BHD 23.49

-1.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$460

$30.02 BHD 11.31

-9.66%

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 MX$121

$10.59 BHD 3.99

-32.86%

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

$456 MX$7,739

$488 BHD 184

-6.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K MX$232.3K

$10.8K BHD 4,059

27.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 MX$1,259

$51.0 BHD 19.21

45.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 MX$967

$57.5 BHD 21.65

-0.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MX$1,958

$87.5 BHD 32.99

31.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,061

$90.6 BHD 34.13

34.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 MX$19.5K

$997 BHD 376

15.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 MX$12.0K

$649 BHD 245

9.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,577 MX$43.7K

$2,076 BHD 783

24.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 MX$22.0K

$1,387 BHD 523

-6.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,005 MX$67.9K

$2,576 BHD 971

55.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,130 MX$36.1K

$1,960 BHD 739

8.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 MX$18.4K

$2,337 BHD 881

-53.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

6.21

81.96%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Last update for Manama: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,148 in Mexico City and $997 in Manama. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Manama pays 116% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $54.0 in Manama. Groceries flip the comparison at $345 vs $251, with Manama cheaper for home cooking.

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

Mexico City vs Manama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Manama wins on cost – living expenses run 8% lower than in Mexico City. 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 116% lower in Manama. 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: $1,148 in Mexico City versus $997 in Manama. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Manama runs roughly 79% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $456 in Mexico City versus $488 in Manama. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,555 in Manama versus $1,677 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Manama but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. 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 $1,555 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Manama hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Manama 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 8% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.