Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Manama Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Manama

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,606 in Manama.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,517 in Manama.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,428 in Manama.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 21% less than in Manama, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 7% below, Manama is 17% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$6.67 BHD 2.52

73.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$52.1 BHD 19.64

-9.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$7.30 BHD 2.75

62.74%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$4.82 BHD 1.82

-17.43%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$0.84 BHD 0.32

70.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$0.33 BHD 0.12

148.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$6.65 BHD 2.51

-52.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$9.84 BHD 3.71

-31.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$1.43 BHD 0.54

17.48%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$1.06 BHD 0.40

107.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$2.30 BHD 0.87

-25.65%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$2.22 BHD 0.84

23.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$8.78 BHD 3.31

9.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$6.33 BHD 2.39

42.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$8.45 BHD 3.19

51.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$2.39 BHD 0.90

20.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$2.35 BHD 0.89

-36.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$1.88 BHD 0.71

14.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$1.44 BHD 0.54

56.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$1.06 BHD 0.40

86.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$1.43 BHD 0.54

39.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$1.55 BHD 0.59

-20.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$0.78 BHD 0.29

53.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$5.18 BHD 1.95

-12.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$18.37 BHD 6.92

-43.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$3.47 BHD 1.31

-53.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$2.62 BHD 0.99

9.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

$0.64 BHD 0.24

-6.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

$37.78 BHD 14.24

-23.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$5.38 BHD 2.03

0.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$3.51 BHD 1.32

6.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$15.79 BHD 5.95

-63.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$0.64 BHD 0.24

140.63%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$37.3K BHD 14.0K

-39.48%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$20.4K BHD 7,674

27.97%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$154 BHD 57.9

-40.55%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$24.27 BHD 9.15

3.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$34.61 BHD 13.04

-9.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

$61.8 BHD 23.30

8.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

$30.54 BHD 11.51

-4.68%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$10.77 BHD 4.06

-54.87%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$495 BHD 187

-54.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$10.9K BHD 4,096

-61.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$50.5 BHD 19.05

-6.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$57.7 BHD 21.74

-23.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$87.2 BHD 32.85

-8.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$91.0 BHD 34.29

1.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$1,002 BHD 378

5.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

$643 BHD 242

-39.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

$2,079 BHD 783

3.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$1,381 BHD 521

-7.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

$2,652 BHD 1,000

50.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

$1,959 BHD 738

231.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

$2,273 BHD 857

-66.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

6.21

84.38%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Manama: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $1,002 in Manama. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Manama pays 200% 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: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $52.0 in Manama. Groceries flip the comparison at $276 vs $248, 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

Playa del Carmen vs Manama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

On paper, salaries run 200% 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: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,002 in Manama. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 31% less than in Manama. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $224 in Playa del Carmen versus $495 in Manama. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,606 in Manama, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Manama. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,266 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen 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 Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Manama. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.