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: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,479 in Manama.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,410 in Manama.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,340 in Manama.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 15% less than in Manama, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 6% below, Manama is 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$210

$6.57 BHD 2.48

82.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$733

$52.0 BHD 19.60

-19.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$189

$7.56 BHD 2.85

42.20%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$61.3

$5.46 BHD 2.06

-35.90%

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

$1.45 MX$25.41

$0.79 BHD 0.30

83.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.52

$0.37 BHD 0.14

137.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.7

$8.01 BHD 3.02

-63.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$79.1

$10.46 BHD 3.94

-56.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$25.12

$1.65 BHD 0.62

-13.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$32.23

$1.33 BHD 0.50

38.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.51

$2.34 BHD 0.88

-32.91%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$44.06

$2.40 BHD 0.90

4.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$145

$8.62 BHD 3.25

-3.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$148

$7.50 BHD 2.83

12.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$187

$10.23 BHD 3.86

4.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.76

$2.45 BHD 0.92

6.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.22

$2.10 BHD 0.79

-31.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.41

$1.70 BHD 0.64

15.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.74

$1.17 BHD 0.44

78.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.47

$0.92 BHD 0.35

101.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$38.02

$1.08 BHD 0.41

100.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$18.09

$1.44 BHD 0.54

-28.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.84

$0.91 BHD 0.34

17.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$72.0

$6.48 BHD 2.44

-36.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$178

$18.75 BHD 7.07

-45.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.38

$3.35 BHD 1.26

-49.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$44.31

$3.14 BHD 1.18

-19.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.93

$0.78 BHD 0.29

-34.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$457

$32.29 BHD 12.17

-19.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.7

$4.66 BHD 1.76

-30.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$42.19

$4.00 BHD 1.51

-39.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.6

$26.04 BHD 9.81

-87.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.17

$0.53 BHD 0.20

149.06%

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

$29.7K MX$520.9K

$37.7K BHD 14.2K

-21.23%

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

$23.7K MX$415.0K

$20.7K BHD 7,813

14.15%

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

$82.0 MX$1,439

$122 BHD 46.06

-32.89%

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

$22.95 MX$403

$26.99 BHD 10.17

-14.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$528

$38.99 BHD 14.70

-22.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$912

$71.4 BHD 26.90

-27.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$325

$44.42 BHD 16.74

-58.28%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$87.3

$10.53 BHD 3.97

-52.71%

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

$197 MX$3,463

$394 BHD 148

-49.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$93.6K

$8,780 BHD 3,309

-39.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$624

$46.27 BHD 17.44

-23.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$707

$61.5 BHD 23.19

-34.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,381

$82.8 BHD 31.21

-4.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,560

$89.4 BHD 33.71

-0.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.6K

$803 BHD 303

17.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,314

$548 BHD 207

-13.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.8K

$1,794 BHD 676

-8.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.2K

$1,208 BHD 455

0.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$71.1K

$2,668 BHD 1,006

52.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$113.5K

$1,960 BHD 739

230.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.5K

$2,276 BHD 858

-71.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

8.56

33.41%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Last update for Manama: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $803 in Manama. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Manama pays 248% 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: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $52.0 in Manama for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $262 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

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 18% 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 248% 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: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $803 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 24% less than in Manama. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $394 in Manama. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,479 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 $1,256 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 18% less than in Manama. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.