Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Riffa and Saar

For one person, living is cheaper in Riffa: $1,211 a month against $1,973 in Saar, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Riffa
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Riffa Living Index

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Riffa

🇧🇭 Bahrain

$1,211

/mo nomad

Saar

🇧🇭 Bahrain

$1,973

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Riffa and in Saar

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Riffa and in Saar actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,211 per month in Riffa vs $1,973 in Saar, rent included.

Riffa $1,211
Saar $1,973

A couple spends around $1,868 per month in Riffa vs $2,761 in Saar, rent included.

Riffa $1,868
Saar $2,761

A family of three spends $2,525 per month in Riffa vs $3,549 in Saar, rent included.

Riffa $2,525
Saar $3,549

Riffa is about 39% cheaper than Saar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Riffa sits 11% below the global median, while Saar is 46% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.23 BHD 1.97

$10.72 BHD 4.05

-51.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.96 BHD 14.70

$33.26 BHD 12.55

17.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.08 BHD 2.30

$10.54 BHD 3.98

-42.31%

Cappuccino

$4.04 BHD 1.52

$5.74 BHD 2.17

-29.62%

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

$0.68 BHD 0.26

$1.63 BHD 0.62

-58.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 BHD 0.10

$1.00 BHD 0.38

-73.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.43 BHD 2.43

$6.05 BHD 2.28

6.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.16 BHD 3.08

$9.54 BHD 3.60

-14.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 BHD 0.52

$1.73 BHD 0.65

-20.23%

White Bread (500g)

$0.63 BHD 0.24

$1.30 BHD 0.49

-51.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.81 BHD 0.68

$2.68 BHD 1.01

-32.46%

Eggs

$2.30 BHD 0.87

$2.72 BHD 1.03

-15.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.84 BHD 2.96

$13.28 BHD 5.01

-40.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.92 BHD 2.23

$6.69 BHD 2.52

-11.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.38 BHD 3.16

$15.98 BHD 6.03

-47.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 BHD 0.87

$3.86 BHD 1.46

-40.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 BHD 0.65

$2.41 BHD 0.91

-28.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 BHD 0.68

$3.62 BHD 1.37

-50.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.05 BHD 0.40

$1.95 BHD 0.73

-46.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 BHD 0.38

$0.67 BHD 0.25

49.25%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 BHD 0.25

$1.62 BHD 0.61

-58.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.54 BHD 0.20

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 BHD 0.21

$0.80 BHD 0.30

-31.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.43 BHD 2.05

Wine (Bottle)

$13.12 BHD 4.95

$26.02 BHD 9.82

-49.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 BHD 0.68

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 BHD 0.98

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 BHD 0.31

$0.80 BHD 0.30

1.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.72 BHD 13.48

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.44 BHD 2.05

$5.27 BHD 1.99

3.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.42 BHD 1.29

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.40 BHD 3.93

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.49 BHD 0.19

$0.61 BHD 0.23

-19.67%

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

$22.5K BHD 8,506

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

$20.1K BHD 7,597

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

$133 BHD 50.3

$130 BHD 49.12

2.40%

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

$24.43 BHD 9.22

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.66 BHD 13.08

$32.23 BHD 12.16

7.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.9 BHD 27.51

$157 BHD 59.4

-53.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.45 BHD 5.08

$105 BHD 39.56

-87.17%

Cinema Ticket

$10.52 BHD 3.97

$15.57 BHD 5.88

-32.43%

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

$481 BHD 182

$554 BHD 209

-13.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,589 BHD 2,109

$7,839 BHD 2,958

-28.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.99 BHD 10.94

$91.1 BHD 34.40

-68.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.34 BHD 8.06

$39.39 BHD 14.87

-45.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.4 BHD 25.06

$104 BHD 39.32

-36.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$39.70 BHD 14.98

$105 BHD 39.45

-62.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$916 BHD 346

$1,345 BHD 508

-31.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$429 BHD 162

$917 BHD 346

-53.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,535 BHD 579

$2,141 BHD 808

-28.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$862 BHD 325

$1,210 BHD 457

-28.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,111 BHD 797

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,392 BHD 525

$2,423 BHD 915

-42.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.5

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

Last update for Riffa: October 18, 2026

Last update for Saar: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Riffa

$429 35.5%

Saar

–

Groceries & Markets

Riffa

$203 16.7%

Saar

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Riffa

$192 15.9%

Saar

–

Eating Out

Riffa

$161 13.3%

Saar

–

Sport & Entertainment

Riffa

$94 7.8%

Saar

–

Clothing & Footwear

Riffa

$70 5.8%

Saar

–

Getting Around

Riffa

$61 5.1%

Saar

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $916 in Riffa versus $1,345 in Saar. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 74% higher in Saar, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $39.00 in Riffa versus $33.00 in Saar. Groceries tell a different story – $203 in Riffa vs $298 in Saar – so Riffa wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇧🇭 Riffa

🇧🇭 Saar

🕒 Local time

23:03 11:03 PM

Same time as Riffa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

121,566

6,000

💱 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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Between locations

Riffa Saar 9 km

From you

Riffa
Saar

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

Riffa vs Saar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Saar is pricier by about 63%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,817 per month in Riffa and $2,960 in Saar. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Riffa, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $39.00 in Riffa and $33.00 in Saar. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 47% more in Saar, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Riffa, where all-in costs run around $1,211, than in Saar at $1,973. In Riffa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Saar it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Riffa – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Riffa. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Saar makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.