Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saar and Manama

For one person, living is cheaper in Manama: $1,554 a month against $1,973 in Saar, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Manama
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Manama Living Index

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Saar

🇧🇭 Bahrain

$1,973

/mo nomad

Manama

🇧🇭 Bahrain

$1,554

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Saar and in Manama

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,973 in Saar versus $1,554 in Manama.

Saar $1,973
Manama $1,554

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,761 in Saar versus $2,478 in Manama.

Saar $2,761
Manama $2,478

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,549 in Saar versus $3,403 in Manama.

Saar $3,549
Manama $3,403

Living in Saar is roughly 27% more expensive than in Manama, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Saar 46% above, Manama 15% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.72 BHD 4.05

$5.34 BHD 2.02

100.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.26 BHD 12.55

$54.0 BHD 20.39

-38.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 BHD 3.98

$7.25 BHD 2.74

45.38%

Cappuccino

$5.74 BHD 2.17

$5.03 BHD 1.90

14.12%

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

$1.63 BHD 0.62

$0.84 BHD 0.32

94.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.00 BHD 0.38

$0.30 BHD 0.11

233.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.05 BHD 2.28

$6.51 BHD 2.46

-7.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.54 BHD 3.60

$9.82 BHD 3.71

-2.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 BHD 0.65

$1.39 BHD 0.53

24.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 BHD 0.49

$1.07 BHD 0.40

21.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.68 BHD 1.01

$2.25 BHD 0.85

19.11%

Eggs

$2.72 BHD 1.03

$2.21 BHD 0.83

23.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.28 BHD 5.01

$8.70 BHD 3.28

52.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.69 BHD 2.52

$6.55 BHD 2.47

2.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.98 BHD 6.03

$8.85 BHD 3.34

80.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.86 BHD 1.46

$2.28 BHD 0.86

69.30%

Banana (1kg)

$2.41 BHD 0.91

$2.25 BHD 0.85

7.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.62 BHD 1.37

$1.95 BHD 0.74

85.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.95 BHD 0.73

$1.38 BHD 0.52

41.30%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 BHD 0.25

$1.01 BHD 0.38

-33.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 BHD 0.61

$1.41 BHD 0.53

14.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 BHD 0.57

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 BHD 0.30

$0.79 BHD 0.30

1.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.40 BHD 2.04

Wine (Bottle)

$26.02 BHD 9.82

$18.59 BHD 7.02

39.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.66 BHD 1.38

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 BHD 0.97

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 BHD 0.30

$0.63 BHD 0.24

26.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.50 BHD 13.77

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.27 BHD 1.99

$5.34 BHD 2.02

-1.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.40 BHD 1.28

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.00 BHD 6.04

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.61 BHD 0.23

$0.69 BHD 0.26

-11.59%

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

$25.6K BHD 9,660

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

$19.7K BHD 7,442

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

$130 BHD 49.12

$150 BHD 56.7

-13.42%

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

$24.82 BHD 9.37

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.23 BHD 12.16

$35.16 BHD 13.27

-8.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$157 BHD 59.4

$63.1 BHD 23.82

149.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$105 BHD 39.56

$30.87 BHD 11.65

239.52%

Cinema Ticket

$15.57 BHD 5.88

$10.57 BHD 3.99

47.30%

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

$554 BHD 209

$497 BHD 188

11.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,839 BHD 2,958

$11.0K BHD 4,159

-28.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.1 BHD 34.40

$51.9 BHD 19.58

75.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.39 BHD 14.87

$56.6 BHD 21.35

-30.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 BHD 39.32

$89.1 BHD 33.62

16.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 BHD 39.45

$89.2 BHD 33.68

17.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,345 BHD 508

$1,010 BHD 381

33.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$917 BHD 346

$638 BHD 241

43.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,141 BHD 808

$2,072 BHD 782

3.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,210 BHD 457

$1,390 BHD 525

-12.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,572 BHD 971

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,111 BHD 797

$1,940 BHD 732

8.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,423 BHD 915

$2,318 BHD 875

4.55%

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 Saar: October 18, 2026

Last update for Manama: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Saar

–

Manama

$638 41%

Groceries & Markets

Saar

–

Manama

$250 16.1%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Saar

–

Manama

$210 13.5%

Eating Out

Saar

–

Manama

$182 11.7%

Clothing & Footwear

Saar

–

Manama

$129 8.3%

Sport & Entertainment

Saar

–

Manama

$84 5.4%

Getting Around

Saar

–

Manama

$61 4%

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,345 in Saar and $1,010 in Manama. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saar pays 5% 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: $33.00 in Saar vs $54.0 in Manama. Groceries flip the comparison at $298 vs $250, with Manama cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇧🇭 Saar

🇧🇭 Manama

🕒 Local time

04:31 4:31 AM

Same time as Saar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,000

157,474 Capital

💱 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

Saar Manama 10 km

From you

Saar
Manama

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

Saar vs Manama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

Average pay runs 5% higher in Saar, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,345 in Saar versus $1,010 in Manama. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Saar. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,973 per month in Saar versus $1,554 in Manama – a 27% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,554 in Manama versus $1,973 in Saar, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Manama but tight or insufficient in Saar. The gap between the two cities makes Manama the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Saar 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 27% less than in Saar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.