Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saar and Riffa

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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Saar

🇧🇭 Bahrain

$1,973

/mo nomad

Riffa

🇧🇭 Bahrain

$1,211

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Saar and in Riffa

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 Riffa actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

Saar $1,973
Riffa $1,211

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

Saar $2,761
Riffa $1,868

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

Saar $3,549
Riffa $2,525

Saar costs about 63% more than Riffa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.72 BHD 4.05

$5.23 BHD 1.97

104.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.26 BHD 12.55

$38.96 BHD 14.70

-14.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 BHD 3.98

$6.08 BHD 2.30

73.36%

Cappuccino

$5.74 BHD 2.17

$4.04 BHD 1.52

42.08%

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

$1.63 BHD 0.62

$0.68 BHD 0.26

139.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.00 BHD 0.38

$0.27 BHD 0.10

270.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.05 BHD 2.28

$6.43 BHD 2.43

-5.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.54 BHD 3.60

$8.16 BHD 3.08

16.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 BHD 0.65

$1.38 BHD 0.52

25.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 BHD 0.49

$0.63 BHD 0.24

106.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.68 BHD 1.01

$1.81 BHD 0.68

48.07%

Eggs

$2.72 BHD 1.03

$2.30 BHD 0.87

18.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.28 BHD 5.01

$7.84 BHD 2.96

69.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.69 BHD 2.52

$5.92 BHD 2.23

13.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.98 BHD 6.03

$8.38 BHD 3.16

90.69%

Apples (1kg)

$3.86 BHD 1.46

$2.31 BHD 0.87

67.10%

Banana (1kg)

$2.41 BHD 0.91

$1.73 BHD 0.65

39.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.62 BHD 1.37

$1.80 BHD 0.68

101.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.95 BHD 0.73

$1.05 BHD 0.40

85.71%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 BHD 0.25

$1.00 BHD 0.38

-33.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 BHD 0.61

$0.67 BHD 0.25

141.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.54 BHD 0.20

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 BHD 0.30

$0.55 BHD 0.21

45.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.43 BHD 2.05

Wine (Bottle)

$26.02 BHD 9.82

$13.12 BHD 4.95

98.32%

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)

$0.80 BHD 0.30

$0.81 BHD 0.31

-1.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.72 BHD 13.48

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.27 BHD 1.99

$5.44 BHD 2.05

-3.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.42 BHD 1.29

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.40 BHD 3.93

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.61 BHD 0.23

$0.49 BHD 0.19

24.49%

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)

$130 BHD 49.12

$133 BHD 50.3

-2.34%

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

$24.43 BHD 9.22

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.23 BHD 12.16

$34.66 BHD 13.08

-7.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$157 BHD 59.4

$72.9 BHD 27.51

115.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$105 BHD 39.56

$13.45 BHD 5.08

679.26%

Cinema Ticket

$15.57 BHD 5.88

$10.52 BHD 3.97

48.00%

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

$554 BHD 209

$481 BHD 182

15.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,839 BHD 2,958

$5,589 BHD 2,109

40.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.1 BHD 34.40

$28.99 BHD 10.94

214.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.39 BHD 14.87

$21.34 BHD 8.06

84.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 BHD 39.32

$66.4 BHD 25.06

56.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 BHD 39.45

$39.70 BHD 14.98

163.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,345 BHD 508

$916 BHD 346

46.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$917 BHD 346

$429 BHD 162

113.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,141 BHD 808

$1,535 BHD 579

39.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,210 BHD 457

$862 BHD 325

40.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,111 BHD 797

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,423 BHD 915

$1,392 BHD 525

74.14%

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 Saar: October 18, 2026

Last update for Riffa: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Saar

–

Riffa

$429 35.5%

Groceries & Markets

Saar

–

Riffa

$203 16.7%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Saar

–

Riffa

$192 15.9%

Eating Out

Saar

–

Riffa

$161 13.3%

Sport & Entertainment

Saar

–

Riffa

$94 7.8%

Clothing & Footwear

Saar

–

Riffa

$70 5.8%

Getting Around

Saar

–

Riffa

$61 5.1%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,345 in Saar versus $916 in Riffa. 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 $33.00 in Saar versus $39.00 in Riffa. Groceries tell a different story – $298 in Saar vs $203 in Riffa – so Riffa wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇧🇭 Saar

🇧🇭 Riffa

🕒 Local time

20:23 8:23 PM

Same time as Saar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,000

121,566

💱 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 Riffa 9 km

From you

Saar
Riffa

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 Riffa: 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 $2,960 per month in Saar and $1,817 in Riffa. 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 $33.00 in Saar and $39.00 in Riffa. 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.