Cost of Living Comparison Between Seef and Al Hidd Cost of Living Comparison Between Seef and Al Hidd

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,683 in Seef versus $1,756 in Al Hidd.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,629 in Seef versus $2,145 in Al Hidd.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,575 in Seef versus $2,535 in Al Hidd.

Living in Seef costs roughly 4% less than in Al Hidd, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seef 23% above, Al Hidd 28% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.15 BHD 3.07

$6.73 BHD 2.54

21.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.6 BHD 19.83

$40.33 BHD 15.20

30.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.27 BHD 3.12

$7.57 BHD 2.85

9.25%

Cappuccino

$5.23 BHD 1.97

$3.78 BHD 1.43

38.36%

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

$1.49 BHD 0.56

$0.82 BHD 0.31

81.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 BHD 0.31

$0.15 BHD 0.06

453.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.59 BHD 3.99

$6.81 BHD 2.57

55.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$18.80 BHD 7.09

$10.18 BHD 3.84

84.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 BHD 0.87

$1.41 BHD 0.53

63.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 BHD 0.49

$1.06 BHD 0.40

23.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.10 BHD 1.17

$2.35 BHD 0.89

31.91%

Eggs

$1.54 BHD 0.58

$2.29 BHD 0.86

-32.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.59 BHD 3.99

$8.82 BHD 3.32

20.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.01 BHD 2.27

$5.33 BHD 2.01

12.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.79 BHD 5.95

$5.38 BHD 2.03

193.49%

Apples (1kg)

$3.15 BHD 1.19

$2.29 BHD 0.86

37.55%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 BHD 0.79

$2.24 BHD 0.84

-7.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.57 BHD 0.97

$1.88 BHD 0.71

36.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.88 BHD 0.71

$1.41 BHD 0.53

33.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.01 BHD 0.38

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 BHD 0.40

$1.36 BHD 0.51

-21.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.81 BHD 0.68

$1.51 BHD 0.57

19.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.38 BHD 0.14

$0.83 BHD 0.31

-54.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.75 BHD 1.41

$5.21 BHD 1.96

-28.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.75 BHD 7.07

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.82 BHD 1.44

$3.54 BHD 1.34

7.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 BHD 0.98

$2.67 BHD 1.01

-2.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.63 BHD 0.24

$1.62 BHD 0.61

-61.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.4 BHD 24.64

$52.1 BHD 19.62

25.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 BHD 1.31

$5.33 BHD 2.01

-34.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.30 BHD 1.24

$3.47 BHD 1.31

-4.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.54 BHD 2.46

$15.82 BHD 5.96

-58.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.60 BHD 0.23

$0.65 BHD 0.24

-7.69%

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

$19.7K BHD 7,434

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

$20.8K BHD 7,835

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

$98.1 BHD 36.96

$154 BHD 58.1

-36.37%

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

$26.44 BHD 9.97

$24.76 BHD 9.33

6.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.30 BHD 17.45

$35.48 BHD 13.37

30.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.2 BHD 27.21

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$52.1 BHD 19.64

Cinema Ticket

$10.65 BHD 4.02

$10.67 BHD 4.02

-0.19%

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

$493 BHD 186

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,018 BHD 3,022

$10.9K BHD 4,118

-26.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.9 BHD 25.95

$51.7 BHD 19.50

33.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.3 BHD 20.08

$57.4 BHD 21.63

-7.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.7 BHD 34.92

$88.5 BHD 33.35

4.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.1 BHD 29.80

$89.0 BHD 33.53

-11.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$936 BHD 353

$675 BHD 255

38.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$676 BHD 255

$942 BHD 355

-28.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 BHD 805

$789 BHD 298

170.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,402 BHD 528

$651 BHD 245

115.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,376 BHD 1,272

$1,916 BHD 722

76.15%

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 Seef: September 13, 2026

Last update for Al Hidd: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $936 in Seef and $675 in Al Hidd. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seef pays 76% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $53.0 in Seef vs $40.00 in Al Hidd for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $234 per month, with Al Hidd 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

Seef vs Al Hidd: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seef and Al Hidd differ by about 4% in total monthly costs ($1,683 vs $1,756 including rent). Seef is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 76% higher in Seef, 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: $936 in Seef versus $675 in Al Hidd. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Al Hidd pay roughly 7% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,683 per month in Seef versus $1,756 in Al Hidd – a 4% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,683 in Seef versus $1,756 in Al Hidd, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Seef but tight or insufficient in Al Hidd. The gap between the two cities makes Seef the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Seef is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Al Hidd, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Seef and Al Hidd 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 Seef gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Al Hidd. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.