Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seef and 'ali

For one person, living is cheaper in 'ali: $818 a month against $1,664 in Seef, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

81

Cost of Living Index in Seef
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Seef Living Index
40

Cost of Living Index in 'ali
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'ali Living Index

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Seef

🇧🇭 Bahrain

$1,664

/mo nomad

'ali

🇧🇭 Bahrain

$818

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seef and in 'ali

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

A single person spends $1,664 per month in Seef vs $818 in 'ali, rent included.

Seef $1,664
'ali $818

A couple spends around $2,619 per month in Seef vs $1,299 in 'ali, rent included.

Seef $2,619
'ali $1,299

A family of three spends $3,574 per month in Seef vs $1,779 in 'ali, rent included.

Seef $3,574
'ali $1,779

Seef costs about 103% more than 'ali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Seef sits 23% above the global median, while 'ali is 39% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.06 BHD 3.04

$5.36 BHD 2.02

50.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.7 BHD 19.91

$53.3 BHD 20.13

-1.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.11 BHD 3.06

$7.44 BHD 2.81

9.01%

Cappuccino

$5.06 BHD 1.91

$5.01 BHD 1.89

1.00%

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

$1.49 BHD 0.56

$0.90 BHD 0.34

65.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 BHD 0.30

$0.30 BHD 0.11

170.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.75 BHD 4.06

$6.73 BHD 2.54

59.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$18.33 BHD 6.92

$10.18 BHD 3.84

80.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.30 BHD 0.87

$1.42 BHD 0.54

61.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 BHD 0.49

$1.07 BHD 0.40

21.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.24 BHD 1.22

$2.26 BHD 0.85

43.36%

Eggs

$1.53 BHD 0.58

$2.22 BHD 0.84

-31.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.51 BHD 3.97

$8.64 BHD 3.26

21.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.79 BHD 2.18

$6.45 BHD 2.44

-10.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.11 BHD 6.08

$8.86 BHD 3.34

81.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 BHD 1.23

$2.30 BHD 0.87

41.30%

Banana (1kg)

$2.07 BHD 0.78

$2.31 BHD 0.87

-10.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.51 BHD 0.95

$1.92 BHD 0.73

30.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.89 BHD 0.71

$1.40 BHD 0.53

35.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 BHD 0.39

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 BHD 0.39

$1.35 BHD 0.51

-22.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.88 BHD 0.71

$1.50 BHD 0.57

25.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.42 BHD 0.16

$0.78 BHD 0.30

-46.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.79 BHD 1.43

$5.32 BHD 2.01

-28.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.80 BHD 7.10

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.72 BHD 1.40

$3.61 BHD 1.36

3.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 BHD 1.03

$2.57 BHD 0.97

5.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 BHD 0.25

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 BHD 24.62

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 BHD 1.33

$5.42 BHD 2.05

-34.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.36 BHD 1.27

$3.46 BHD 1.31

-2.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.40 BHD 2.42

$15.80 BHD 5.96

-59.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.65 BHD 0.25

$0.70 BHD 0.26

-7.14%

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

$36.7K BHD 13.9K

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

$20.1K BHD 7,592

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

$98.8 BHD 37.28

$151 BHD 57.0

-34.54%

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

$26.56 BHD 10.02

$24.17 BHD 9.12

9.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.06 BHD 17.76

$35.75 BHD 13.49

31.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.7 BHD 27.05

Cinema Ticket

$10.50 BHD 3.96

$10.67 BHD 4.03

-1.59%

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

$495 BHD 187

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,789 BHD 2,940

$11.2K BHD 4,228

-30.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.2 BHD 26.51

$51.9 BHD 19.58

35.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.5 BHD 19.80

$57.3 BHD 21.62

-8.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.7 BHD 34.59

$89.2 BHD 33.66

2.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.4 BHD 30.34

$89.2 BHD 33.67

-9.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$942 BHD 356

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$678 BHD 256

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 BHD 797

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,388 BHD 524

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,382 BHD 1,276

$3,823 BHD 1,443

-11.53%

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: October 13, 2026

Last update for 'ali: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seef

$678 40.7%

'ali

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Seef

$251 * 15.1%

'ali

$250 30.5% 0.5% $1.2

Eating Out

Seef

$249 15%

'ali

$184 22.5% 26.1% $65

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seef

$172 10.4%

'ali

$211 25.8% 22.3% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Seef

$133 8%

'ali

$129 15.8% 2.4% $3.2

Sport & Entertainment

Seef

$93 5.6%

'ali

$21 * 2.6% 77% $71

Getting Around

Seef

$88 5.3%

'ali

$23 * 2.8% 74.3% $66

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 13% higher in 'ali, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $53.0 in Seef versus $53.0 in 'ali. Groceries tell a different story – $251 in Seef vs $250 in 'ali – so 'ali wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇧🇭 Seef

🇧🇭 'ali

🕒 Local time

03:11 3:11 AM

Same time as Seef

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,564

100,553

💱 Currency

Bahraini Dinar BHD .د.ب

📈 Exchange rate

1 BHD = 2.65 USD

1 BHD = 2.37 EUR

1 BHD = 2.65 USD

1 BHD = 2.37 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Seef 'ali 9 km

From you

Seef
'ali

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

Seef vs 'ali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Seef is pricier by about 103%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,495 per month in Seef and $1,227 in 'ali. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Groceries cost about 0% more in Seef, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $53.0 in Seef and $53.0 in 'ali. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in 'ali, where all-in costs run around $818, than in Seef at $1,664. In 'ali it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seef it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward 'ali – 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 'ali. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Seef makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.