Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seef and Manama

For one person, living is cheaper in Manama: $1,554 a month against $1,660 in Seef, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. The total is higher in Seef despite lower rent and utilities.

81

Cost of Living Index in Seef
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Seef Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Manama
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Manama Living Index

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Seef

🇧🇭 Bahrain

$1,660

/mo nomad

Manama

🇧🇭 Bahrain

$1,554

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seef 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 Seef and in Manama actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,660 in Seef versus $1,554 in Manama.

Seef $1,660
Manama $1,554

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,637 in Seef versus $2,478 in Manama.

Seef $2,637
Manama $2,478

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,615 in Seef versus $3,403 in Manama.

Seef $3,615
Manama $3,403

Living in Seef is roughly 7% more expensive than in Manama, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seef 22% above, Manama 15% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.29 BHD 3.13

$5.34 BHD 2.02

55.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.1 BHD 19.67

$54.0 BHD 20.39

-3.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.30 BHD 3.13

$7.25 BHD 2.74

14.48%

Cappuccino

$5.13 BHD 1.93

$5.03 BHD 1.90

1.99%

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

$1.56 BHD 0.59

$0.84 BHD 0.32

85.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 BHD 0.29

$0.30 BHD 0.11

153.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.73 BHD 4.05

$6.51 BHD 2.46

64.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$18.39 BHD 6.94

$9.82 BHD 3.71

87.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.27 BHD 0.86

$1.39 BHD 0.53

63.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 BHD 0.51

$1.07 BHD 0.40

26.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.12 BHD 1.18

$2.25 BHD 0.85

38.67%

Eggs

$1.55 BHD 0.59

$2.21 BHD 0.83

-29.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.77 BHD 4.06

$8.70 BHD 3.28

23.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.97 BHD 2.25

$6.55 BHD 2.47

-8.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.15 BHD 6.09

$8.85 BHD 3.34

82.49%

Apples (1kg)

$3.15 BHD 1.19

$2.28 BHD 0.86

38.16%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 BHD 0.76

$2.25 BHD 0.85

-10.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.51 BHD 0.95

$1.95 BHD 0.74

28.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 BHD 0.69

$1.38 BHD 0.52

33.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.01 BHD 0.38

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 BHD 0.41

$1.41 BHD 0.53

-24.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.89 BHD 0.71

$1.51 BHD 0.57

25.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.39 BHD 0.15

$0.79 BHD 0.30

-50.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 BHD 1.48

$5.40 BHD 2.04

-27.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.59 BHD 7.02

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.68 BHD 1.39

$3.66 BHD 1.38

0.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 BHD 0.98

$2.57 BHD 0.97

1.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.65 BHD 0.25

$0.63 BHD 0.24

3.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.4 BHD 25.04

$36.50 BHD 13.77

81.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 BHD 1.35

$5.34 BHD 2.02

-32.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.39 BHD 1.28

$3.40 BHD 1.28

-0.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.43 BHD 2.43

$16.00 BHD 6.04

-59.81%

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)

$97.9 BHD 36.93

$150 BHD 56.7

-34.90%

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

$27.31 BHD 10.31

$24.82 BHD 9.37

10.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.92 BHD 17.71

$35.16 BHD 13.27

33.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.2 BHD 28.01

$63.1 BHD 23.82

17.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.87 BHD 11.65

Cinema Ticket

$10.78 BHD 4.07

$10.57 BHD 3.99

1.99%

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

$497 BHD 188

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,875 BHD 2,972

$11.0K BHD 4,159

-28.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.9 BHD 25.62

$51.9 BHD 19.58

30.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.6 BHD 19.84

$56.6 BHD 21.35

-7.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.2 BHD 35.18

$89.1 BHD 33.62

4.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.0 BHD 29.82

$89.2 BHD 33.68

-11.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$941 BHD 355

$1,010 BHD 381

-6.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$668 BHD 252

$638 BHD 241

4.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,121 BHD 800

$2,072 BHD 782

2.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,418 BHD 535

$1,390 BHD 525

2.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,572 BHD 971

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 BHD 732

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,393 BHD 1,281

$2,318 BHD 875

46.40%

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 19, 2026

Last update for Manama: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seef

$668 40.2%

Manama

$638 41% 4.5% $30

Eating Out

Seef

$252 15.2%

Manama

$182 11.7% 28.1% $71

Groceries & Markets

Seef

$250 * 15.1%

Manama

$250 16.1% 0.4% $0.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seef

$172 10.4%

Manama

$210 13.5% 22.2% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Seef

$132 7.9%

Manama

$129 8.3% 2% $2.6

Sport & Entertainment

Seef

$96 5.8%

Manama

$84 5.4% 12% $12

Getting Around

Seef

$90 5.4%

Manama

$61 4% 31.4% $28

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $941 in Seef and $1,010 in Manama. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seef pays 46% 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: $52.0 in Seef vs $54.0 in Manama for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $250 per month, with Seef cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇭 Seef

🇧🇭 Manama

🕒 Local time

04:31 4:31 AM

Same time as Seef

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,564

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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Between locations

Seef Manama 5 km

From you

Seef
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

Seef vs Manama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Manama wins on cost – living expenses run 7% lower than in Seef. 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 46% 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: $941 in Seef versus $1,010 in Manama. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 0% higher in Seef. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,660 per month in Seef versus $1,554 in Manama – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,554 in Manama versus $1,660 in Seef, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Manama but tight or insufficient in Seef. The gap between the two cities makes Manama the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Manama delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,554 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Manama hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Seef 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 7% less than in Seef. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.