Cost of Living Comparison Between United Kingdom and Bahrain Cost of Living Comparison Between United Kingdom and Bahrain

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,405 in United Kingdom versus $1,138 in Bahrain.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,520 in United Kingdom versus $1,829 in Bahrain.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,635 in United Kingdom versus $2,519 in Bahrain.

Living in United Kingdom is roughly 111% more expensive than in Bahrain on average.

United Kingdom (74% above) and Bahrain (17% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in United Kingdom: monthly costs span $1,100 to $4,235, compared to $125$2,002 in Bahrain. City choice carries more weight in United Kingdom.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
United Kingdom
Bahrain
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$21.52 £15.91
$7.19 BHD 2.71
199.30%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$88.0 £65.0
$40.27 BHD 15.18
118.40%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.89 £8.05
$8.18 BHD 3.08
33.13%
Cappuccino
$4.92 £3.64
$4.82 BHD 1.82
2.07%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.59 £1.91
$0.96 BHD 0.36
169.79%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.84 £1.36
$0.34 BHD 0.13
441.18%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.91 £5.11
$6.67 BHD 2.52
3.60%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.86 £5.07
$9.36 BHD 3.53
-26.71%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
United Kingdom
Bahrain
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.67 £1.23
$1.58 BHD 0.60
5.70%
White Bread (500g)
$1.67 £1.23
$1.21 BHD 0.46
38.02%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.20 £1.63
$2.73 BHD 1.03
-19.41%
Eggs
$4.19 £3.10
$2.65 BHD 1.00
58.11%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.98 £7.38
$10.02 BHD 3.78
-0.40%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.47 £7.00
$6.55 BHD 2.47
44.58%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.41 £11.39
$10.31 BHD 3.89
49.47%
Apples (1kg)
$3.02 £2.23
$2.65 BHD 1.00
13.96%
Banana (1kg)
$1.70 £1.25
$2.17 BHD 0.82
-21.66%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.92 £2.16
$2.29 BHD 0.86
27.51%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.38 £2.50
$1.57 BHD 0.59
115.29%
Potato (1kg)
$1.84 £1.36
$1.25 BHD 0.47
47.20%
Onion (1kg)
$1.58 £1.17
$1.15 BHD 0.43
37.39%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.26 £0.93
$1.67 BHD 0.63
-24.55%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.70 £1.26
$0.66 BHD 0.25
157.58%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$24.21 £17.90
$5.91 BHD 2.23
309.64%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.00 £8.13
$23.48 BHD 8.85
-53.15%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.98 £2.21
$3.68 BHD 1.39
-19.02%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.39 £2.51
$3.24 BHD 1.22
4.63%
🚌 Getting Around
United Kingdom
Bahrain
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.43 £2.53
$0.82 BHD 0.31
318.29%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$105 £77.9
$37.04 BHD 13.96
184.53%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.36 £3.97
$5.38 BHD 2.03
-0.37%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.37 £1.75
$3.53 BHD 1.33
-32.86%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$27.55 £20.37
$15.83 BHD 5.97
74.04%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.93 £1.43
$0.62 BHD 0.23
211.29%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$39.7K £29.3K
$37.8K BHD 14.3K
4.88%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.7K £30.1K
$21.0K BHD 7,917
93.57%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
United Kingdom
Bahrain
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$321 £238
$131 BHD 49.26
145.95%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.67 £13.81
$26.15 BHD 9.86
-28.60%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$43.93 £32.48
$40.55 BHD 15.28
8.34%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
United Kingdom
Bahrain
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$46.56 £34.42
$77.3 BHD 29.15
-39.79%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.71 £13.83
$36.36 BHD 13.70
-48.54%
Cinema Ticket
$13.53 £10.00
$10.70 BHD 4.03
26.45%
🧸 Childcare & Education
United Kingdom
Bahrain
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,739 £1,286
$534 BHD 201
225.81%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$22.7K £16.8K
$9,746 BHD 3,673
132.49%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
United Kingdom
Bahrain
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$90.9 £67.2
$53.4 BHD 20.12
70.32%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$47.40 £35.05
$51.4 BHD 19.36
-7.75%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$105 £77.8
$84.9 BHD 32.00
24.01%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$101 £74.9
$87.9 BHD 33.12
15.35%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
United Kingdom
Bahrain
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,382 £1,022
$951 BHD 359
45.27%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,095 £809
$634 BHD 239
72.69%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,216 £1,638
$1,814 BHD 684
22.20%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,814 £1,341
$1,258 BHD 474
44.12%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,730 £4,237
$2,626 BHD 990
118.19%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,515 £3,338
$1,876 BHD 707
140.74%
💵 Salaries & Financials
United Kingdom
Bahrain
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,329 £2,461
$2,243 BHD 845
48.44%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.32
6.33
-15.96%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for United Kingdom: September 5, 2026

Last update for Bahrain: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,285 in United Kingdom, $462 in Bahrain. Capital cities: $2,926 in London vs $997 in Manama.

National salary averages: $3,292 in United Kingdom, $2,205 in Bahrain. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 178% higher in United Kingdom.

Dining out costs 100% more in United Kingdom.

Public transport is 378% more expensive in United Kingdom.

Salaries are 49% higher in United Kingdom, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Bahrain.

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
United Kingdom vs Bahrain: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost difference between Bahrain and United Kingdom?
At $1,064 per month in Bahrain and $2,668 in United Kingdom, there's a 151% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
Which country is cheaper for everyday spending?
Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in Bahrain: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.
Which country has higher housing costs?
Rent in United Kingdom is consistently higher than in Bahrain across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget in Bahrain or in United Kingdom?
In Bahrain, $2,500 covers most cities easily; in United Kingdom it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.
Should I move to Bahrain or to United Kingdom?
It depends on what you're after: Bahrain wins on affordability; United Kingdom may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.

United Kingdom vs other spots: cost of living compared

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