Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zinj and Manama

For one person, living is cheaper in Zinj: $812 a month against $1,552 in Manama, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

40

Cost of Living Index in Zinj
Learn more

Zinj Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Manama
Learn more

Manama Living Index

Jump to prices

Zinj

🇧🇭 Bahrain

$812

/mo nomad

Manama

🇧🇭 Bahrain

$1,552

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $812 in Zinj versus $1,552 in Manama.

Zinj $812
Manama $1,552

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,289 in Zinj versus $2,482 in Manama.

Zinj $1,289
Manama $2,482

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,766 in Zinj versus $3,412 in Manama.

Zinj $1,766
Manama $3,412

Living in Zinj costs roughly 48% less than in Manama, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

The two cities straddle the global median: Zinj is 40% below, Manama is 15% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.17 BHD 1.95

$5.36 BHD 2.02

-3.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.3 BHD 20.13

$53.4 BHD 20.15

-0.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.51 BHD 2.83

$7.39 BHD 2.79

1.62%

Cappuccino

$4.91 BHD 1.85

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

$0.83 BHD 0.31

$0.90 BHD 0.34

-7.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 BHD 0.11

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.75 BHD 2.55

$6.44 BHD 2.43

4.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.81 BHD 3.70

$10.13 BHD 3.82

-3.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 BHD 0.53

$1.39 BHD 0.53

0.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 BHD 0.40

$1.09 BHD 0.41

-3.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.28 BHD 0.86

$2.26 BHD 0.85

0.88%

Eggs

$2.23 BHD 0.84

$2.32 BHD 0.87

-3.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.79 BHD 3.32

$8.46 BHD 3.19

3.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.41 BHD 2.42

$6.55 BHD 2.47

-2.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.52 BHD 3.21

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 BHD 0.89

$2.38 BHD 0.90

-0.42%

Banana (1kg)

$2.24 BHD 0.84

$2.23 BHD 0.84

0.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.88 BHD 0.71

$1.90 BHD 0.72

-1.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 BHD 0.52

$1.39 BHD 0.52

-0.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 BHD 0.38

$1.01 BHD 0.38

0.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.41 BHD 0.53

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 BHD 0.56

$1.53 BHD 0.58

-3.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 BHD 0.30

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.39 BHD 2.04

$5.44 BHD 2.05

-0.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.64 BHD 7.04

$18.64 BHD 7.03

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.47 BHD 1.31

$3.55 BHD 1.34

-2.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 BHD 1.02

$2.63 BHD 0.99

3.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.64 BHD 0.24

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.77 BHD 14.25

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.38 BHD 2.03

$5.36 BHD 2.02

0.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.36 BHD 1.27

$3.51 BHD 1.33

-4.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.80 BHD 5.96

$15.94 BHD 6.02

-0.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.70 BHD 0.26

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

$36.6K BHD 13.8K

0.14%

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

$20.2K BHD 7,642

$20.6K BHD 7,776

-1.72%

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

$153 BHD 57.6

$154 BHD 58.1

-0.90%

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

$24.34 BHD 9.19

$24.90 BHD 9.40

-2.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.59 BHD 13.05

$34.92 BHD 13.18

-0.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.0 BHD 23.41

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.30 BHD 11.44

Cinema Ticket

$10.79 BHD 4.07

$10.66 BHD 4.02

1.22%

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

$485 BHD 183

$480 BHD 181

1.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.2K BHD 4,210

$10.8K BHD 4,089

2.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.6 BHD 19.49

$50.6 BHD 19.10

2.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.9 BHD 21.47

$58.6 BHD 22.11

-2.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.1 BHD 33.25

$88.3 BHD 33.31

-0.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.7 BHD 33.83

$88.9 BHD 33.55

0.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,011 BHD 382

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 BHD 239

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,022 BHD 763

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,402 BHD 529

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,620 BHD 989

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,970 BHD 744

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,308 BHD 871

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 Zinj: October 13, 2026

Last update for Manama: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Zinj

$247 30.5%

Manama

$248 16% 0.3% $0.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zinj

$212 26.1%

Manama

$214 13.8% 1.1% $2.3

Eating Out

Zinj

$181 22.2%

Manama

$181 11.7% 0.3% $0.5

Clothing & Footwear

Zinj

$129 15.9%

Manama

$129 8.3% 0% $0

Getting Around

Zinj

$22 * 2.7%

Manama

$63 4.1% 185% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Zinj

$22 * 2.7%

Manama

$83 5.4% 286% $62

Accommodation & Living

Zinj

- * 0%

Manama

$633 40.8%

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $53.0 in Zinj vs $53.0 in Manama for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $247 vs $248 per month, with Zinj cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇭 Zinj

🇧🇭 Manama

🕒 Local time

02:06 2:06 AM

Same time as Zinj

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

66,588

157,474 Capital

💱 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

Zinj Manama 3 km

From you

Zinj
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

Zinj vs Manama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zinj wins on cost – living expenses run 91% lower than in Manama. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Zinj the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,218 in Zinj and $2,328 in Manama to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

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

All in, you'll spend $812 per month in Zinj versus $1,552 in Manama – a 91% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $812 in Zinj versus $1,552 in Manama, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Zinj but tight or insufficient in Manama. The gap between the two cities makes Zinj the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Zinj 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 Zinj gentler on the wallet – expenses run 91% less than in Manama. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.