Cost of living comparison
compared to
Manama vs. Bandar Seri Begawan Cost of Living Summary
Manama is 20.8% more expensive than Bandar Seri Begawan.
- Restaurants
-
pay 10.9% more in Manama
- Groceries
-
pay 15.3% less in Manama
- Transportation
-
pay 18.7% more in Manama
- Housing
-
pay 14.4% more in Manama
- Childcare
-
pay 26.5% more in Manama
- Entertainment and Sports
-
pay 2.0 times more in Manama
- Clothing
-
pay 12.3% less in Manama
The cost of entertainment and sports, childcare, transportation, housing, and restaurants in Manama are more expensive than in Bandar Seri Begawan. Expenses including groceries and clothing are lower in Manama. Notably, entertainment and sports is significantly more expensive in Manama.
Manama vs. Bandar Seri Begawan Cost Breakdown
If you lived in Manama instead of Bandar Seri Begawan, you would:
pay 10.9% more for restaurants
|
Bandar Seri Begawan
|
Manama
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic meal with drink at inexpensive restaurant |
$3.68
BND4.76
|
$6.63
BHD2.490
|
|
|
Fast food combo meal
McDonalds, or similar
|
$6.15
BND7.97
|
$7.43
BHD2.790
|
|
| Bottle of Coca-Cola (11 fl. oz) |
$0.97
BND1.26
|
$0.80
BHD0.300
|
|
| Bottle of water (11 fl. oz) |
$0.55
BND0.72
|
$0.33
BHD0.130
|
|
Bandar Seri Begawan vs. Manama - Cost of restaurants
Improve prices ·
Change currency (USD)
pay 15.3% less for groceries
|
Bandar Seri Begawan
|
Manama
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Bread
1 loaf
|
$1.73
BND2.25
|
$1.13
BHD0.420
|
|
| Local cheese (8 oz) |
$3.61
BND4.68
|
$3.36
BHD1.260
|
|
| Milk (1 gallon) |
$6.83
BND8.85
|
$6.23
BHD2.340
|
|
|
Eggs
1 dozen
|
$2.24
BND2.90
|
$2.54
BHD0.960
|
|
| Boneless chicken breast (1 lb) |
$2.02
BND2.61
|
$3.21
BHD1.210
|
|
| Apples (1 lb) |
$1.40
BND1.82
|
$1.12
BHD0.420
|
|
| Bananas (1 lb) |
$0.98
BND1.27
|
$0.97
BHD0.360
|
|
| Oranges (1 lb) |
$1.32
BND1.70
|
$0.78
BHD0.290
|
|
| Tomatoes (1 lb) |
$1.14
BND1.48
|
$0.59
BHD0.220
|
|
| Potatoes (1 lb) |
$0.76
BND0.99
|
$0.44
BHD0.170
|
|
| Onions (1 lb) |
$0.92
BND1.19
|
$0.58
BHD0.220
|
|
Bandar Seri Begawan vs. Manama - Cost of groceries
Improve prices ·
Change currency (USD)
pay 18.7% more for transportation
|
Bandar Seri Begawan
|
Manama
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Gasoline (1 gallon) |
$1.48
BND1.91
|
$2.09
BHD0.790
|
|
| Monthly public transit pass | ?? |
$31.83
BHD11.970
|
|
| New Volkswagen Golf 1.4 (standard edition) |
$38,674.88
BND50,099.86
|
$34,479.19
BHD12,972.800
|
|
| Taxi trip in downtown area (5 miles) |
$26.30
BND34.07
|
$32.89
BHD12.370
|
|
Bandar Seri Begawan vs. Manama - Cost of transportation
Improve prices ·
Change currency (USD)
pay 14.4% more for housing
|
Bandar Seri Begawan
|
Manama
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Internet connection
50 mbps or faster, cable/dsl
|
$68.09
BND88.21
|
$40.27
BHD15.150
|
|
| 1-Bedroom apartment in downtown area |
$719.61
BND932.19
|
$803.25
BHD302.220
|
|
| 1-Bedroom apartment outside city center |
$451.29
BND584.60
|
$544.92
BHD205.020
|
|
|
Utilities for two
(700 sq ft apartment)
including electric, gas, water, heating
|
$57.89
BND75.00
|
$96.16
BHD36.180
|
|
Bandar Seri Begawan vs. Manama - Cost of housing
Improve prices ·
Change currency (USD)
pay 26.5% more for childcare
|
Bandar Seri Begawan
|
Manama
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Private preschool for 1 child, monthly |
$156.63
BND202.90
|
$306.00
BHD115.130
|
|
| Middle school for 1 child, two semesters |
$15,593.11
BND20,199.49
|
$8,971.22
BHD3,375.420
|
|
Bandar Seri Begawan vs. Manama - Cost of childcare
Improve prices ·
Change currency (USD)
pay 2.0 times more for entertainment and sports
|
Bandar Seri Begawan
|
Manama
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic/local beer (1 pint) |
$1.93
BND2.50
|
$7.96
BHD2.990
|
|
| Cappuccino in mid-range area |
$3.71
BND4.81
|
$5.26
BHD1.980
|
|
|
Pack of cigarettes
Marlboro or similar
|
$15.47
BND20.04
|
$5.97
BHD2.250
|
|
| Monthly membership at local gym |
$31.59
BND40.93
|
$71.13
BHD26.760
|
|
| Movie ticket to theater/cinema |
$5.41
BND7.01
|
$10.61
BHD3.990
|
|
Bandar Seri Begawan vs. Manama - Cost of entertainment and sports
Improve prices ·
Change currency (USD)
pay 12.3% less for clothing
|
Bandar Seri Begawan
|
Manama
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Regular jeans
Levi's brand
|
$95.43
BND123.62
|
$48.07
BHD18.090
|
|
|
Regular dress
from H&M or similar store
|
$68.10
BND88.22
|
$59.49
BHD22.380
|
|
|
Running shoes
Nike or Adidas
|
$116.07
BND150.36
|
$86.20
BHD32.430
|
|
| Men's business shoes (leather) |
$63.82
BND82.68
|
$88.52
BHD33.310
|
|
Bandar Seri Begawan vs. Manama - Cost of clothing
Improve prices ·
Change currency (USD)
The statistics used to build this comparison are calculated using data from users just like you.
We average the price of thousands of data points entered by users across the world.
Learn more about our data sources. Page last updated: December 2025
Change currency:
Compare countries by overall cost of living
See the
cost of living in Brunei vs. Bahrain.
This provides a comparison of the average cost of living from cities within Brunei and Bahrain.
Help us improve these prices
MyLifeElsewhere is a collaborative project. Please enter price information for your location to help assist us in making these comparisons more accurate.
Learn more
ASK THE ELSEWHERE COMMUNITY
Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about Manama or Bandar Seri Begawan. It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss what life is like in countries and cities around the world.