Moving to Kuwait from Bahrain

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What to Expect

Everything you need to know before relocating from Bahrain to Kuwait — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.

If you moved from Bahrain to Kuwait, you would find that Kuwait is 19.9% cheaper than Bahrain overall. A BHD28,000 salary in Bahrain would need to be roughly KWD18,300 in Kuwait to maintain the same lifestyle.

Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓

Is Kuwait cheaper than Bahrain?

Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day

Restaurants

pay 1.1% less

Groceries

pay 14.6% less

Transportation

pay 24.8% less

Housing

pay 22.4% less

Childcare

pay 38.6% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 20.4% less

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 BHD = 0.8162 KWD (October 2026)

Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.

What salary do you need in Kuwait?

What does your salary buy?

BHD28,000 → KWD18,300

To maintain the same standard of living in Kuwait

Calculate with your salary →

Get free moving quotes to Kuwait

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

How many people actually move from Bahrain to Kuwait, based on official data.

Living there in 2020
1,407 ↑ 8% vs 2015

people born in Bahrain live in Kuwait · UN DESA

Who's moving to Kuwait?

Top countries of origin for Kuwait's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Bahrain to Kuwait.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2022

per 100,000 people per year

BH
0.2
KW
0.2
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

BH
8.1
KW
9.2

Bahrain performs better than Kuwait across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

BH
$2,555
KW
$2,567
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2020

affects wait times and access to care

BH
7.4
KW
22.7

Kuwait generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Bahrain leads in healthcare spending per person.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

BH
68.0
KW
45.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

BH
23.9t
KW
23.7t

Kuwait performs significantly better than Bahrain across all environment metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people World Bank, 2024

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

BH
17.0
KW
1.0
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

BH
133.7%
KW
3850.5%

Bahrain performs better than Kuwait across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

BH
1.1%
KW
2.2%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

BH
$30,597
KW
$32,312

Bahrain generally does better on employment & economy, though Kuwait leads in gdp per capita.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

BH
81.4 yrs
KW
84.6 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

BH
7.3
KW
7.0

Kuwait generally does better on family life, though Bahrain leads in literacy rate.

Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Ministry of Finance - Kingdom of Bahrain (2016), Ministry of Finance, Kuwait (2016). How we calculate this

Weather in Kuwait vs Bahrain

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Manama Rain: 2.8 in/yr (71 mm)
86° / 73°F

Avg. annual high / low

Kuwait City Rain: 4.6 in/yr (116 mm)
94° / 68°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Manama Kuwait City
Jan–Mar 71°/60°F (22°/16°C) 73°/51°F (23°/11°C)
Apr–Jun 92°/78°F (33°/25°C) 104°/76°F (40°/25°C)
Jul–Sep 99°/86°F (37°/30°C) 114°/84°F (46°/29°C)
Oct–Dec 82°/70°F (28°/21°C) 84°/60°F (29°/15°C)
View all months
Month Manama Kuwait City
Jan 68°/57°F (20.0°/14.1°C) 67°/47°F (19.5°/8.5°C)
Feb 70°/59°F (21.2°/14.9°C) 71°/50°F (21.8°/10.0°C)
Mar 76°/64°F (24.7°/17.8°C) 80°/57°F (26.9°/14.0°C)
Apr 85°/71°F (29.2°/21.5°C) 93°/67°F (33.9°/19.5°C)
May 93°/79°F (34.1°/26.0°C) 106°/78°F (40.9°/25.4°C)
Jun 98°/84°F (36.4°/28.8°C) 114°/84°F (45.5°/28.9°C)
Jul 100°/87°F (37.9°/30.4°C) 116°/87°F (46.7°/30.7°C)
Aug 100°/87°F (38.0°/30.5°C) 116°/85°F (46.9°/29.5°C)
Sep 98°/83°F (36.5°/28.6°C) 111°/79°F (43.7°/26.2°C)
Oct 92°/78°F (33.1°/25.5°C) 98°/71°F (36.6°/21.5°C)
Nov 82°/70°F (27.8°/21.2°C) 82°/58°F (27.8°/14.5°C)
Dec 72°/61°F (22.3°/16.2°C) 71°/50°F (21.9°/9.9°C)

Data: Bahrain Meteorological Services Bahrain Meteorological Services, Meteorological Department Meteorological Department

Can you move from Bahrain to Kuwait?

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Bahrain and Kuwait. To live, work, or study long-term in Kuwait, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Kuwait's immigration authority.

Bahrain passport

Bahrain passport holder visiting Kuwait

Visa Free
Bahrain passport holders can enter Kuwait without a visa.
Kuwait passport

Kuwait passport holder visiting Bahrain

Visa Free
Kuwait passport holders can enter Bahrain without a visa.

Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Kuwait than Bahrain?

Yes — Kuwait is on average about 20% cheaper than Bahrain. City-level variation can be significant.

How much money do I need to move to Kuwait?

Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly KWD4,575 in Kuwait on a BHD28,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).

Can I work remotely from Kuwait?

Internet is rarely the blocker — Kuwait has 1.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people. The real questions are legal: digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.

Is Kuwait safe for expats?

Bahrain performs better than Kuwait across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Kuwait is 0.2 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.2 in Bahrain.

How is healthcare in Kuwait compared to Bahrain?

Kuwait generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Bahrain leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 22.7 doctors per 10,000 people in Kuwait, compared to 7.4 in Bahrain. Kuwait scores 78 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Bahrain: 76).

What's the weather like in Kuwait compared to Bahrain?

The average high temperature in Kuwait City is 94°F, compared to 86°F in Manama. Kuwait City receives around 4.6 in of rainfall per year, while Manama gets 2.8 in.

What language do they speak in Kuwait?

Both Bahrain and Kuwait share the same official language: Arabic.

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At a Glance

BH KW
Population 1,600,366 4,865,298
Currency Bahraini Dinar (BHD) Kuwaiti Dinar (KWD)
Languages Arabic Arabic
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +973 +965
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 999 112