Living in Manama, Bahrain
Manama is a smaller coastal city in Bahrain (under 250,000 people in the city proper). It has a warm climate, averaging 27°C over the year with about 89 mm of rain. We estimate a couple needs about €2,883 a month to live centrally, and Bahrain sits in our zero or very low tax tier. For citizens from outside the Gulf Cooperation Council states, long-term residency in Bahrain is possible, with conditions, with a self-funded route from about $1,330 a month in income.
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- Est. cost
- €2,883
- a month for a couple
- Tax tier
- Zero or very low
- personal income tax
- Climate
- 27°C
- 89 mm rain a year
- Size
- Smaller
- under 250,000 people
- Safety
- 80/100
- country-level
- Internet
- ~130 Mbps
- median fixed broadband
- Residency
- Possible, with conditions
- outside free-movement blocs
What stands out about Manama
- No or very low personal income tax
- Safer than 95% of the cities we compare
- Warmer than 94% of the cities we track
- Self-funded residency from about $1,330 a month in income
- Dry: about 89 mm of rain a year
Taxes
Bahrain sits in our zero or very low tax tier: little to no personal income tax. We use three tiers (zero or very low, low to medium, high) and apply them to every city in the country.
Source: OurNextCity tax tiers, assigned by hand from each country's top marginal personal income tax rate and overall tax reputation, with no fixed rate cut-offs. Country-level and coarse by design; not tax advice.
Climate
Manama averages 27°C across the year with about 89 mm of rain, which makes it warm and very dry. It is warmer than 94% of the 1225 cities we track, and it sits on the coast.
Source: Temperature from the Open-Meteo historical weather archive, daily means for 2019 to 2023; rainfall from TerraClimate (University of Idaho) 1991 to 2020 normals. Annual averages; monthly breakdowns are not in our dataset yet.
Safety and stability
Bahrain scores 80 out of 100 on safety, safer than 95% of the cities we compare. Its EIU Democracy Index score is 2.5 out of 10.
Source: Our own country-level safety estimate (0 to 100, higher is safer), shared by every city in Bahrain. Stability: EIU Democracy Index.
Residency and visas
Possible, with conditions, for people from outside the Gulf Cooperation Council states. Realistic long-term routes are self-sponsorship residence permits (property ownership, business investment, or a 15-year-career retiree on modest stable income) and the 10-year Golden Residency for property owners, high-income retirees, or long-serving professionals; working-age applicants without capital still need an employer sponsor.
Citizens of the Gulf Cooperation Council states have freedom-of-movement or simplified residency rights here.
The cheapest self-funded routes we track for Bahrain:
- Income: about $1,330 a month (Bahrain self-sponsorship Retired Foreigner residence permit, BHD 500/mo stable income (no property purchase needed but requires a retirement certificate showing 15+ years' service); BHD pegged at 1 BHD = USD 2.659 (CBB peg 0.376 BHD/USD); as of June 2026)
- Investment: about $133k (Bahrain self-sponsorship Property Owner residence permit, BHD 50,000 minimum real estate (cheaper than the BHD 130,000 Golden Residency property route reduced Dec 2025); also requires BHD 500/mo income; 1 BHD = USD 2.659; as of June 2026)
For short visits, 5 of 198 passports can enter visa-free, 192 can get an e-visa or visa on arrival and 1 need a visa in advance.
Source: OurNextCity residency dataset, hand-reviewed approximations researched against published immigration rules, figures as of June 2026. Not legal advice: check the official source before you apply. Short-stay entry from the passport-index dataset (ilyankou, MIT).
Healthcare
Bahrain scores 70 out of 100 for healthcare, stronger than 71% of the cities we compare.
Source: Our own country-level healthcare estimate (0 to 100), shared by every city in Bahrain.
Language and culture
Main languages: Arabic, English. English proficiency: some. Social openness scores 45 out of 100.
Source: EF English Proficiency Index (country-level); social openness is our secularism and tolerance composite.
Cost of living
We estimate a couple needs about €2,883 a month to live centrally in Manama, 6% above the €2,729 median across the 900 cities we compare. That makes it more affordable than 36% of them.
Source: OurNextCity model: a country-level cost index (New York = 100) scaled up for larger cities. An estimate for comparing cities, not a budget.
Internet and remote work
Median fixed broadband in Bahrain runs at about 130 Mbps, faster than 49% of the cities we compare.
Source: Ookla Speedtest Global Index, median fixed broadband download speed, country-level.
Questions couples ask about Manama
Is Manama a good place to live for couples?
It depends on what the two of you weigh most. Compared with the other cities we track, Manama scores well on safety and healthcare. It is weaker on political stability and social openness. Expect a warm, very dry climate (27°C average). OurNextCity has each partner answer 12 questions privately, then ranks Manama and 914 other cities for both of you at once.
How much does it cost a couple to live in Manama?
We estimate about €2,883 a month for a couple living centrally, 6% above the €2,729 median across the cities we compare. It is a model estimate from a country-level cost index adjusted for city size, so use it to compare cities rather than to set a budget.
What are taxes like in Manama?
Bahrain is in our zero or very low tax tier (little to no personal income tax). Tiers are country-level and deliberately coarse: zero or very low, low to medium, and high.
Can foreigners live in Bahrain long term?
Citizens of the Gulf Cooperation Council states have freedom-of-movement or simplified residency rights. Our assessment for everyone else: possible, with conditions. Realistic long-term routes are self-sponsorship residence permits (property ownership, business investment, or a 15-year-career retiree on modest stable income) and the 10-year Golden Residency for property owners, high-income retirees, or long-serving professionals; working-age applicants without capital still need an employer sponsor. The cheapest self-funded routes we track: income, about $1,330 a month (as of 2026-06); investment, about $133k (as of 2026-06).
What is the weather like in Manama?
Manama averages 27°C across the year with about 89 mm of rain, which makes it warm and very dry. It is warmer than 94% of the cities we track.
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