Bahrain, Manama

Country Full Name: Kingdom of Bahrain.

Location: Bahrain is in the Middle East, it is an archipelago in the Arabian Gulf, east of Saudi Arabia.

Country Climate: Arid; mild, pleasant winters; very hot, humid summers.

Country Terrain: Mostly low desert plain rising gently to low central escarpment.

Major Languages: Arabic.

Major Religions: Islam.

Population: 0.18 Mil (2012 est.).

Country Economy: The economy of Bahrain is largely based on petroleum and natural gas, the only significant natural resources in Bahrain, which provide about 60% of budget revenues. Bahrain was the first Persian Gulf state to discover crude oil. Because of limited reserves, Bahrain has worked to diversify its economy over the past decade.

Currency: Bahraini Dinar (BHD). Make an international currency transfer to Bahrain.

Inflation: 1.4% (2011 est.).

Manama is the capital and largest city of Bahrain.

Manama is the focal point of the Bahraini economy. Several multinationals have facilities and offices in and around Manama. The economic base for Manama itself is financial services, with over two hundred financial institutions and banks based in the CBD and the Diplomatic Area.

The cost of living in Manama in Bahrain is high compared to other places. The overall cost of living is determined using the prices for defined quantities of the same goods and services across 13 Basket Groups. Manama in Bahrain is currently ranked 194 overall out of 780 places (rank 1 is most expensive: rank 780 is least expensive). The cost of living rank for each of the 13 Basket Groups is as follows:

Alcohol & Tobacco costs are very high compared to other places for items such as alcohol at a bar, beer, locally produced spirit, whiskey, wine (where alcohol is legally sold) and tobacco related products. There are 63 places that are more expensive, and 716 places that are less expensive for alcohol and or tobacco.

Clothing costs are very high compared to other places for items such as business suits, casual clothing, children's clothing, coats, evening wear, footwear, hats, shoe repairs and underwear. There are 5 places that are more expensive, and 774 places that are less expensive for clothing.

Communication costs are very low compared to other places for various communication costs such as call charges, home telephone rental, internet connection, mobile data costs, mobile phone contract and service provider fees. There are 683 places that are more expensive, and 96 places that are less expensive for communication.

Education costs are very low compared to other places for items such as creche / pre-school fees, primary school fees, high school fees and tertiary study fees. There are 672 places that are more expensive, and 107 places that are less expensive for education.

Furniture & Appliance costs are very high compared to other places for items such as DVD player, fridge freezer, furniture, household equipment, iron, kettle, light bulbs, microwave, television, toaster, vacuum cleaner and washing machine. There are 138 places that are more expensive, and 641 places that are less expensive for furniture and appliances.

Grocery costs are very high compared to other places for items such as baby consumables, baked goods, baking, canned foods, cheese, cleaning materials, cleaning products, dairy, fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, fruit juices, meat, oil & vinegars, pet food, pre-prepared meals, sauces, seafood, snacks, soft drinks, spices & herbs. There are 36 places that are more expensive, and 743 places that are less expensive for groceries.

Healthcare costs are average compared to other places for general healthcare, general practitioner consultation rates, healthcare/medical insurance, hospital private ward daily rate and non-prescription medicine. There are 439 places that are more expensive, and 340 places that are less expensive for healthcare.

Household Accommodation costs are high compared to other places for items such as accommodation, apartment, flat, house, villa, rent, electricity, household fuels, household gas, water, and local property rates / residential taxes / levies. There are 234 places that are more expensive, and 545 places that are less expensive for household accommodation.

Miscellaneous costs are very high compared to other places for items such as dry cleaning, general goods, general services, linen, magazines, maid, newspapers, office supplies, postage stamps and stationery. There are 128 places that are more expensive, and 651 places that are less expensive for miscellaneous items.

Personal Care costs are very low compared to other places for items such as cosmetics, hair care, moisturizer, nappies, pain relief tablets, shampoo, soap, sun block, toilet paper and toothpaste. There are 731 places that are more expensive, and 48 places that are less expensive for personal care.

Recreation and Culture costs are high compared to other places for items such as books, camera, cinema tickets, fitness/health club membership, sports goods and theatre tickets. There are 210 places that are more expensive, and 569 places that are less expensive for recreation and culture.

Restaurants, Meals Out and Hotel costs are very high compared to other places for items such as a business dinner, dinner at a family restaurant (non fast food), 4 star and 5 star hotel rates and take away meal (fast food). There are 54 places that are more expensive, and 725 places that are less expensive for restaurants, meals out and hotels.

Transport costs are low compared to other places for items such as car hire purchase, car insurance, car lease, car maintenance, car rental, car service, diesel, petrol, tyres and public transport. There are 616 places that are more expensive, and 163 places that are less expensive for transport.

Personalized cost of living indexes for Manama in Bahrain are based on the basket groups and comparison location(s) selected in the Calculators.

In terms of the hardship people are likely to experience, assessed in global terms, Manama in Bahrain is ranked as high degree of hardship with a hardship index of 30%.

Personalized hardship index premiums for Manama in Bahrain are based on the comparison location(s) selected in the Calculators.

Note: Xpatulator.com data is updated quarterly. The latest update is as at 1 April 2012. Create a personalized cost of living comparison report using the calculators:
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