Cost of Living: New York vs Bahrain (Manama)
How expensive is Bahrain compared with New York City? The national price level of everyday spending versus the New York metro area, and the salary — in US dollars and BHD — that buys the same standard of living.
Salary converter
Before taxes. Income tax, sales tax and benefits differ a lot between places and aren’t included.
The numbers
- Cities
- Manama
- Price level vs US average
- 48.8 (New York metro: 112.6)
- Exchange rate (2025 avg.)
- 1 USD = 0.376 BHD
- Purchasing-power parity
- 1 USD of US-average spending ≈ 0.183 BHD
- Source
- World Bank, PPP conversion factor for private consumption ÷ exchange rate (2025); New York: BEA 2024
⚠️ This is Bahrain’s national average. Major cities — especially Manama — are usually more expensive, mostly because of rent, so treat this as a lower bound for big-city living.
Frequently asked questions
Is Bahrain cheaper than New York?
Yes. Bahrain is 57% cheaper than the New York metro area overall (index 43, New York = 100).
What salary in Bahrain equals $100,000 in New York?
About $43,347 a year (about BHD 16,299 at purchasing-power parity) buys the same standard of living in Bahrain as $100,000 in the New York metro area, before taxes.
Is Manama more expensive than Bahrain’s national average?
Usually, yes. The comparison here uses Bahrain’s national average price level; large cities such as Manama typically cost more than the national figure, especially for rent.
Where does this data come from?
World Bank price levels of household consumption for 2025 (purchasing power parity conversion factor divided by the market exchange rate), compared with BEA’s 2024 figure for the New York metro area.