Bahrain, Manama Cost of Living April 2010

Country Full Name: Kingdom of Bahrain.

Location: Bahrain is in the Middle East, it is an archipelago in the Persian 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.

Country Population: 0.779 million (2008 est.) 0.795 million (2009 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).

Country Inflation: 3.5% (2008 est.) 3.0% (2009 est.).

City: Manama is the capital and largest city of Bahrain.

City Economy: 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.

Cost of Living: Manama has an overall cost of living index which equates it with high cost of living locations. The overall cost of living index is comprised of the prices for defined quantities of the same goods and services across all 13 Basket Groups. Manama is currently ranked 66 overall, most expensive place in the world for expatriates to live, out of 282 international locations.

For more information on Bahrain, Manama Cost of Living