Authored by the expert who managed and guided the team behind the Bahrain Property Pack
Yes, the analysis of Manama's property market is included in our pack
This guide covers everything you need to know about current housing prices in Manama, Bahrain's capital city.
We update this blog post regularly to reflect the latest market data and trends.
You will find median prices, price per square meter, neighborhood comparisons, and real examples of what you can buy at different budgets.
And if you're planning to buy a property in this place, you may want to download our pack covering the real estate market in Manama.
Insights
- Manama property listings typically close about 6% below asking price, which means a 100,000 BHD listing often sells for around 94,000 BHD after negotiations.
- Waterfront neighborhoods like Bahrain Bay and Reef Island command prices 40% to 60% higher per square meter than central Manama areas like Hoora or Jidhafs.
- Smaller units in Manama (studios and 1-bedroom apartments) have the highest price per square meter because buyers pay a premium for building amenities regardless of unit size.
- Manama housing prices have stayed nearly flat over the past year, with an estimated 1% nominal decline due to high apartment supply and buyer competition.
- New construction in Manama carries roughly a 12% premium over comparable older properties, driven by better amenities and lower near-term maintenance costs.
- Apartments dominate Manama's property market, making up about 75% of all residential listings, while villas account for only 15%.
- The official property registration fee in Bahrain is 1.7% of the purchase price if filed within 60 days, or 2% after that deadline.
- Juffair remains one of the most affordable entry points for Manama buyers, with studios starting around 33,000 BHD (about $88,000).
- Over the past 10 years, Manama property prices have risen roughly 10% in nominal terms, but only about 5% when adjusted for inflation.
What is the average housing price in Manama in 2026?
The median housing price is more useful than the average because it represents what a typical buyer actually pays, without being skewed by a few ultra-expensive luxury properties.
We are writing this as of January 2026 using the latest data collected from authoritative sources including CBRE Bahrain and official government portals, which we manually verified.
The median housing price in Manama in 2026 is approximately 90,000 BHD, which converts to about $239,000 or €203,000. The average housing price in Manama in 2026 is higher at around 105,000 BHD, or roughly $279,000 (€237,000), because luxury waterfront properties push the average upward.
About 80% of residential properties in Manama in 2026 fall within a price range of 45,000 to 180,000 BHD, which is approximately $120,000 to $479,000.
A realistic entry range in Manama starts at 25,000 to 45,000 BHD (about $66,000 to $120,000 or €56,000 to €102,000), which typically gets you a studio or small one-bedroom apartment in areas like Juffair or Hoora.
Luxury properties in Manama in 2026 typically range from 300,000 to 800,000 BHD (approximately $798,000 to $2.1 million or €677,000 to €1.8 million), and these include waterfront penthouses of 220 to 350 square meters in premium locations like Bahrain Bay or Reef Island.
By the way, you will find much more detailed price ranges in our property pack covering the real estate market in Manama.
Are Manama property listing prices close to the actual sale price in 2026?
In Manama, properties typically sell for about 6% less than their listed asking price, meaning a home listed at 100,000 BHD usually closes around 94,000 BHD.
This gap exists because sellers in Manama often build in negotiation room, especially for resale apartments where buyers have many comparable options to choose from. The difference tends to be larger for older units or properties with dated finishes, where inspections and lender valuations often lead to further price reductions.
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What is the price per sq m or per sq ft for properties in Manama in 2026?
As of January 2026, the median price per square meter in Manama is about 700 BHD (roughly $1,860 or €1,580 per sqm), which works out to around 65 BHD per square foot ($173 or €147 per sqft). The average price per square meter is slightly higher at 800 BHD ($2,130 or €1,805 per sqm), or about 74 BHD per square foot ($198 or €167 per sqft).
Smaller units like studios and one-bedroom apartments in Manama have the highest price per square meter because buyers pay a minimum premium for building amenities, while large older villas have the lowest price per square meter due to renovation costs and limited buyer pools.
The highest prices per square meter in Manama in 2026 are found in waterfront areas like Reef Island (1,200 to 1,700 BHD per sqm) and Bahrain Bay (1,100 to 1,600 BHD per sqm). The lowest prices per square meter are in value-oriented neighborhoods like Jidhafs and Hoora, where you can find properties at 450 to 700 BHD per sqm.
How have property prices evolved in Manama?
Compared to one year ago in January 2025, Manama housing prices have declined by about 1% in nominal terms, essentially staying flat. This stability comes from high apartment supply in key districts like Juffair and Seef, which gives buyers plenty of options and limits sellers' pricing power.
Looking back ten years to 2016, Manama property prices have increased roughly 10% in nominal terms, or about 5% when adjusted for inflation. This modest growth reflects a shift toward newer amenity-rich towers and waterfront developments, while overall market supply has kept broad price increases in check.
By the way, we've written a blog article detailing the latest updates on property price variations in Manama.
Finally, if you want to know whether now is a good time to buy a property there, you can check our pack covering everything there is to know about the housing market in Manama.
We did some research and made this infographic to help you quickly compare rental yields of the major cities in Bahrain versus those in neighboring countries. It provides a clear view of how this country positions itself as a real estate investment destination, which might interest you if you’re planning to invest there.
How do prices vary by housing type in Manama in 2026?
Apartments make up about 75% of Manama's residential market, followed by villas at 15%, townhouses at 5%, and penthouses or other niche properties at 5%, reflecting the city's high-rise urban character and strong expat rental demand.
In Manama as of January 2026, studios and one-bedroom apartments typically cost 45,000 to 70,000 BHD ($120,000 to $186,000 or €102,000 to €158,000). Two-bedroom apartments range from 75,000 to 120,000 BHD ($199,000 to $319,000), while three-bedroom apartments cost 115,000 to 180,000 BHD ($306,000 to $479,000). Townhouses start around 160,000 BHD and go up to 260,000 BHD ($426,000 to $692,000), and villas range from 220,000 to 600,000 BHD ($585,000 to $1.6 million). Penthouses and ultra-prime properties can reach 450,000 to over 1.2 million BHD ($1.2 million to $3.2 million or more).
If you want to know more, you should read our dedicated analyses:
- How much do properties cost in Manama?
- How much should you pay for an apartment in Manama?
- How much should you pay for a villa in Manama?
- How much should you pay for a studio in Manama?
How do property prices compare between existing and new homes in Manama in 2026?
New construction properties in Manama carry a premium of approximately 12% compared to similar existing homes in the same location.
This premium exists because new builds typically offer better parking, modern amenities, improved energy efficiency, and fewer maintenance surprises, while older properties require buyers to factor in renovation costs and potential building wear.
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How do property prices vary by neighborhood in Manama in 2026?
Juffair is one of the most popular neighborhoods for buyers looking for affordable apartments in Manama, with prices ranging from 35,000 to 160,000 BHD ($93,000 to $426,000 or €79,000 to €361,000). This area attracts many expats because of its high-rise towers, nightlife options, and large resale inventory.
Seef offers a more business-oriented environment with newer towers and easy access to malls and offices, making it popular with professionals. Prices in Seef range from 80,000 to 260,000 BHD ($213,000 to $692,000 or €181,000 to €587,000).
Bahrain Bay represents the premium end of Manama's property market, with waterfront apartments and penthouses priced between 180,000 and 600,000 BHD ($479,000 to $1.6 million or €406,000 to €1.35 million). Buyers here pay for prestige, sea views, and newer high-quality developments.
You will find a much more detailed analysis by areas in our property pack about Manama. Meanwhile, here is a quick summary table we have made so you can understand how prices change across areas:
| Neighborhood | Character | Avg Price Range | Price per sqm | Price per sqft |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hoora | Budget, central | 35k-80k BHD ($93k-$213k) | 450-650 BHD ($1,200-$1,730) | 42-60 BHD ($111-$160) |
| Gudaibiya | Budget, nightlife | 40k-95k BHD ($106k-$253k) | 500-750 BHD ($1,330-$2,000) | 46-70 BHD ($124-$185) |
| Salmaniya | Family, hospitals | 55k-120k BHD ($146k-$319k) | 550-800 BHD ($1,460-$2,130) | 51-74 BHD ($136-$198) |
| Umm Al Hassam | Family, villas | 80k-220k BHD ($213k-$585k) | 600-900 BHD ($1,600-$2,400) | 56-84 BHD ($148-$222) |
| Sanabis | Commute, value | 55k-130k BHD ($146k-$346k) | 550-850 BHD ($1,460-$2,260) | 51-79 BHD ($136-$210) |
| Jidhafs | Value, older stock | 35k-90k BHD ($93k-$239k) | 450-700 BHD ($1,200-$1,860) | 42-65 BHD ($111-$173) |
| Adliya | Popular, dining | 85k-200k BHD ($226k-$532k) | 700-1,050 BHD ($1,860-$2,790) | 65-98 BHD ($173-$260) |
| Juffair | Expat, high-rises | 35k-160k BHD ($93k-$426k) | 650-1,000 BHD ($1,730-$2,660) | 60-93 BHD ($160-$247) |
| Seef | Expat, business | 80k-260k BHD ($213k-$692k) | 800-1,200 BHD ($2,130-$3,190) | 74-111 BHD ($198-$296) |
| Diplomatic Area | Commute, prime | 110k-320k BHD ($293k-$851k) | 900-1,300 BHD ($2,390-$3,460) | 84-121 BHD ($222-$321) |
| Bahrain Bay | Waterfront, luxury | 180k-600k BHD ($479k-$1.6m) | 1,100-1,600 BHD ($2,930-$4,260) | 102-149 BHD ($272-$396) |
| Reef Island | Waterfront, luxury | 220k-750k BHD ($585k-$2m) | 1,200-1,700 BHD ($3,190-$4,520) | 111-158 BHD ($296-$420) |
How much more do you pay for properties in Manama when you include renovation work, taxes, and fees?
When buying property in Manama in 2026, you should budget an additional 4% to 15% on top of the purchase price to cover registration fees, legal costs, and any renovation work needed.
For a property priced around $200,000 (approximately 75,000 BHD), you would pay about 1,275 BHD in registration fees (1.7% of the price) plus roughly 600 to 1,200 BHD for legal and administrative costs. If the property is in good condition, your total additional costs would be around 2,000 to 2,500 BHD ($5,300 to $6,600).
For a property at $500,000 (approximately 188,000 BHD), registration fees come to about 3,200 BHD, and if moderate renovation is needed (around 8% of the price), you could add another 15,000 BHD in works. Total extra costs for this scenario would be roughly 18,000 to 22,000 BHD ($48,000 to $58,500).
For a $1,000,000 property (approximately 376,000 BHD), registration alone costs about 6,400 BHD. If the property is an older villa requiring significant updates (15% renovation budget), you might spend an additional 56,000 BHD on works. Total additional costs could reach 62,000 to 70,000 BHD ($165,000 to $186,000).
By the way, we keep updated a blog article detailing the property taxes and fees to factor in the total buying cost in Manama.
Meanwhile, here is a detailed table of the additional expenses you may have to pay when buying a new property in Manama
| Expense | Category | Estimated Cost Range and Details |
|---|---|---|
| Government Registration Fee | Mandatory fee | 1.7% of the purchase price if filed within 60 days of the notarized contract, or 2% if filed after 60 days. This is paid to the Survey and Land Registration Bureau (SLRB) and is required for all property transfers in Bahrain. |
| Legal and Administrative Support | Professional fees | 300 to 2,000 BHD ($800 to $5,300). This covers lawyer fees for contract review, document preparation, and representation during the transaction. More complex purchases or those involving financing typically cost more. |
| Mortgage Arrangement and Valuation | Financing costs | 200 to 1,000 BHD ($530 to $2,660). Only applies if you are financing the purchase through a bank. Includes bank processing fees and the cost of an independent property valuation required by the lender. |
| Renovation and Repairs | Property-dependent | 5% to 20% of the purchase price, depending on property condition. A well-maintained apartment might need only minor updates (paint, fixtures) at 5%, while an older villa could require full renovation at 15% to 20% of value. |
| Moving and Initial Setup | Practical costs | 150 to 800 BHD ($400 to $2,130). This includes moving company fees, utility connection deposits, and basic furnishing or appliance purchases needed to make the property livable. |
We made this infographic to show you how property prices in Bahrain compare to other big cities across the region. It breaks down the average price per square meter in city centers, so you can see how cities stack up. It’s an easy way to spot where you might get the best value for your money. We hope you like it.
What properties can you buy in Manama in 2026 with different budgets?
With $100,000 (approximately 37,600 BHD), you can find a studio of around 45 square meters in Juffair in an existing tower, a small one-bedroom of about 55 square meters in Hoora in an older building, or a compact one-bedroom of around 50 square meters in Jidhafs with simpler finishes.
With $200,000 (approximately 75,200 BHD), you can buy a two-bedroom apartment of 95 to 110 square meters in Juffair in an existing high-rise, a two-bedroom of about 100 square meters in Salmaniya near family amenities, or a one-to-two bedroom of 85 to 100 square meters in an older Seef tower.
With $300,000 (approximately 112,800 BHD), you can purchase a three-bedroom apartment of 150 to 170 square meters in Adliya in an existing mid-rise, a two-bedroom of 120 to 140 square meters in Seef with newer finishes, or a two-to-three bedroom of 140 to 160 square meters on the fringe of the Diplomatic Area.
With $500,000 (approximately 188,000 BHD), you can buy a townhouse of 200 to 240 square meters in Umm Al Hassam, a large three-bedroom apartment of 200 to 240 square meters in a premium Seef tower, or an entry-level waterfront two-to-three bedroom of 150 to 200 square meters in Bahrain Bay.
With $1,000,000 (approximately 376,000 BHD), you can purchase a waterfront four-bedroom apartment of 280 to 350 square meters in Bahrain Bay, a high-end villa of 350 to 450 square meters on Reef Island, or a penthouse-style three-to-four bedroom of 250 to 320 square meters in the Diplomatic Area with high-floor views.
With $2,000,000 (approximately 752,000 BHD), you enter the ultra-prime segment of Manama's market, where you can find a signature penthouse of 450 to 600 square meters in Bahrain Bay with top-tier finishes, a large luxury villa of over 600 square meters on Reef Island, or a custom combined-unit residence in Bahrain Bay with bespoke interiors.
If you need a more detailed analysis, we have a blog article detailing what you can buy at different budget levels in Manama.
What sources have we used to write this blog article?
Whether it's in our blog articles or the market analyses included in our property pack about Manama, we always rely on the strongest methodology we can … and we don't throw out numbers at random.
We also aim to be fully transparent, so below we've listed the authoritative sources we used, and explained how we used them and the methods behind our estimates.
| Source Name | Why It's Authoritative | How We Used It |
|---|---|---|
| CBRE Bahrain H1 2025 Market Review | CBRE is a major global real estate services firm with direct access to recorded transaction data in Bahrain. | We used their recorded sale-rate trends and transaction volume data as our anchor for typical Bahrain-wide pricing. We then adjusted these figures for Manama's specific neighborhood mix. |
| Central Bank of Bahrain | The CBB is Bahrain's official central bank responsible for monetary policy and exchange-rate management. | We used their documentation of the fixed BHD-USD exchange rate to convert all prices accurately. We explain why USD conversions are unusually stable for Bahrain compared to other countries. |
| European Central Bank FX Rates | The ECB publishes widely-used daily reference rates used across finance and academic research. | We used the EUR-USD reference rate from late December 2025 to convert all USD amounts into euros. We combined this with the BHD-USD peg to provide euro equivalents. |
| Bahrain National Portal | This is the official government portal describing property registration processes and fees. | We obtained the exact registration fee percentages (1.7% within 60 days, 2% after) from this source. We used these figures in our taxes and fees calculations and examples. |
| Bahrain Open Data Portal | This official government data portal publishes CPI releases and inflation statistics. | We used inflation context to calculate inflation-adjusted price changes over time. We confirmed that Bahrain's low inflation means nominal and real price changes are fairly similar. |
| RERA Bahrain | RERA is Bahrain's official real estate regulator overseeing licensing and sector governance. | We referenced RERA as the regulatory authority for market context. We used their framework to explain why licensed professionals and documented transactions matter. |
| Property Finder Bahrain | Property Finder is a major regional portal with high listing volume showing what buyers actually see. | We used their listings to build concrete examples of what you can buy at different price points. We clearly labeled these as asking prices rather than official closed prices. |
| CBRE Bahrain Insights | CBRE's regional insights page provides market commentary backed by their research team. | We used their analysis to understand market direction and sentiment. We referenced their methodology as validation for our price estimates. |
| Survey and Land Registration Bureau (SLRB) | The SLRB is the official Bahraini government body that records all property transactions. | We referenced SLRB data as cited by CBRE for transaction volumes and values. We used this to validate that our price estimates align with official records. |
| Local Real Estate Agents | Licensed agents have direct experience with actual closing prices and negotiation patterns. | We cross-referenced our listing-based estimates with typical agent-reported closing discounts. We estimated the 6% average gap between asking and closing prices from this input. |
| Bahrain Chamber of Commerce | The chamber provides business context and economic data relevant to real estate demand. | We used economic context to explain buyer demand patterns. We referenced business climate factors affecting expat and investor purchasing decisions. |
| Bahrain Economic Development Board | The EDB provides investment climate data and sector performance reports. | We used their economic outlook to contextualize real estate market trends. We referenced foreign ownership rules affecting expat buyer activity. |
| International Monetary Fund | The IMF publishes macroeconomic data including inflation forecasts for Bahrain. | We used IMF data to cross-check inflation assumptions for real-terms price adjustments. We confirmed Bahrain's low and stable inflation environment. |
| World Bank | The World Bank provides economic indicators and development data for Bahrain. | We referenced World Bank economic data for broader context on Bahrain's market. We used purchasing power and income data to assess affordability trends. |
| Bahrain Ministry of Housing | The ministry oversees housing policy and publishes data on residential development. | We used housing supply context to understand new construction trends. We referenced government housing initiatives affecting market dynamics. |
| Bahrain Ministry of Justice | The ministry oversees legal frameworks for property transactions and registration. | We referenced legal requirements for property transfer processes. We confirmed registration procedures and timeline requirements. |
| Local Bahrain Banks | Banks provide mortgage rates and lending conditions affecting buyer purchasing power. | We used typical mortgage arrangement costs in our fees calculations. We referenced lending conditions affecting market affordability. |
| Bahrain Valuation Professionals | Licensed valuers conduct official property appraisals required for financing. | We used valuation cost ranges in our fees breakdown. We referenced how lender valuations affect final closing prices. |
| Regional Real Estate Reports | GCC-wide real estate analyses provide comparative context for Bahrain's market. | We used regional comparisons to validate Bahrain's relative price levels. We referenced Gulf market trends affecting Bahrain demand. |
| Bahrain Contractors Association | The association provides construction cost benchmarks relevant to renovation estimates. | We used construction cost data to estimate renovation expense ranges. We referenced typical material and labor costs for property updates. |
| Numbeo Cost of Living Data | Numbeo aggregates user-submitted price data providing market reality checks. | We cross-referenced our estimates against crowd-sourced data points. We validated that our ranges match what buyers report experiencing. |
| Global Property Guide | This publication tracks residential property yields and prices across countries. | We used their methodology as a reference for price-per-sqm calculations. We compared Bahrain metrics to their regional database. |
| Local Manama Newspapers | Gulf Daily News and similar publications report on local real estate developments. | We monitored local news for market-moving developments and project launches. We used reported transactions to validate our price range estimates. |
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