The verdict in three sentences
In Manama, a local agency builds an interior design studio website for a 2026 ballpark of 1 800 to 7 000 BHD (about 4 800 to 18 600 USD), while a capable freelancer often charges 400 to 1 500 BHD, which can be cheaper than Kolonell. Kolonell sells a fixed 2 900, 4 900 or 8 900 USD site with native English copy, a project manager and a written scope, delivered in 3 to 4 weeks on Starter and Growth. For a studio whose work is mostly cafés, restaurants and hotel suites, the decisive points are photo licences from operators, a portfolio built for decision makers, and who handles the Arabic.
How do the three options compare in Manama?
These are cautious orders of magnitude, not official rates. Sources are the public price pages of agencies in Bahrain and the wider Gulf, minimum project sizes on Clutch.co profiles, hourly rates published by regional agencies (often 12 to 30 BHD an hour, about 32 to 80 USD) and freelance rates visible on Upwork and Fiverr. The dinar is pegged at about 2.65 USD.
| Item | Agency in Manama | Local freelancer | Kolonell |
|---|---|---|---|
| Site build, 2026 ballpark | 1 800 to 7 000 BHD (about 4 800 to 18 600 USD) | 400 to 1 500 BHD (about 1 060 to 4 000 USD) | 2 900 / 4 900 / 8 900 USD, fixed price |
| Copywriting | Often an extra line | Usually written by you | Native English or French included |
| Project management | Account manager | You coordinate | Project manager, weekly written update |
| Usual timeline | 6 to 12 weeks | 3 to 8 weeks | 3 to 4 weeks, Premium usually 4 to 6 |
| Arabic and RTL | Often handled in-house | Varies | Arabic text supplied by you or quoted separately |
| On-site meetings and shoots | Possible in Seef or Sanabis | Possible | None: your photos or a Bahraini photographer |
| Ownership | Check the contract | Check the contract | Domain in your name, all access handed over |
The honest reading: if you are happy to write your own texts and manage the build week by week, a good Manama freelancer will cost less than Kolonell. What Kolonell adds is the copy, a fixed scope and someone accountable for the timeline. Tier details are on the international offer page.
What will each option cost over 3 years?
Same assumptions on all three sides: one shoot of a recent café or suite by a local photographer, and maintenance after the support period treated as an identical assumption (Kolonell quotes maintenance separately).
| 3-year line | Agency (mid-range) | Freelancer | Kolonell Growth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Site build | 3 500 BHD (about 9 275 USD) | 1 000 BHD (about 2 650 USD) | 4 900 USD |
| Copywriting | Often 300 to 600 BHD extra | Your own time | Included |
| Photography, 1 shoot | 500 BHD (about 1 325 USD) | 500 BHD (about 1 325 USD) | 500 BHD (about 1 325 USD) |
| Maintenance, 30 months (assumption) | 900 BHD (about 2 385 USD) | 900 BHD (about 2 385 USD) | 900 BHD (about 2 385 USD) |
| Support after launch | Often 1 to 3 months | Varies | 3 months included |
| Estimated 3-year total | About 12 985 USD, plus copy if billed | About 6 360 USD, plus your writing time | About 8 610 USD |
What should a Manama interior design site show?
Bahrain's design market leans heavily on hospitality and food. Studios fit out cafés and restaurants in Adliya and Block 338, lounges and suites around Bahrain Bay and Seef, and an increasing number of venues owned by Saudi investors who cross the King Fahd Causeway. Residential work sits alongside: apartments in Juffair and Amwaj Islands for expatriates, and family villas in Saar, Janabiya or Riffa with a formal majlis. A site that speaks to an F&B owner reads differently from one aimed at a family.
- Case pages for operators: concept, seating plan logic, materials chosen to survive heavy use, opening date. Keep figures to what the client allows you to publish.
- A separate residential track: villas, majlis, apartments, with a lighter tone.
- Services and how you charge: concept design, technical drawings, FF&E procurement, supervision with partner contractors. Explain fixed fee, percentage of budget or hourly models without listing a fee.
- A brief form for venues: type of venue, area, opening target, budget band, current photos or plans.
- Instagram first: in Bahrain much discovery happens there; embed it without slowing the gallery, images in WebP or AVIF.
- Arabic: an English site with Arabic landing pages often comes first; a full bilingual EN/AR site needs RTL testing on mobile. Kolonell already delivered a trilingual French, English and Arabic site for Orven Properties, an off-plan property consultancy in Dubai, with the Arabic handled as a dedicated layout.
Hospitality photos are a frequent trap: the venue owner, the hotel brand and the photographer may each hold rights. Get written permission from the operator and check that the photographer's licence covers web use. For private homes, ask the owner's written consent and blur anything that identifies them. Bahrain's Personal Data Protection Law (Law No. 30 of 2018) applies to what your project form collects, so keep it minimal. Add alt text to every portfolio image, with WCAG 2.1 AA as the technical reference. This is not legal advice.
What should you ask before signing?
- Who writes the case texts, and in which language?
- How many case pages are built, and can you add one yourself in under an hour?
- Who holds the domain and hosting, and how do you move them?
- How is a change priced after launch?
- Are photo licences checked before publication, or left to you?
- What happens to Arabic pages when you update the English?
An agency that cannot answer the last two questions clearly will cost you more over time than its quote suggests.
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Mini case study
Illustrative example. Reem A. leads a four-person studio in Seef that works mostly on cafés and restaurant fit-outs, with a few villas each year. She compares three offers. A Manama agency quotes 4 200 BHD (about 11 130 USD) for 10 weeks. A freelancer quotes 1 100 BHD (about 2 915 USD) if Reem writes the texts. Kolonell offers Growth at 4 900 USD with the case pages written in English.
With one shoot at 500 BHD (about 1 325 USD) and the same 30-month maintenance assumption at 900 BHD (about 2 385 USD), the 3-year totals are about 14 840 USD for the agency, 6 625 USD for the freelancer and 8 610 USD for Kolonell. The freelancer is about 2 000 USD cheaper. Reem estimates that writing eight case pages herself would take her several working days in peak season and opts for Kolonell, keeping the Arabic pages for a second phase with her own translator.
FAQ
How much does an interior design studio website cost in Manama in 2026?
A local agency usually sits between 1 800 and 7 000 BHD (about 4 800 to 18 600 USD) and a freelancer between 400 and 1 500 BHD. Kolonell charges a fixed 2 900, 4 900 or 8 900 USD.
Is a Bahraini freelancer cheaper than Kolonell?
Often yes, by roughly 1 000 to 2 500 USD on a comparable site. Kolonell's price includes native copywriting and a project manager, which a freelancer usually leaves to you.
Can my site be in English and Arabic?
Yes, but the Arabic text is supplied by you or quoted separately. A bilingual layout starts at Premium, 8 900 USD.
Will Kolonell come to photograph a venue?
No, there are no shoots or site visits. Budget a local photographer, around 500 BHD for one venue in the example above.
What is the time difference?
The team is on GMT, 3 hours behind Manama. Calls are set at your hour on Google Meet, and payment is 50 % at kickoff and 50 % at delivery by bank transfer or Wise.
Let's scope your project. Send us three venues or homes you are proud of, your services and the clients you want more of, and we come back with a fixed-price tier and a 3 to 4 week timeline. Request your free quote or see the international offer.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
