Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Hulhumale

For one person, living is cheaper in Hulhumale: $1,450 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $15,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
70

Cost of Living Index in Hulhumale
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Hulhumale Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Hulhumale

🇲🇻 Maldives

$1,450

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Hulhumale

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Austin, TX and in Hulhumale actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $1,450 in Hulhumale.

Austin, TX $2,704
Hulhumale $1,450

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,606 in Hulhumale.

Austin, TX $4,133
Hulhumale $2,606

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $3,762 in Hulhumale.

Austin, TX $5,562
Hulhumale $3,762

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 86% more expensive than in Hulhumale, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 102% above, Hulhumale 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$6.15 MVR 94.9

228.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$38.70 MVR 597

119.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$9.60 MVR 148

28.65%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.78 MVR 73.6

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.96 MVR 76.5

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$3.56 MVR 54.8

53.65%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.82 $3.82

$1.61 MVR 24.81

137.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.31 MVR 4.83

706.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.60 MVR 24.63

-29.38%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$1.64 MVR 25.27

130.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$0.33 MVR 5.11

884.85%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$1.85 MVR 28.55

123.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$3.30 MVR 50.8

296.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$6.17 MVR 95.2

131.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$9.60 MVR 148

66.25%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$3.91 MVR 60.3

12.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$3.08 MVR 47.48

-52.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$2.82 MVR 43.56

60.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.71 MVR 41.71

54.61%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.22 MVR 18.88

115.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.11 MVR 17.10

112.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.12 MVR 32.72

-16.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$0.62 MVR 9.50

248.39%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.11 MVR 187

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.67 MVR 41.25

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 MVR 30.94

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$12.87 MVR 198

-23.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.89 MVR 29.12

41.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.91 MVR 29.39

-17.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$10.07 MVR 155

250.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$0.98 MVR 15.12

1.02%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$35.8K $35.8K

$33.0K MVR 508.2K

8.63%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$27.2K $27.2K

$29.5K MVR 455.6K

-8.03%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$219 $219

$102 MVR 1,568

115.65%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$58.0 $58.0

$30.38 MVR 469

90.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$72.4 MVR 1,117

-5.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$9.82 MVR 151

43.89%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,509 $1,509

$186 MVR 2,863

712.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$3,007 MVR 46.4K

613.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$38.95 MVR 601

32.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$50.3 MVR 775

-12.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$86.9 MVR 1,340

-2.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$51.6 MVR 796

103.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$1,118 MVR 17.2K

72.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$786 MVR 12.1K

61.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$2,270 MVR 35.0K

61.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$2,293 MVR 35.4K

10.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$5,453 MVR 84.1K

39.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$506 MVR 7,802

532.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$710 MVR 10.9K

618.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

-51.50%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Hulhumale: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Hulhumale

$786 54.3% 38.2% $486

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Hulhumale

$195 13.5% 51.5% $208

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Hulhumale

$128 8.9% 63.1% $220

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Hulhumale

$204 14.1% 40.8% $141

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Hulhumale

$102 7.1% 20.4% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Hulhumale

$20 * 1.4% 77.2% $67

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Hulhumale

$11 * 0.8% 80% $46

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $1,118 in Hulhumale. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 619% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $39.00 in Hulhumale for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $195 per month, with Hulhumale cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇲🇻 Hulhumale

🕒 Local time

05:16 5:16 AM

15:16 3:16 PM

10 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

5,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Maldivian Rufiyaa MVR Rf

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

100 MVR = 6.49 USD

100 MVR = 5.79 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MVR, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇲🇻 Maldivian Rufiyaa (Rf)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Maldivian Rufiyaa exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 15.42 MVR (100 MVR = 6.49 USD). 1 EUR = 17.28 MVR (100 MVR = 5.79 EUR).

MVR to USD in detail →

On the map

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Austin, TX Hulhumale 16,070 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Hulhumale

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Austin, TX vs Hulhumale: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hulhumale wins on cost – living expenses run 86% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Hulhumale the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 619% higher in Austin, TX, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,932 in Austin, TX versus $1,118 in Hulhumale. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,509 in Austin, TX versus $186 in Hulhumale. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Hulhumale – a meal for two runs $39.00 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,450 in Hulhumale versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Hulhumale but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Hulhumale the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Hulhumale are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Hulhumale gentler on the wallet – expenses run 86% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.