Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Hulhumale Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Hulhumale

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $1,447 in Hulhumale.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $2,576 in Hulhumale.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $3,704 in Hulhumale.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 71% more expensive than in Hulhumale, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 81% above, Hulhumale 6% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$6.16 MVR 95.0

204.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$38.91 MVR 600

78.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$9.46 MVR 146

45.56%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.95 MVR 76.4

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MVR 76.1

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$3.64 MVR 56.1

-14.84%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$1.61 MVR 24.85

75.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.29 MVR 4.40

548.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.62 MVR 25.05

-21.60%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$1.66 MVR 25.61

30.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$0.33 MVR 5.15

433.33%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$1.80 MVR 27.76

185.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$3.28 MVR 50.5

445.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$5.94 MVR 91.6

62.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$9.61 MVR 148

109.68%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$4.00 MVR 61.7

-18.75%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$3.13 MVR 48.20

-28.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$2.83 MVR 43.72

-8.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$2.68 MVR 41.25

2.99%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$1.28 MVR 19.78

72.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$1.16 MVR 17.89

82.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$2.10 MVR 32.36

-26.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.58 MVR 8.90

63.79%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.27 MVR 189

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.75 MVR 42.39

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 MVR 31.12

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$12.91 MVR 199

-43.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$1.93 MVR 29.69

69.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.91 MVR 29.46

-22.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$9.85 MVR 152

247.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$0.97 MVR 14.92

78.35%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$32.1K MVR 495.4K

13.21%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$29.5K MVR 454.5K

3.62%

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

$187 €163

$105 MVR 1,620

78.05%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$29.86 MVR 460

-49.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$71.8 MVR 1,106

-47.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$9.47 MVR 146

20.49%

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

$997 €869

$183 MVR 2,824

444.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$3,060 MVR 47.2K

440.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$39.54 MVR 610

134.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$48.94 MVR 755

-15.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$88.0 MVR 1,356

26.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$52.8 MVR 815

136.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$1,142 MVR 17.6K

49.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$785 MVR 12.1K

63.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$2,306 MVR 35.6K

11.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$2,310 MVR 35.6K

-15.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

$5,464 MVR 84.3K

39.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

$503 MVR 7,755

927.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$706 MVR 10.9K

232.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

-77.43%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Hulhumale: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $1,142 in Hulhumale. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 233% 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: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $39.00 in Hulhumale for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $195 per month, with Hulhumale cheaper across the board.

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

Barcelona vs Hulhumale: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Hulhumale differ by about 71% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $1,447 including rent). Hulhumale is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 233% higher in Barcelona, 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $1,142 in Hulhumale. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $183 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 $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,447 in Hulhumale versus $2,476 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Hulhumale but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. 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, Barcelona 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 71% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.