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: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $1,516 in Hulhumale.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $2,711 in Hulhumale.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $3,906 in Hulhumale.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 56% more expensive than in Hulhumale, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Hulhumale 14% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$5.38 MVR 83.0

218.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$28.95 MVR 446

135.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$9.99 MVR 154

36.54%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.50 MVR 69.4

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.81 MVR 58.7

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$2.94 MVR 45.37

-5.44%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$1.31 MVR 20.26

115.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.25 MVR 3.82

684.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.81 MVR 27.83

-29.83%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$1.61 MVR 24.87

32.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$0.33 MVR 5.09

503.03%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$1.54 MVR 23.76

118.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$8.31 MVR 128

128.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$6.02 MVR 92.9

58.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$8.74 MVR 135

114.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$4.14 MVR 63.8

-35.99%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$3.83 MVR 59.0

-38.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$4.26 MVR 65.7

-50.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$3.23 MVR 49.83

-15.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$1.52 MVR 23.38

28.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$1.22 MVR 18.78

48.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$3.07 MVR 47.27

-50.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$0.54 MVR 8.30

64.81%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.45 MVR 192

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 MVR 40.83

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.86 MVR 152

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$7.87 MVR 121

-13.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$2.00 MVR 30.83

129.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$1.89 MVR 29.19

7.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$9.94 MVR 153

188.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$0.95 MVR 14.65

91.58%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$32.5K MVR 501.9K

20.79%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$33.8K MVR 521.0K

-3.88%

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

$187 €162

$106 MVR 1,632

76.30%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$42.09 MVR 649

-47.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$41.60 MVR 641

-12.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$64.4 MVR 994

-10.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$9.83 MVR 152

9.56%

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

$725 €628

$162 MVR 2,504

346.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$3,525 MVR 54.3K

329.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$44.06 MVR 679

99.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$56.9 MVR 878

-35.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$89.6 MVR 1,382

15.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$54.9 MVR 846

116.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$1,319 MVR 20.3K

15.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$769 MVR 11.9K

59.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$2,902 MVR 44.7K

-6.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$2,305 MVR 35.5K

-13.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

$5,446 MVR 84.0K

37.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

$498 MVR 7,685

952.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

$718 MVR 11.1K

233.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

12.4

-72.66%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 27, 2026

Last update for Hulhumale: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $1,319 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $29.00 in Hulhumale for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $225 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 56% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $1,516 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $1,319 in Hulhumale. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $162 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 $29.00 versus $68.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,516 in Hulhumale versus $2,359 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 56% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.