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: $2,399 in Barcelona versus $1,519 in Hulhumale.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,496 in Barcelona versus $2,689 in Hulhumale.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,592 in Barcelona versus $3,860 in Hulhumale.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 58% more expensive than Hulhumale, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 80% above, Hulhumale 14% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.68 €15.22

$5.24 MVR 80.8

237.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.1 €60.3

$28.63 MVR 441

144.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.66 €11.76

$9.89 MVR 152

38.12%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.67 MVR 72.0

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 MVR 56.5

Cappuccino

$2.74 €2.36

$2.98 MVR 45.93

-8.05%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$1.33 MVR 20.47

109.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$0.27 MVR 4.21

625.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 €3.94

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.78 MVR 27.40

-27.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.57 MVR 24.21

30.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.71

$0.31 MVR 4.78

538.71%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$1.54 MVR 23.76

120.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.64 €16.05

$8.02 MVR 124

132.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.56 €8.23

$6.20 MVR 95.7

54.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.83 €16.22

$8.70 MVR 134

116.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 €2.37

$4.12 MVR 63.5

-33.25%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 €2.13

$3.69 MVR 56.9

-33.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 €1.80

$4.35 MVR 67.1

-51.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.82 €2.43

$3.21 MVR 49.51

-12.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 €1.74

$1.55 MVR 23.87

30.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.22 MVR 18.77

51.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.30

$3.22 MVR 49.67

-53.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.50 MVR 7.73

80.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.42 MVR 191

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 MVR 42.27

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.55 MVR 147

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.06 €6.08

$8.33 MVR 128

-15.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.98 €6.87

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.23

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 €1.97

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 €2.48

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.45

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.38 €3.77

$1.93 MVR 29.81

126.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.84

$2.00 MVR 30.80

7.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.15 €25.10

$9.60 MVR 148

203.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 €1.61

$0.89 MVR 13.77

108.99%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$32.0K MVR 493.3K

21.83%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$34.3K MVR 529.1K

-4.70%

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

$189 €163

$108 MVR 1,669

74.75%

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

$22.71 €19.56

$41.11 MVR 634

-44.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.51 €31.43

$42.27 MVR 652

-13.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.6 €49.59

$65.1 MVR 1,003

-11.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.37 €18.40

Cinema Ticket

$10.81 €9.31

$9.87 MVR 152

9.52%

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

$726 €625

$165 MVR 2,551

338.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K €13.0K

$3,519 MVR 54.3K

329.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 €75.5

$43.95 MVR 678

99.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.89 €31.77

$55.4 MVR 854

-33.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €89.2

$88.6 MVR 1,367

16.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$53.8 MVR 829

116.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,573 €1,355

$1,275 MVR 19.7K

23.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$767 MVR 11.8K

59.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,711 €2,335

$2,979 MVR 45.9K

-8.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,966 €1,693

$2,317 MVR 35.7K

-15.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,811 €6,726

$5,325 MVR 82.1K

46.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,267 €4,535

$500 MVR 7,704

954.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,375 €2,045

$716 MVR 11.0K

231.60%

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: June 14, 2026

Last update for Hulhumale: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,573 in Barcelona and $1,275 in Hulhumale. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 232% 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: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $29.00 in Hulhumale for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $321 vs $224 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 58% in total monthly costs ($2,399 vs $1,519 including rent). Hulhumale is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 232% more on average, 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: $1,573 in Barcelona versus $1,275 in Hulhumale. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $165 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 $70.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,519 in Hulhumale versus $2,399 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 58% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.