Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fuvahmulah and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Fuvahmulah: $774 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. The total is higher in Chiang Mai despite lower rent and utilities.

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Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Fuvahmulah

🇲🇻 Maldives

$774

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Fuvahmulah and in Chiang Mai

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

A single person spends $774 per month in Fuvahmulah vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Fuvahmulah $774
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $1,109 per month in Fuvahmulah vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Fuvahmulah $1,109
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $1,443 per month in Fuvahmulah vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Fuvahmulah $1,443
Chiang Mai $1,914

Fuvahmulah is about 17% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Fuvahmulah and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Fuvahmulah 43% lower, Chiang Mai 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.4

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿641

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.6

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.18

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 MVR 25.22

$2.05 ฿68.6

-20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.92 MVR 14.15

$1.40 ฿46.70

-34.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.47 MVR 7.20

$1.28 ฿42.89

-63.28%

Eggs

$1.53 MVR 23.64

$2.25 ฿75.3

-32.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.57 MVR 101

$16.94 ฿566

-61.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.65 MVR 71.8

$2.74 ฿91.6

69.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.08 MVR 202

$9.36 ฿313

39.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.27 MVR 50.4

$2.40 ฿80.3

36.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 MVR 19.67

$1.01 ฿33.92

26.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.34 MVR 51.4

$1.61 ฿53.9

107.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 MVR 25.30

$1.52 ฿50.7

7.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 MVR 17.42

$1.28 ฿42.90

-11.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 MVR 17.12

$1.11 ฿37.22

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.67 MVR 25.69

$0.72 ฿24.09

131.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 MVR 10.31

$0.52 ฿17.54

28.85%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.82 MVR 59.0

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 MVR 105

$4.33 ฿145

57.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.66 MVR 10.18

$0.85 ฿28.31

-22.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.12 MVR 295

$53.9 ฿1,801

-64.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.58 MVR 24.29

$1.17 ฿39.18

35.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.67 MVR 25.69

$0.57 ฿19.00

192.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.64 MVR 102

$2.37 ฿79.2

180.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MVR 20.05

$1.45 ฿48.32

-10.34%

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

$19.7K MVR 303.1K

$20.5K ฿684.3K

-3.99%

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

$22.7K MVR 350.2K

$26.5K ฿886.1K

-14.35%

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

$162 MVR 2,494

$62.3 ฿2,083

159.49%

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

$12.27 ฿410

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.76 MVR 598

$19.97 ฿668

94.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.86 MVR 353

$37.91 ฿1,267

-39.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.05 MVR 201

$3.76 ฿126

247.07%

Cinema Ticket

$6.41 MVR 98.8

$6.71 ฿224

-4.47%

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

$157 MVR 2,416

$797 ฿26.6K

-80.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,222 MVR 34.3K

$14.8K ฿495.7K

-85.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.80 MVR 444

$53.3 ฿1,780

-45.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.41 MVR 299

$25.05 ฿837

-22.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$38.30 MVR 591

$91.6 ฿3,062

-58.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$51.6 MVR 796

$73.5 ฿2,455

-29.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$328 MVR 5,054

$464 ฿15.5K

-29.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$263 MVR 4,053

$305 ฿10.2K

-13.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$549 MVR 8,465

$915 ฿30.6K

-40.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$508 MVR 7,840

$552 ฿18.5K

-7.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$342 MVR 5,279

$1,438 ฿48.1K

-76.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$649 MVR 10.0K

$595 ฿19.9K

9.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Fuvahmulah: October 10, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Fuvahmulah

–

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Groceries & Markets

Fuvahmulah

–

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Fuvahmulah

–

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fuvahmulah

–

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Eating Out

Fuvahmulah

–

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Getting Around

Fuvahmulah

–

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Sport & Entertainment

Fuvahmulah

–

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $328 in Fuvahmulah versus $464 in Chiang Mai. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 9% higher in Fuvahmulah, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

Good to know

🇲🇻 Fuvahmulah

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

16:36 4:36 PM

18:36 6:36 PM

2 h ahead of Fuvahmulah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,140

127,240

💱 Currency

Maldivian Rufiyaa MVR Rf

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 MVR = 6.49 USD

100 MVR = 5.77 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to MVR – Maldivian Rufiyaa Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇻 Maldivian Rufiyaa (Rf)

Maldivian Rufiyaa exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 15.42 MVR (100 MVR = 6.49 USD). 1 EUR = 17.34 MVR (100 MVR = 5.77 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to MVR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Fuvahmulah Chiang Mai 3,510 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Fuvahmulah
Chiang Mai

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

Fuvahmulah vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 21% more than Fuvahmulah, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,162 per month in Fuvahmulah and $1,408 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Fuvahmulah, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 182% less in Fuvahmulah. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 31% more in Chiang Mai, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Fuvahmulah, where all-in costs run around $774, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Fuvahmulah it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Fuvahmulah costs $774 versus $938 in Chiang Mai. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Fuvahmulah. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.