Cost of Living Comparison Between Fuvahmulah and Hulhumale Cost of Living Comparison Between Fuvahmulah and Hulhumale

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $764 in Fuvahmulah versus $1,508 in Hulhumale.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,102 in Fuvahmulah versus $2,649 in Hulhumale.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,441 in Fuvahmulah versus $3,789 in Hulhumale.

Living in Fuvahmulah costs roughly 49% less than in Hulhumale, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Fuvahmulah is 43% below, Hulhumale is 13% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.29 MVR 81.6

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.57 MVR 456

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.66 MVR 149

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.64 MVR 71.6

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 MVR 56.4

Cappuccino

$2.91 MVR 44.81

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

$1.27 MVR 19.62

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 MVR 4.18

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 MVR 25.58

$1.77 MVR 27.31

-6.21%

White Bread (500g)

$0.91 MVR 14.05

$1.63 MVR 25.09

-44.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.47 MVR 7.23

$0.33 MVR 5.09

42.42%

Eggs

$1.54 MVR 23.80

$1.60 MVR 24.74

-3.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.43 MVR 99.2

$8.15 MVR 126

-21.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.77 MVR 73.6

$6.09 MVR 93.8

-21.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.08 MVR 202

$9.02 MVR 139

45.01%

Apples (1kg)

$3.19 MVR 49.26

$4.09 MVR 63.0

-22.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 MVR 20.44

$3.86 MVR 59.5

-65.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.20 MVR 49.32

$4.39 MVR 67.7

-27.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.63 MVR 25.14

$3.33 MVR 51.3

-51.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.11 MVR 17.16

$1.49 MVR 22.97

-25.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 MVR 16.80

$1.22 MVR 18.79

-10.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.64 MVR 25.34

$3.16 MVR 48.79

-48.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 MVR 9.55

$0.53 MVR 8.23

16.98%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.80 MVR 58.7

$12.33 MVR 190

-69.18%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 MVR 40.17

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.45 MVR 146

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.84 MVR 105

$7.94 MVR 122

-13.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.66 MVR 10.21

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.20 MVR 296

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.60 MVR 24.70

$2.00 MVR 30.86

-20.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 MVR 25.65

$1.90 MVR 29.31

-12.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.39 MVR 98.5

$9.91 MVR 153

-35.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MVR 19.69

$0.90 MVR 13.90

42.22%

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

$19.4K MVR 299.6K

$32.2K MVR 496.9K

-39.72%

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

$22.4K MVR 345.6K

$33.6K MVR 518.2K

-33.31%

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

$165 MVR 2,545

$107 MVR 1,647

54.48%

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

$41.88 MVR 646

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.96 MVR 601

$41.43 MVR 639

-5.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.09 MVR 356

$64.3 MVR 991

-64.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.23 MVR 204

Cinema Ticket

$6.43 MVR 99.1

$9.82 MVR 152

-34.52%

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

$155 MVR 2,397

$163 MVR 2,506

-4.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,301 MVR 35.5K

$3,612 MVR 55.7K

-36.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.49 MVR 455

$44.94 MVR 693

-34.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.37 MVR 299

$57.2 MVR 882

-66.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$38.97 MVR 601

$91.0 MVR 1,404

-57.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$51.8 MVR 799

$54.6 MVR 842

-5.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$322 MVR 4,969

$1,304 MVR 20.1K

-75.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$255 MVR 3,928

$774 MVR 11.9K

-67.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$556 MVR 8,567

$2,932 MVR 45.2K

-81.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$526 MVR 8,118

$2,279 MVR 35.1K

-76.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,382 MVR 83.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$352 MVR 5,421

$496 MVR 7,654

-29.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 MVR 9,957

$721 MVR 11.1K

-10.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.4

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

Last update for Fuvahmulah: July 12, 2026

Last update for Hulhumale: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $322 in Fuvahmulah and $1,304 in Hulhumale. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hulhumale pays 12% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

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 Hulhumale: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fuvahmulah is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment, Eating Out. The 97% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 12% lower in Hulhumale. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $322 in Fuvahmulah versus $1,304 in Hulhumale. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 26% higher in Hulhumale. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Childcare runs $155 in Fuvahmulah versus $163 in Hulhumale. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $764 in Fuvahmulah versus $1,508 in Hulhumale, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Fuvahmulah but tight or insufficient in Hulhumale. The gap between the two cities makes Fuvahmulah 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, Fuvahmulah 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 Fuvahmulah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 97% less than in Hulhumale. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.