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: $782 in Fuvahmulah versus $1,463 in Hulhumale.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,123 in Fuvahmulah versus $2,588 in Hulhumale.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,465 in Fuvahmulah versus $3,714 in Hulhumale.

Living in Fuvahmulah costs roughly 47% less than in Hulhumale, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Fuvahmulah is 43% below, Hulhumale is 6% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.03 MVR 93.0

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.48 MVR 609

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.15 MVR 141

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.83 MVR 74.5

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.88 MVR 75.3

Cappuccino

$3.58 MVR 55.2

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

$1.66 MVR 25.53

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 MVR 4.80

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 MVR 25.55

$1.56 MVR 24.00

6.41%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 MVR 13.79

$1.62 MVR 25.03

-45.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.47 MVR 7.23

$0.33 MVR 5.12

42.42%

Eggs

$1.59 MVR 24.59

$1.83 MVR 28.22

-13.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.45 MVR 99.4

$3.26 MVR 50.2

97.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.81 MVR 74.2

$5.99 MVR 92.4

-19.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.08 MVR 202

$9.40 MVR 145

39.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.15 MVR 48.53

$3.85 MVR 59.4

-18.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 MVR 20.17

$3.06 MVR 47.25

-57.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 MVR 50.3

$2.95 MVR 45.46

10.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 MVR 24.52

$2.67 MVR 41.11

-40.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 MVR 16.67

$1.29 MVR 19.84

-16.28%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 MVR 17.23

$1.11 MVR 17.10

0.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.64 MVR 25.27

$2.14 MVR 33.04

-23.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 MVR 10.48

$0.62 MVR 9.54

9.68%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.90 MVR 60.1

$12.16 MVR 187

-67.93%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 MVR 40.95

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 MVR 30.64

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.89 MVR 106

$12.98 MVR 200

-46.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 MVR 10.33

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.51 MVR 301

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.65 MVR 25.43

$1.95 MVR 30.08

-15.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 MVR 24.62

$1.90 MVR 29.35

-15.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.29 MVR 97.0

$10.04 MVR 155

-37.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MVR 20.35

$0.93 MVR 14.36

41.94%

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

$19.6K MVR 301.9K

$32.6K MVR 502.8K

-39.96%

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

$22.6K MVR 348.7K

$29.9K MVR 460.9K

-24.34%

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

$159 MVR 2,450

$104 MVR 1,596

53.52%

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

$30.17 MVR 465

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.74 MVR 582

$72.1 MVR 1,112

-47.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.39 MVR 345

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.01 MVR 201

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 MVR 100

$9.79 MVR 151

-33.61%

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

$155 MVR 2,384

$183 MVR 2,829

-15.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,231 MVR 34.4K

$2,991 MVR 46.1K

-25.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.49 MVR 455

$40.05 MVR 618

-26.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.12 MVR 295

$49.52 MVR 764

-61.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$37.65 MVR 581

$86.2 MVR 1,329

-56.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.4 MVR 808

$51.6 MVR 795

1.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$321 MVR 4,954

$1,151 MVR 17.8K

-72.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$264 MVR 4,066

$776 MVR 12.0K

-66.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$549 MVR 8,470

$2,249 MVR 34.7K

-75.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$524 MVR 8,082

$2,295 MVR 35.4K

-77.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,449 MVR 84.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$353 MVR 5,442

$502 MVR 7,739

-29.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$658 MVR 10.1K

$713 MVR 11.0K

-7.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Fuvahmulah: August 30, 2026

Last update for Hulhumale: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $321 in Fuvahmulah and $1,151 in Hulhumale. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hulhumale pays 8% 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, Eating Out. The 87% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 8% 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: $321 in Fuvahmulah versus $1,151 in Hulhumale. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Hulhumale. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Childcare runs $155 in Fuvahmulah versus $183 in Hulhumale. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $782 in Fuvahmulah versus $1,463 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 87% less than in Hulhumale. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.