Cost of Living Comparison Between Fuvahmulah and Male Cost of Living Comparison Between Fuvahmulah and Male

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $764 in Fuvahmulah versus $1,501 in Male.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,102 in Fuvahmulah versus $2,377 in Male.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,441 in Fuvahmulah versus $3,253 in Male.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Fuvahmulah is 43% below, Male is 12% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.37 MVR 82.8

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.25 MVR 451

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.52 MVR 147

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.65 MVR 71.7

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 MVR 56.3

Cappuccino

$2.96 MVR 45.72

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

$1.34 MVR 20.62

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 MVR 4.20

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 MVR 25.58

$1.86 MVR 28.72

-10.75%

White Bread (500g)

$0.91 MVR 14.05

$1.62 MVR 24.95

-43.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.47 MVR 7.23

$1.31 MVR 20.23

-64.12%

Eggs

$1.54 MVR 23.80

$1.80 MVR 27.71

-14.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.43 MVR 99.2

$8.25 MVR 127

-22.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.77 MVR 73.6

$6.34 MVR 97.8

-24.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.08 MVR 202

$9.04 MVR 139

44.69%

Apples (1kg)

$3.19 MVR 49.26

$4.00 MVR 61.7

-20.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 MVR 20.44

$3.76 MVR 58.0

-64.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.20 MVR 49.32

$4.24 MVR 65.4

-24.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.63 MVR 25.14

$3.27 MVR 50.4

-50.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.11 MVR 17.16

$1.55 MVR 23.89

-28.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 MVR 16.80

$1.21 MVR 18.73

-9.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.64 MVR 25.34

$3.09 MVR 47.69

-46.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 MVR 9.55

$0.53 MVR 8.18

16.98%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.80 MVR 58.7

$12.46 MVR 192

-69.50%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.75 MVR 42.41

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.52 MVR 162

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.84 MVR 105

$8.14 MVR 126

-15.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.66 MVR 10.21

$0.62 MVR 9.57

6.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.20 MVR 296

$29.26 MVR 451

-34.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.60 MVR 24.70

$1.94 MVR 29.91

-17.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 MVR 25.65

$1.93 MVR 29.80

-13.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.39 MVR 98.5

$9.79 MVR 151

-34.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MVR 19.69

$0.96 MVR 14.77

33.33%

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

$19.4K MVR 299.6K

$31.9K MVR 492.0K

-39.11%

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

$22.4K MVR 345.6K

$34.7K MVR 535.8K

-35.50%

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

$165 MVR 2,545

$105 MVR 1,612

57.88%

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

$41.36 MVR 638

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.96 MVR 601

$75.8 MVR 1,168

-48.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.09 MVR 356

$81.9 MVR 1,263

-71.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.23 MVR 204

$44.07 MVR 679

-69.98%

Cinema Ticket

$6.43 MVR 99.1

$9.48 MVR 146

-32.17%

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

$155 MVR 2,397

$164 MVR 2,524

-5.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,301 MVR 35.5K

$3,553 MVR 54.8K

-35.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.49 MVR 455

$45.31 MVR 699

-34.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.37 MVR 299

$56.0 MVR 864

-65.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$38.97 MVR 601

$91.2 MVR 1,407

-57.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$51.8 MVR 799

$53.3 MVR 823

-2.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$322 MVR 4,969

$972 MVR 15.0K

-66.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$255 MVR 3,928

$697 MVR 10.8K

-63.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$556 MVR 8,567

$1,665 MVR 25.7K

-66.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$526 MVR 8,118

$1,442 MVR 22.2K

-63.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,263 MVR 34.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$352 MVR 5,421

$1,886 MVR 29.1K

-81.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 MVR 9,957

$866 MVR 13.4K

-25.43%

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 Male: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $322 in Fuvahmulah and $972 in Male. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Male pays 34% 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 Male: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fuvahmulah is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 96% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 34% lower in Male. 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 $972 in Male. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $155 in Fuvahmulah versus $164 in Male. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

A monthly transit pass in Fuvahmulah runs roughly 52% less than in Male. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $764 in Fuvahmulah versus $1,501 in Male, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Fuvahmulah but tight or insufficient in Male. 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 Male 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 96% less than in Male. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.