Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fuvahmulah and Male

For one person, living is cheaper in Fuvahmulah: $774 a month against $1,530 in Male, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Male
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Male Living Index

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Fuvahmulah

🇲🇻 Maldives

$774

/mo nomad

Male

🇲🇻 Maldives

$1,530

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Fuvahmulah and in Male

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 Male actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $774 in Fuvahmulah versus $1,530 in Male.

Fuvahmulah $774
Male $1,530

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,109 in Fuvahmulah versus $2,451 in Male.

Fuvahmulah $1,109
Male $2,451

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,443 in Fuvahmulah versus $3,373 in Male.

Fuvahmulah $1,443
Male $3,373

Living in Fuvahmulah costs roughly 49% less than in Male, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.82 MVR 89.7

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.04 MVR 602

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.84 MVR 152

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.80 MVR 74.0

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.89 MVR 75.5

Cappuccino

$3.51 MVR 54.1

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

$1.67 MVR 25.69

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 MVR 4.80

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 MVR 25.22

$1.99 MVR 30.68

-17.59%

White Bread (500g)

$0.92 MVR 14.15

$1.69 MVR 26.08

-45.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.47 MVR 7.20

$1.25 MVR 19.33

-62.40%

Eggs

$1.53 MVR 23.64

$1.88 MVR 29.07

-18.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.57 MVR 101

$10.61 MVR 164

-38.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.65 MVR 71.8

$6.16 MVR 95.0

-24.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.08 MVR 202

$9.56 MVR 147

36.82%

Apples (1kg)

$3.27 MVR 50.4

$3.98 MVR 61.4

-17.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 MVR 19.67

$2.98 MVR 45.98

-57.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.34 MVR 51.4

$4.03 MVR 62.1

-17.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 MVR 25.30

$2.73 MVR 42.16

-39.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 MVR 17.42

$2.08 MVR 32.01

-45.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 MVR 17.12

$1.87 MVR 28.77

-40.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.67 MVR 25.69

$2.12 MVR 32.73

-21.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 MVR 10.31

$0.59 MVR 9.09

13.56%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.82 MVR 59.0

$12.47 MVR 192

-69.37%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 MVR 40.81

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 MVR 29.47

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 MVR 105

$15.18 MVR 234

-55.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.66 MVR 10.18

$0.67 MVR 10.26

-1.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.12 MVR 295

$30.32 MVR 467

-36.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.58 MVR 24.29

$1.99 MVR 30.69

-20.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.67 MVR 25.69

$1.98 MVR 30.55

-15.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.64 MVR 102

$10.20 MVR 157

-34.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MVR 20.05

$0.98 MVR 15.19

32.65%

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

$19.7K MVR 303.1K

$32.1K MVR 495.0K

-38.76%

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

$22.7K MVR 350.2K

$29.2K MVR 451.0K

-22.35%

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

$162 MVR 2,494

$119 MVR 1,829

36.36%

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

$30.12 MVR 465

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.76 MVR 598

$73.9 MVR 1,140

-47.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.86 MVR 353

$71.4 MVR 1,100

-67.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.05 MVR 201

$33.67 MVR 519

-61.24%

Cinema Ticket

$6.41 MVR 98.8

$9.76 MVR 150

-34.32%

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

$157 MVR 2,416

$181 MVR 2,797

-13.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,222 MVR 34.3K

$3,056 MVR 47.1K

-27.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.80 MVR 444

$39.52 MVR 609

-27.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.41 MVR 299

$49.45 MVR 763

-60.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$38.30 MVR 591

$85.8 MVR 1,323

-55.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$51.6 MVR 796

$52.6 MVR 812

-1.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$328 MVR 5,054

$938 MVR 14.5K

-65.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$263 MVR 4,053

$709 MVR 10.9K

-62.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$549 MVR 8,465

$2,012 MVR 31.0K

-72.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$508 MVR 7,840

$1,570 MVR 24.2K

-67.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,213 MVR 34.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$342 MVR 5,279

$1,385 MVR 21.4K

-75.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$649 MVR 10.0K

$842 MVR 13.0K

-22.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Fuvahmulah: October 10, 2026

Last update for Male: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Fuvahmulah

–

Male

$709 46.4%

Groceries & Markets

Fuvahmulah

–

Male

$234 15.3%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fuvahmulah

–

Male

$223 14.6%

Eating Out

Fuvahmulah

–

Male

$126 8.2%

Clothing & Footwear

Fuvahmulah

–

Male

$102 6.7%

Sport & Entertainment

Fuvahmulah

–

Male

$91 5.9%

Getting Around

Fuvahmulah

–

Male

$45 2.9%

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $328 in Fuvahmulah and $938 in Male. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Male pays 30% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Good to know

🇲🇻 Fuvahmulah

🇲🇻 Male

🕒 Local time

16:36 4:36 PM

Same time as Fuvahmulah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,140

103,693 Capital

💱 Currency

Maldivian Rufiyaa MVR Rf

📈 Exchange rate

100 MVR = 6.49 USD

100 MVR = 5.77 EUR

100 MVR = 6.49 USD

100 MVR = 5.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Fuvahmulah Male 500 km

From you

Fuvahmulah
Male

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 Male: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fuvahmulah is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and utilities. The 98% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 30% 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: $328 in Fuvahmulah versus $938 in Male. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $157 in Fuvahmulah versus $181 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 59% less than in Male. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $774 in Fuvahmulah versus $1,530 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 98% less than in Male. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.