Cost of Living Comparison Between Hulhumale and Bangkok Cost of Living Comparison Between Hulhumale and Bangkok

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,495 in Hulhumale versus $1,068 in Bangkok.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,699 in Hulhumale versus $1,732 in Bangkok.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,904 in Hulhumale versus $2,396 in Bangkok.

Living in Hulhumale is roughly 40% more expensive than Bangkok, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Hulhumale is 12% above, Bangkok is 20% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.43 MVR 83.7

$3.17 ฿103

71.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.78 MVR 459

$30.33 ฿991

-1.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.82 MVR 151

$6.27 ฿205

56.62%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.67 MVR 72.0

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MVR 56.8

Cappuccino

$2.94 MVR 45.39

$2.51 ฿81.9

17.13%

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

$1.33 MVR 20.44

$0.68 ฿22.34

95.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 MVR 3.81

$0.27 ฿8.79

-7.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 ฿129

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 MVR 27.45

$1.80 ฿58.8

-1.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 MVR 23.80

$1.39 ฿45.38

10.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.30 MVR 4.69

$1.42 ฿46.22

-78.87%

Eggs

$1.53 MVR 23.52

$2.26 ฿73.8

-32.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.16 MVR 126

$18.40 ฿601

-55.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.03 MVR 93.0

$3.01 ฿98.4

100.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.60 MVR 133

$9.38 ฿306

-8.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.94 MVR 60.8

$3.55 ฿116

10.99%

Banana (1kg)

$3.88 MVR 59.9

$1.76 ฿57.6

120.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.23 MVR 65.3

$2.21 ฿72.1

91.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.22 MVR 49.64

$1.84 ฿59.9

75.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.50 MVR 23.20

$1.64 ฿53.5

-8.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 MVR 18.25

$1.50 ฿48.88

-21.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.08 MVR 47.51

$1.31 ฿42.67

135.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 MVR 7.77

$0.52 ฿17.10

-3.85%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.24 MVR 189

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 MVR 40.34

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.03 MVR 155

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.24 MVR 127

$4.25 ฿139

93.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.02 ฿490

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.9

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 ฿111

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ฿39.00

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.43 ฿1,190

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.99 MVR 30.75

$1.10 ฿35.84

80.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 MVR 29.47

$1.20 ฿39.07

59.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.71 MVR 150

$6.13 ฿200

58.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 MVR 14.73

$1.25 ฿40.88

-23.20%

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

$32.3K MVR 498.5K

$37.3K ฿1.2M

-13.40%

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

$33.7K MVR 520.1K

$28.6K ฿934.5K

17.88%

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

$105 MVR 1,626

$91.9 ฿3,000

14.83%

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

$41.32 MVR 637

$12.96 ฿423

218.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.98 MVR 663

$17.67 ฿577

143.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.1 MVR 1,003

$53.9 ฿1,759

20.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.68 ฿349

Cinema Ticket

$9.95 MVR 153

$7.90 ฿258

25.95%

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

$160 MVR 2,460

$601 ฿19.6K

-73.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,505 MVR 54.0K

$13.2K ฿432.6K

-73.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.62 MVR 704

$57.0 ฿1,863

-20.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.4 MVR 885

$38.28 ฿1,250

49.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.5 MVR 1,395

$103 ฿3,376

-12.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.9 MVR 815

$95.0 ฿3,103

-44.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,312 MVR 20.2K

$669 ฿21.9K

95.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$772 MVR 11.9K

$326 ฿10.7K

136.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,943 MVR 45.4K

$1,877 ฿61.3K

56.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,229 MVR 34.4K

$843 ฿27.5K

164.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,431 MVR 83.8K

$6,307 ฿206.0K

-13.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$500 MVR 7,712

$3,371 ฿110.1K

-85.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$726 MVR 11.2K

$747 ฿24.4K

-2.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.4

5.84

112.33%

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

Last update for Hulhumale: June 1, 2026

Last update for Bangkok: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,312 in Hulhumale and $669 in Bangkok. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bangkok pays 3% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $30.00 in Hulhumale vs $30.00 in Bangkok for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $222 vs $257 per month, with Hulhumale cheaper across the board.

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

Hulhumale vs Bangkok: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hulhumale and Bangkok differ by about 40% in total monthly costs ($1,495 vs $1,068 including rent). Bangkok is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Bangkok earns 3% less. 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: $1,312 in Hulhumale versus $669 in Bangkok. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Hulhumale pay roughly 15% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,495 per month in Hulhumale versus $1,068 in Bangkok – a 40% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,068 in Bangkok versus $1,495 in Hulhumale, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bangkok but tight or insufficient in Hulhumale. The gap between the two cities makes Bangkok 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, Hulhumale and Bangkok 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 Bangkok gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Hulhumale. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.