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: $1,463 in Hulhumale versus $1,138 in Bangkok.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,588 in Hulhumale versus $1,863 in Bangkok.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,714 in Hulhumale versus $2,589 in Bangkok.

Living in Hulhumale is roughly 29% more expensive than in Bangkok, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Hulhumale is 6% above, Bangkok is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.03 MVR 93.0

$3.04 ฿99.8

98.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.48 MVR 609

$36.64 ฿1,205

7.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.15 MVR 141

$7.42 ฿244

23.32%

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

$2.96 ฿97.5

20.95%

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

$1.66 MVR 25.53

$0.67 ฿22.13

147.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 MVR 4.80

$0.34 ฿11.17

-8.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.66 ฿87.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.56 ฿150

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 MVR 24.00

$2.00 ฿65.7

-22.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 MVR 25.03

$1.49 ฿48.91

8.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.33 MVR 5.12

$1.53 ฿50.2

-78.43%

Eggs

$1.83 MVR 28.22

$2.66 ฿87.6

-31.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.26 MVR 50.2

$17.32 ฿569

-81.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.99 MVR 92.4

$3.58 ฿118

67.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.40 MVR 145

$14.04 ฿462

-33.05%

Apples (1kg)

$3.85 MVR 59.4

$4.12 ฿135

-6.55%

Banana (1kg)

$3.06 MVR 47.25

$1.92 ฿63.3

59.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 MVR 45.46

$2.84 ฿93.2

3.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.67 MVR 41.11

$1.96 ฿64.5

36.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 MVR 19.84

$1.71 ฿56.3

-24.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 MVR 17.10

$1.63 ฿53.7

-31.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 MVR 33.04

$1.27 ฿41.71

68.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 MVR 9.54

$0.56 ฿18.47

10.71%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.16 MVR 187

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)

$12.98 MVR 200

$4.61 ฿151

181.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 ฿502

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 ฿111

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.11 ฿36.51

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.19 ฿1,190

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.95 MVR 30.08

$1.08 ฿35.65

80.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 MVR 29.35

$1.19 ฿38.98

59.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.04 MVR 155

$6.00 ฿197

67.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 MVR 14.36

$1.43 ฿46.89

-34.97%

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

$32.6K MVR 502.8K

$32.0K ฿1.1M

1.74%

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

$29.9K MVR 460.9K

$27.9K ฿917.7K

7.09%

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

$104 MVR 1,596

$105 ฿3,454

-1.46%

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

$30.17 MVR 465

$14.49 ฿476

108.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.1 MVR 1,112

$18.57 ฿610

288.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.5 ฿1,958

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.07 ฿627

Cinema Ticket

$9.79 MVR 151

$7.61 ฿250

28.65%

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

$183 MVR 2,829

$558 ฿18.3K

-67.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,991 MVR 46.1K

$16.9K ฿555.5K

-82.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.05 MVR 618

$73.7 ฿2,422

-45.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.52 MVR 764

$43.33 ฿1,425

14.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.2 MVR 1,329

$96.3 ฿3,165

-10.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$51.6 MVR 795

$118 ฿3,870

-56.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,151 MVR 17.8K

$704 ฿23.1K

63.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$776 MVR 12.0K

$357 ฿11.7K

117.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,249 MVR 34.7K

$2,024 ฿66.5K

11.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,295 MVR 35.4K

$757 ฿24.9K

203.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,449 MVR 84.0K

$5,987 ฿196.9K

-8.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$502 MVR 7,739

$3,211 ฿105.6K

-84.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$713 MVR 11.0K

$638 ฿21.0K

11.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.38

160.22%

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

Last update for Hulhumale: August 31, 2026

Last update for Bangkok: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,151 in Hulhumale and $704 in Bangkok. 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.

Dining out: $39.00 in Hulhumale vs $37.00 in Bangkok. Groceries flip the comparison at $193 vs $283, with Hulhumale cheaper for home cooking.

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 29% in total monthly costs ($1,463 vs $1,138 including rent). Bangkok is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 12% higher in Hulhumale, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,151 in Hulhumale versus $704 in Bangkok. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Hulhumale pay roughly 47% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,463 per month in Hulhumale versus $1,138 in Bangkok – a 29% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,138 in Bangkok versus $1,463 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 29% less than in Hulhumale. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.