Cost of Living Comparison Between Hulhumale and Fuvahmulah Cost of Living Comparison Between Hulhumale and Fuvahmulah

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,508 in Hulhumale versus $764 in Fuvahmulah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,649 in Hulhumale versus $1,102 in Fuvahmulah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,789 in Hulhumale versus $1,441 in Fuvahmulah.

Living in Hulhumale is roughly 97% more expensive than in Fuvahmulah, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.29 MVR 81.6

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.57 MVR 456

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.66 MVR 149

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.64 MVR 71.6

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 MVR 56.4

Cappuccino

$2.91 MVR 44.81

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

$1.27 MVR 19.62

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 MVR 4.18

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 MVR 27.31

$1.66 MVR 25.58

6.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 MVR 25.09

$0.91 MVR 14.05

79.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.33 MVR 5.09

$0.47 MVR 7.23

-29.79%

Eggs

$1.60 MVR 24.74

$1.54 MVR 23.80

3.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.15 MVR 126

$6.43 MVR 99.2

26.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.09 MVR 93.8

$4.77 MVR 73.6

27.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 MVR 139

$13.08 MVR 202

-31.04%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 MVR 63.0

$3.19 MVR 49.26

28.21%

Banana (1kg)

$3.86 MVR 59.5

$1.33 MVR 20.44

190.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.39 MVR 67.7

$3.20 MVR 49.32

37.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.33 MVR 51.3

$1.63 MVR 25.14

104.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 MVR 22.97

$1.11 MVR 17.16

34.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.22 MVR 18.79

$1.09 MVR 16.80

11.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.16 MVR 48.79

$1.64 MVR 25.34

92.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 MVR 8.23

$0.62 MVR 9.55

-14.52%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.33 MVR 190

$3.80 MVR 58.7

224.47%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 MVR 40.17

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.45 MVR 146

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.94 MVR 122

$6.84 MVR 105

16.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.66 MVR 10.21

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.20 MVR 296

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 MVR 30.86

$1.60 MVR 24.70

25.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 MVR 29.31

$1.66 MVR 25.65

14.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.91 MVR 153

$6.39 MVR 98.5

55.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 MVR 13.90

$1.28 MVR 19.69

-29.69%

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

$32.2K MVR 496.9K

$19.4K MVR 299.6K

65.88%

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

$33.6K MVR 518.2K

$22.4K MVR 345.6K

49.94%

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

$107 MVR 1,647

$165 MVR 2,545

-35.27%

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

$41.88 MVR 646

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.43 MVR 639

$38.96 MVR 601

6.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.3 MVR 991

$23.09 MVR 356

178.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.23 MVR 204

Cinema Ticket

$9.82 MVR 152

$6.43 MVR 99.1

52.72%

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

$163 MVR 2,506

$155 MVR 2,397

4.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,612 MVR 55.7K

$2,301 MVR 35.5K

57.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.94 MVR 693

$29.49 MVR 455

52.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.2 MVR 882

$19.37 MVR 299

195.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.0 MVR 1,404

$38.97 MVR 601

133.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.6 MVR 842

$51.8 MVR 799

5.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,304 MVR 20.1K

$322 MVR 4,969

304.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 MVR 11.9K

$255 MVR 3,928

204.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,932 MVR 45.2K

$556 MVR 8,567

427.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,279 MVR 35.1K

$526 MVR 8,118

332.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,382 MVR 83.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$496 MVR 7,654

$352 MVR 5,421

41.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$721 MVR 11.1K

$646 MVR 9,957

11.69%

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 Hulhumale: July 12, 2026

Last update for Fuvahmulah: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,304 in Hulhumale and $322 in Fuvahmulah. 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.

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 Fuvahmulah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fuvahmulah is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 97% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

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: $1,304 in Hulhumale versus $322 in Fuvahmulah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 26% higher in Hulhumale. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Childcare runs $163 in Hulhumale versus $155 in Fuvahmulah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $764 in Fuvahmulah versus $1,508 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, Hulhumale and Fuvahmulah 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 97% less than in Hulhumale. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.