Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hulhumale and Fuvahmulah

For one person, living is cheaper in Fuvahmulah: $774 a month against $1,438 in Hulhumale, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

70

Cost of Living Index in Hulhumale
Learn more

Hulhumale Living Index

Jump to prices

Hulhumale

🇲🇻 Maldives

$1,438

/mo nomad

Fuvahmulah

🇲🇻 Maldives

$774

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hulhumale and in Fuvahmulah

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Hulhumale and in Fuvahmulah actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,438 in Hulhumale versus $774 in Fuvahmulah.

Hulhumale $1,438
Fuvahmulah $774

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,595 in Hulhumale versus $1,109 in Fuvahmulah.

Hulhumale $2,595
Fuvahmulah $1,109

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,752 in Hulhumale versus $1,443 in Fuvahmulah.

Hulhumale $3,752
Fuvahmulah $1,443

Living in Hulhumale is roughly 86% more expensive than in Fuvahmulah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Hulhumale is 6% above, Fuvahmulah is 43% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.07 MVR 93.6

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.45 MVR 608

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 MVR 142

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.72 MVR 72.8

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.87 MVR 75.1

Cappuccino

$3.61 MVR 55.7

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

$1.66 MVR 25.66

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 MVR 4.84

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 MVR 24.59

$1.64 MVR 25.22

-3.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.69 MVR 26.11

$0.92 MVR 14.15

83.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.34 MVR 5.17

$0.47 MVR 7.20

-27.66%

Eggs

$1.85 MVR 28.50

$1.53 MVR 23.64

20.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.32 MVR 51.3

$6.57 MVR 101

-49.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.97 MVR 92.1

$4.65 MVR 71.8

28.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.40 MVR 145

$13.08 MVR 202

-28.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.94 MVR 60.7

$3.27 MVR 50.4

20.49%

Banana (1kg)

$3.13 MVR 48.34

$1.28 MVR 19.67

144.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.92 MVR 45.05

$3.34 MVR 51.4

-12.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.71 MVR 41.78

$1.64 MVR 25.30

65.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 MVR 19.12

$1.13 MVR 17.42

9.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 MVR 17.72

$1.11 MVR 17.12

3.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 MVR 33.05

$1.67 MVR 25.69

28.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 MVR 9.58

$0.67 MVR 10.31

-7.46%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.39 MVR 191

$3.82 MVR 59.0

224.35%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 MVR 42.84

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 MVR 31.07

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.72 MVR 196

$6.82 MVR 105

86.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.66 MVR 10.18

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.12 MVR 295

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.96 MVR 30.27

$1.58 MVR 24.29

24.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 MVR 29.36

$1.67 MVR 25.69

13.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.11 MVR 156

$6.64 MVR 102

52.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 MVR 15.22

$1.30 MVR 20.05

-23.85%

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

$32.0K MVR 493.5K

$19.7K MVR 303.1K

62.80%

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

$29.4K MVR 453.9K

$22.7K MVR 350.2K

29.61%

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

$104 MVR 1,597

$162 MVR 2,494

-35.95%

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

$29.71 MVR 458

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.0 MVR 1,125

$38.76 MVR 598

88.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.86 MVR 353

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.05 MVR 201

Cinema Ticket

$9.84 MVR 152

$6.41 MVR 98.8

53.51%

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

$187 MVR 2,882

$157 MVR 2,416

19.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,984 MVR 46.0K

$2,222 MVR 34.3K

34.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.39 MVR 607

$28.80 MVR 444

36.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.44 MVR 762

$19.41 MVR 299

154.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 MVR 1,332

$38.30 MVR 591

125.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.9 MVR 816

$51.6 MVR 796

2.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,121 MVR 17.3K

$328 MVR 5,054

241.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$775 MVR 11.9K

$263 MVR 4,053

194.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,292 MVR 35.3K

$549 MVR 8,465

317.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,294 MVR 35.4K

$508 MVR 7,840

351.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,300 MVR 81.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$499 MVR 7,689

$342 MVR 5,279

45.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$725 MVR 11.2K

$649 MVR 10.0K

11.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Hulhumale: October 11, 2026

Last update for Fuvahmulah: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hulhumale

$775 53.9%

Fuvahmulah

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hulhumale

$206 14.4%

Fuvahmulah

–

Groceries & Markets

Hulhumale

$195 13.6%

Fuvahmulah

–

Eating Out

Hulhumale

$128 8.9%

Fuvahmulah

–

Clothing & Footwear

Hulhumale

$103 7.1%

Fuvahmulah

–

Sport & Entertainment

Hulhumale

$20 * 1.4%

Fuvahmulah

–

Getting Around

Hulhumale

$11 * 0.8%

Fuvahmulah

–

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,121 in Hulhumale and $328 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.

Good to know

🇲🇻 Hulhumale

🇲🇻 Fuvahmulah

🕒 Local time

17:34 5:34 PM

Same time as Hulhumale

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,000

11,140

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Hulhumale Fuvahmulah 500 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Hulhumale
Fuvahmulah

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

Hulhumale vs Fuvahmulah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fuvahmulah is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 86% 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: $1,121 in Hulhumale versus $328 in Fuvahmulah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Hulhumale. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Childcare runs $187 in Hulhumale versus $157 in Fuvahmulah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $774 in Fuvahmulah versus $1,438 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 86% less than in Hulhumale. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.