Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hulhumale and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Hulhumale: $1,428 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. The total is higher in Istanbul despite lower rent and utilities.

69

Cost of Living Index in Hulhumale
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Hulhumale Living Index
73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Hulhumale

🇲🇻 Maldives

$1,428

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hulhumale and in Istanbul

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,428 in Hulhumale versus $1,519 in Istanbul.

Hulhumale $1,428
Istanbul $1,519

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,571 in Hulhumale versus $2,365 in Istanbul.

Hulhumale $2,571
Istanbul $2,365

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,713 in Hulhumale versus $3,212 in Istanbul.

Hulhumale $3,713
Istanbul $3,212

Living in Hulhumale costs roughly 6% less than in Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hulhumale 6% above, Istanbul 12% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.82 MVR 89.8

$11.81 ₺591

-50.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.15 MVR 604

$54.9 ₺2,748

-28.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.45 MVR 146

$9.26 ₺463

2.05%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.79 MVR 73.9

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.29 MVR 112

Cappuccino

$3.47 MVR 53.5

$4.30 ₺215

-19.30%

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

$1.65 MVR 25.38

$1.77 ₺88.8

-6.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 MVR 4.85

$0.56 ₺28.26

-44.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺234

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 ₺356

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 MVR 24.88

$1.25 ₺62.6

28.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 MVR 26.18

$0.88 ₺44.07

93.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.33 MVR 5.11

$2.20 ₺110

-85.00%

Eggs

$1.77 MVR 27.32

$2.43 ₺122

-27.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.19 MVR 49.17

$10.48 ₺524

-69.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.95 MVR 91.8

$5.31 ₺266

12.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.30 MVR 143

$21.10 ₺1,056

-55.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 MVR 61.2

$1.86 ₺92.9

113.44%

Banana (1kg)

$2.82 MVR 43.52

$2.30 ₺115

22.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.85 MVR 43.97

$1.22 ₺60.8

133.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.50 MVR 38.48

$1.80 ₺90.0

38.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 MVR 19.70

$0.69 ₺34.75

85.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 MVR 17.09

$0.64 ₺32.09

73.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.18 MVR 33.59

$1.36 ₺67.8

60.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 MVR 8.80

$0.58 ₺28.88

-1.72%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.29 MVR 189

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.75 MVR 42.48

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 MVR 30.89

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.78 MVR 197

$2.34 ₺117

446.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.03 ₺652

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₺118

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 ₺166

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₺43.97

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.1 ₺3,309

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.96 MVR 30.19

$1.28 ₺64.3

53.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 MVR 30.10

$0.85 ₺42.70

129.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.06 MVR 155

$11.09 ₺555

-9.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 MVR 16.07

$1.48 ₺73.9

-29.73%

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

$25.7K MVR 396.6K

$48.6K ₺2.4M

-47.13%

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

$28.0K MVR 432.0K

$42.0K ₺2.1M

-33.25%

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

$102 MVR 1,576

$92.7 ₺4,639

10.21%

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

$28.89 MVR 446

$11.20 ₺560

157.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.7 MVR 1,136

$15.89 ₺795

363.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.7 ₺3,737

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.95 ₺1,149

Cinema Ticket

$9.94 MVR 153

$8.05 ₺403

23.48%

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

$185 MVR 2,854

$948 ₺47.5K

-80.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,873 MVR 75.1K

$36.9K ₺1.8M

-86.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.33 MVR 606

$53.9 ₺2,696

-27.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.95 MVR 770

$41.49 ₺2,076

20.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.8 MVR 1,354

$101 ₺5,049

-12.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$53.2 MVR 821

$91.3 ₺4,570

-41.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,134 MVR 17.5K

$1,014 ₺50.7K

11.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$773 MVR 11.9K

$625 ₺31.3K

23.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,283 MVR 35.2K

$2,005 ₺100.4K

13.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,274 MVR 35.1K

$1,126 ₺56.3K

101.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,431 MVR 83.7K

$2,988 ₺149.5K

81.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$509 MVR 7,846

$1,730 ₺86.6K

-70.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$719 MVR 11.1K

$1,136 ₺56.9K

-36.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.42

-65.36%

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

Last update for Hulhumale: November 1, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hulhumale

$773 54.1%

Istanbul

$625 41.1% 19.2% $148

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hulhumale

$205 14.3%

Istanbul

$120 7.9% 41.5% $85

Groceries & Markets

Hulhumale

$191 13.4%

Istanbul

$258 17% 35.2% $67

Eating Out

Hulhumale

$124 8.7%

Istanbul

$221 14.6% 77.6% $97

Clothing & Footwear

Hulhumale

$104 7.3%

Istanbul

$129 8.5% 24.9% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Hulhumale

$20 * 1.4%

Istanbul

$91 6% 357% $71

Getting Around

Hulhumale

$12 * 0.8%

Istanbul

$75 5% 542% $63

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 $1,134 in Hulhumale and $1,014 in Istanbul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Istanbul pays 58% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $39 in Hulhumale vs $55 in Istanbul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $191 vs $258 per month, with Hulhumale cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇻 Hulhumale

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

08:58 8:58 AM

06:58 6:58 AM

2 h behind Hulhumale

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,000

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Maldivian Rufiyaa MVR Rf

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

100 MVR = 6.49 USD

100 MVR = 5.78 EUR

100 TRY = 2 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR to MVR – Maldivian Rufiyaa Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇻 Maldivian Rufiyaa (Rf)

Maldivian Rufiyaa exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 15.42 MVR (100 MVR = 6.49 USD). 1 EUR = 17.31 MVR (100 MVR = 5.78 EUR).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 50.04 TRY (100 TRY = 2 USD). 1 EUR = 56.18 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

USD to MVR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Hulhumale Istanbul 6,030 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Hulhumale
Istanbul

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 Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hulhumale wins on cost – living expenses run 6% lower than in Istanbul. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Hulhumale the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 37% lower in Hulhumale. 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: $1,134 in Hulhumale versus $1,014 in Istanbul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $185 in Hulhumale versus $948 in Istanbul. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Hulhumale – a meal for two runs $39 versus $55 in Istanbul. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Hulhumale is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Safety-wise, Hulhumale and Istanbul are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Hulhumale wins on affordability, Istanbul on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.