Cost of Living Comparison Between Hulhumale and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Hulhumale and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,412 in Hulhumale versus $2,268 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,546 in Hulhumale versus $3,348 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,679 in Hulhumale versus $4,429 in Lisbon.

Living in Hulhumale costs roughly 38% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hulhumale 2% above, Lisbon 64% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.10 MVR 94.0

$17.55 €15.12

-65.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.40 MVR 608

$64.5 €55.6

-38.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.41 MVR 145

$11.65 €10.04

-19.23%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.82 MVR 74.4

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.97 MVR 76.6

Cappuccino

$3.47 MVR 53.6

$3.26 €2.81

6.44%

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

$1.66 MVR 25.63

$2.49 €2.15

-33.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 MVR 4.40

$1.67 €1.44

-82.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 MVR 23.92

$1.18 €1.02

31.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.67 MVR 25.71

$1.95 €1.68

-14.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.31 MVR 4.70

$1.56 €1.35

-80.13%

Eggs

$1.77 MVR 27.23

$4.01 €3.46

-55.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.32 MVR 51.1

$13.27 €11.44

-74.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.00 MVR 92.4

$8.42 €7.26

-28.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.59 MVR 148

$18.23 €15.72

-47.39%

Apples (1kg)

$4.01 MVR 61.8

$2.32 €2.00

72.84%

Banana (1kg)

$3.07 MVR 47.37

$1.73 €1.49

77.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.98 MVR 45.98

$1.93 €1.67

54.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.74 MVR 42.24

$2.64 €2.27

3.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 MVR 19.67

$1.90 €1.64

-32.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 MVR 17.02

$2.11 €1.82

-47.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.12 MVR 32.67

$1.44 €1.24

47.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 MVR 9.66

$0.80 €0.69

-21.25%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.45 MVR 192

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 MVR 41.48

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 MVR 30.70

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.79 MVR 197

$7.01 €6.04

82.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.92 MVR 29.60

$4.19 €3.61

-54.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 MVR 29.32

$1.10 €0.95

72.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.92 MVR 153

$17.26 €14.88

-42.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 MVR 14.85

$2.25 €1.94

-57.33%

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

$32.2K MVR 496.5K

$34.5K €29.7K

-6.59%

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

$29.6K MVR 456.8K

$41.6K €35.9K

-28.82%

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

$105 MVR 1,622

$171 €147

-38.43%

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

$29.51 MVR 455

$19.01 €16.38

55.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.6 MVR 1,135

$34.28 €29.55

114.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

Cinema Ticket

$9.66 MVR 149

$10.10 €8.71

-4.36%

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

$184 MVR 2,835

$699 €603

-73.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,992 MVR 46.1K

$17.8K €15.3K

-83.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.06 MVR 602

$105 €90.2

-62.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.81 MVR 753

$47.97 €41.35

1.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.3 MVR 1,361

$102 €87.8

-13.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.8 MVR 814

$128 €111

-58.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,123 MVR 17.3K

$1,661 €1,432

-32.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$788 MVR 12.1K

$1,228 €1,059

-35.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,273 MVR 35.0K

$2,915 €2,513

-22.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,248 MVR 34.7K

$2,023 €1,744

11.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,400 MVR 83.3K

$8,129 €7,007

-33.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$502 MVR 7,739

$4,635 €3,996

-89.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$725 MVR 11.2K

$1,619 €1,396

-55.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

270.37%

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

Last update for Hulhumale: September 6, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,123 in Hulhumale and $1,661 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 123% 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 $64.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $195 vs $281 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 Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hulhumale wins on cost – living expenses run 61% lower than in Lisbon. 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 123% lower in Lisbon. 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: $1,123 in Hulhumale versus $1,661 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $184 in Hulhumale versus $699 in Lisbon. 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 $39.00 versus $64.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,412 in Hulhumale versus $2,268 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Hulhumale but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Hulhumale the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Hulhumale delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,412 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Hulhumale hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Hulhumale and Lisbon 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 Hulhumale gentler on the wallet – expenses run 61% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.