Cost of Living Comparison Between Hulhumale and Male Cost of Living Comparison Between Hulhumale and Male

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,506 in Hulhumale versus $1,528 in Male.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,680 in Hulhumale versus $2,370 in Male.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,854 in Hulhumale versus $3,211 in Male.

Living in Hulhumale costs roughly 1% less than in Male, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hulhumale 12% above, Male 14% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.41 MVR 83.6

$5.31 MVR 82.1

1.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.88 MVR 446

$29.64 MVR 458

-2.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.97 MVR 154

$9.59 MVR 148

3.96%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.58 MVR 70.7

$4.57 MVR 70.6

0.22%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.74 MVR 57.8

$3.66 MVR 56.5

2.19%

Cappuccino

$2.84 MVR 43.93

$2.94 MVR 45.43

-3.40%

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

$1.33 MVR 20.51

$1.33 MVR 20.53

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 MVR 3.86

$0.25 MVR 3.82

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 MVR 27.45

$1.86 MVR 28.80

-4.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 MVR 23.92

$1.60 MVR 24.72

-3.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.33 MVR 5.17

$1.32 MVR 20.34

-75.00%

Eggs

$1.54 MVR 23.87

$1.78 MVR 27.54

-13.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.01 MVR 124

$8.17 MVR 126

-1.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.05 MVR 93.5

$6.34 MVR 97.9

-4.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.63 MVR 133

$8.70 MVR 134

-0.80%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 MVR 61.5

$3.92 MVR 60.5

1.53%

Banana (1kg)

$3.71 MVR 57.3

$3.69 MVR 57.0

0.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.21 MVR 65.1

$4.32 MVR 66.8

-2.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.24 MVR 50.0

$3.26 MVR 50.4

-0.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 MVR 23.44

$1.56 MVR 24.16

-2.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 MVR 19.08

$1.22 MVR 18.87

0.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.06 MVR 47.31

$3.22 MVR 49.70

-4.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 MVR 7.68

$0.50 MVR 7.70

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.23 MVR 189

$12.31 MVR 190

-0.65%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 MVR 41.16

$2.66 MVR 41.04

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.80 MVR 151

$10.19 MVR 157

-3.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.92 MVR 122

$8.05 MVR 124

-1.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.63 MVR 9.73

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.68 MVR 443

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 MVR 30.98

$1.92 MVR 29.70

4.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.94 MVR 29.93

$1.97 MVR 30.46

-1.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.98 MVR 154

$9.91 MVR 153

0.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 MVR 14.12

$0.89 MVR 13.72

2.25%

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

$32.6K MVR 503.7K

$31.9K MVR 493.3K

2.12%

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

$34.0K MVR 525.9K

$34.4K MVR 531.9K

-1.12%

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

$108 MVR 1,670

$105 MVR 1,627

2.62%

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

$40.96 MVR 633

$41.81 MVR 646

-2.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.62 MVR 643

$75.9 MVR 1,172

-45.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.7 MVR 1,015

$81.0 MVR 1,252

-18.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$43.19 MVR 667

Cinema Ticket

$9.89 MVR 153

$9.55 MVR 148

3.56%

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

$165 MVR 2,553

$167 MVR 2,573

-0.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,595 MVR 55.5K

$3,535 MVR 54.6K

1.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.10 MVR 681

$44.92 MVR 694

-1.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.9 MVR 879

$57.0 MVR 880

-0.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.7 MVR 1,401

$89.8 MVR 1,387

1.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$53.3 MVR 824

$53.7 MVR 829

-0.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,279 MVR 19.8K

$941 MVR 14.5K

35.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 MVR 12.0K

$698 MVR 10.8K

10.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,878 MVR 44.5K

$1,684 MVR 26.0K

70.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,292 MVR 35.4K

$1,407 MVR 21.7K

62.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,375 MVR 83.0K

$2,253 MVR 34.8K

138.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$494 MVR 7,632

$1,878 MVR 29.0K

-73.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$709 MVR 10.9K

$847 MVR 13.1K

-16.32%

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Male: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,279 in Hulhumale and $941 in Male. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Male pays 19% 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: $29.00 in Hulhumale vs $30.00 in Male for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $221 vs $231 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 Male: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hulhumale wins on cost – living expenses run 1% lower than in Male. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Hulhumale the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Male earns 19% less. 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: $1,279 in Hulhumale versus $941 in Male. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $165 in Hulhumale versus $167 in Male. 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 $29.00 versus $30.00 in Male. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,506 in Hulhumale versus $1,528 in Male, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Hulhumale but tight or insufficient in Male. The gap between the two cities makes Hulhumale 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 Male 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 1% less than in Male. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.