Cost of Living Comparison Between Hulhumale and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Hulhumale and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,516 in Hulhumale versus $1,264 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,711 in Hulhumale versus $2,256 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,906 in Hulhumale versus $3,248 in Phuket.

Living in Hulhumale is roughly 20% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Hulhumale is 14% above, Phuket is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.38 MVR 83.0

$4.48 ฿150

20.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.95 MVR 446

$45.59 ฿1,521

-36.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.99 MVR 154

$8.76 ฿292

14.04%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.50 MVR 69.4

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.81 MVR 58.7

Cappuccino

$2.94 MVR 45.37

$2.97 ฿99.0

-1.01%

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

$1.31 MVR 20.26

$0.69 ฿22.90

89.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 MVR 3.82

$0.39 ฿13.04

-35.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 MVR 27.83

$2.15 ฿71.6

-15.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 MVR 24.87

$1.82 ฿60.6

-11.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.33 MVR 5.09

$2.18 ฿72.9

-84.86%

Eggs

$1.54 MVR 23.76

$2.25 ฿75.0

-31.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.31 MVR 128

$20.00 ฿667

-58.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.02 MVR 92.9

$3.63 ฿121

65.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.74 MVR 135

$13.56 ฿452

-35.55%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 MVR 63.8

$3.24 ฿108

27.78%

Banana (1kg)

$3.83 MVR 59.0

$1.64 ฿54.6

133.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.26 MVR 65.7

$2.33 ฿77.8

82.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.23 MVR 49.83

$2.07 ฿69.1

56.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 MVR 23.38

$1.55 ฿51.6

-1.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.22 MVR 18.78

$1.46 ฿48.54

-16.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.07 MVR 47.27

$0.98 ฿32.86

213.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 MVR 8.30

$0.48 ฿16.09

12.50%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.45 MVR 192

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 MVR 40.83

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.86 MVR 152

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.87 MVR 121

$4.35 ฿145

80.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 MVR 30.83

$3.17 ฿106

-36.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 MVR 29.19

$1.03 ฿34.41

83.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.94 MVR 153

$13.89 ฿463

-28.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 MVR 14.65

$1.34 ฿44.84

-29.10%

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

$32.5K MVR 501.9K

$27.8K ฿927.1K

17.12%

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

$33.8K MVR 521.0K

$33.4K ฿1.1M

1.22%

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

$106 MVR 1,632

$123 ฿4,105

-13.97%

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

$42.09 MVR 649

$13.77 ฿459

205.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.60 MVR 641

$18.33 ฿611

126.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.4 MVR 994

$60.7 ฿2,025

6.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

Cinema Ticket

$9.83 MVR 152

$8.87 ฿296

10.82%

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

$162 MVR 2,504

$688 ฿22.9K

-76.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,525 MVR 54.3K

$15.8K ฿526.4K

-77.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.06 MVR 679

$59.3 ฿1,978

-25.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.9 MVR 878

$34.69 ฿1,157

64.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.6 MVR 1,382

$115 ฿3,843

-22.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.9 MVR 846

$83.8 ฿2,794

-34.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,319 MVR 20.3K

$621 ฿20.7K

112.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$769 MVR 11.9K

$446 ฿14.9K

72.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,902 MVR 44.7K

$2,034 ฿67.8K

42.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,305 MVR 35.5K

$1,496 ฿49.9K

54.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,446 MVR 84.0K

$3,455 ฿115.3K

57.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$498 MVR 7,685

$2,531 ฿84.4K

-80.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$718 MVR 11.1K

$494 ฿16.5K

45.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.4

5.33

132.65%

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

Last update for Hulhumale: July 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,319 in Hulhumale and $621 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hulhumale pays 46% 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 $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $291 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 Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 20% lower than in Hulhumale. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 46% 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: $1,319 in Hulhumale versus $621 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $162 in Hulhumale versus $688 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $46.00 versus $29.00 in Hulhumale. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,516 in Hulhumale, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Hulhumale. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Phuket delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,264 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Hulhumale and Phuket 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Hulhumale. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.