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: $1,521 in Hulhumale versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,721 in Hulhumale versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,921 in Hulhumale versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Hulhumale is roughly 21% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Hulhumale is 13% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.38 MVR 83.0

$4.56 ฿149

17.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.74 MVR 459

$46.63 ฿1,519

-36.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.59 MVR 148

$8.47 ฿276

13.22%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 MVR 68.4

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 MVR 58.4

Cappuccino

$2.94 MVR 45.30

$3.03 ฿98.6

-2.97%

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

$1.27 MVR 19.58

$0.69 ฿22.45

84.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 MVR 4.19

$0.37 ฿11.92

-27.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 MVR 27.90

$2.18 ฿71.0

-16.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 MVR 24.15

$1.90 ฿62.0

-17.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.31 MVR 4.71

$2.20 ฿71.6

-85.91%

Eggs

$1.53 MVR 23.60

$2.22 ฿72.4

-31.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.22 MVR 127

$19.99 ฿651

-58.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.11 MVR 94.2

$3.66 ฿119

66.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.65 MVR 133

$13.25 ฿432

-34.72%

Apples (1kg)

$4.01 MVR 61.8

$3.23 ฿105

24.15%

Banana (1kg)

$3.73 MVR 57.5

$1.70 ฿55.3

119.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.39 MVR 67.7

$2.39 ฿78.0

83.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.22 MVR 49.66

$2.08 ฿67.7

54.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 MVR 23.96

$1.59 ฿51.8

-2.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 MVR 18.96

$1.48 ฿48.31

-16.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.13 MVR 48.29

$1.03 ฿33.54

203.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 MVR 7.68

$0.52 ฿16.83

-3.85%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.23 MVR 189

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 MVR 41.07

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.00 MVR 154

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.34 MVR 129

$4.25 ฿138

96.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.98 MVR 30.56

$3.14 ฿102

-36.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 MVR 29.68

$1.04 ฿33.74

84.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.52 MVR 147

$13.77 ฿448

-30.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 MVR 14.84

$1.34 ฿43.79

-28.36%

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

$32.6K MVR 502.3K

$27.7K ฿901.4K

17.70%

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

$34.4K MVR 530.5K

$33.9K ฿1.1M

1.59%

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

$107 MVR 1,650

$124 ฿4,025

-13.45%

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

$42.13 MVR 650

$13.52 ฿440

211.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.52 MVR 656

$18.69 ฿609

127.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.1 MVR 1,004

$61.8 ฿2,013

5.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 MVR 147

$9.14 ฿298

4.16%

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

$160 MVR 2,460

$703 ฿22.9K

-77.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,594 MVR 55.4K

$15.9K ฿517.0K

-77.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.16 MVR 696

$59.5 ฿1,937

-24.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.3 MVR 868

$35.07 ฿1,142

60.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.7 MVR 1,368

$115 ฿3,754

-23.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$53.4 MVR 823

$84.1 ฿2,737

-36.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,294 MVR 20.0K

$619 ฿20.1K

109.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$768 MVR 11.8K

$433 ฿14.1K

77.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,918 MVR 45.0K

$2,062 ฿67.2K

41.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,283 MVR 35.2K

$1,511 ฿49.2K

51.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,384 MVR 83.0K

$3,646 ฿118.7K

47.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$494 MVR 7,620

$2,626 ฿85.5K

-81.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$710 MVR 10.9K

$507 ฿16.5K

40.01%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,294 in Hulhumale and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hulhumale pays 40% 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: $30.00 in Hulhumale vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $224 vs $293 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 21% 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.

Hulhumale pays 40% more on average, 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: $1,294 in Hulhumale versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $160 in Hulhumale versus $703 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 $47.00 versus $30.00 in Hulhumale. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,521 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 $1,261 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 21% less than in Hulhumale. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.