Cost of Living Comparison Between Hulhumale and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Hulhumale and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,516 in Hulhumale versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,711 in Hulhumale versus $2,125 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,906 in Hulhumale versus $2,990 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Hulhumale is roughly 20% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.38 MVR 83.0

$11.72 MX$204

-54.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.95 MVR 446

$41.89 MX$731

-30.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.99 MVR 154

$10.51 MX$183

-4.95%

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

$3.59 MX$62.5

-18.11%

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

$1.31 MVR 20.26

$1.51 MX$26.31

-13.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 MVR 3.82

$0.92 MX$15.96

-72.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.9

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 MVR 27.83

$1.40 MX$24.35

29.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 MVR 24.87

$1.88 MX$32.87

-14.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.33 MVR 5.09

$1.56 MX$27.19

-78.85%

Eggs

$1.54 MVR 23.76

$2.61 MX$45.50

-41.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.31 MVR 128

$8.32 MX$145

-0.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.02 MVR 92.9

$8.35 MX$146

-27.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.74 MVR 135

$10.86 MX$189

-19.52%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 MVR 63.8

$2.71 MX$47.31

52.77%

Banana (1kg)

$3.83 MVR 59.0

$1.51 MX$26.25

153.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.26 MVR 65.7

$1.87 MX$32.67

127.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.23 MVR 49.83

$2.19 MX$38.19

47.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 MVR 23.38

$1.86 MX$32.40

-18.28%

Onion (1kg)

$1.22 MVR 18.78

$2.23 MX$38.90

-45.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.07 MVR 47.27

$1.07 MX$18.63

186.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 MVR 8.30

$1.09 MX$18.94

-50.46%

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

$4.19 MX$73.0

87.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$182

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.91

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.56

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.45

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$456

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 MVR 30.83

$3.08 MX$53.7

-35.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 MVR 29.19

$2.40 MX$41.94

-21.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.94 MVR 153

$3.13 MX$54.5

217.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 MVR 14.65

$1.31 MX$22.87

-27.48%

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

$32.5K MVR 501.9K

$29.8K MX$519.9K

9.20%

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

$33.8K MVR 521.0K

$23.3K MX$406.8K

44.87%

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

$106 MVR 1,632

$81.3 MX$1,418

30.24%

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

$42.09 MVR 649

$22.56 MX$393

86.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.60 MVR 641

$30.05 MX$524

38.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.4 MVR 994

$52.9 MX$923

21.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$321

Cinema Ticket

$9.83 MVR 152

$4.92 MX$85.8

99.80%

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

$162 MVR 2,504

$201 MX$3,502

-19.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,525 MVR 54.3K

$5,175 MX$90.2K

-31.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.06 MVR 679

$35.92 MX$627

22.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.9 MVR 878

$40.13 MX$700

41.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.6 MVR 1,382

$79.7 MX$1,390

12.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.9 MVR 846

$86.5 MX$1,508

-36.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,319 MVR 20.3K

$978 MX$17.1K

34.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$769 MVR 11.9K

$470 MX$8,206

63.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,902 MVR 44.7K

$1,651 MX$28.8K

75.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,305 MVR 35.5K

$1,203 MX$21.0K

91.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,446 MVR 84.0K

$3,953 MX$69.0K

37.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$498 MVR 7,685

$6,607 MX$115.2K

-92.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$718 MVR 11.1K

$677 MX$11.8K

6.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.4

11.42

8.58%

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

Last update for Hulhumale: July 27, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,319 in Hulhumale and $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hulhumale pays 6% 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $252 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 Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

Average pay runs 6% 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 $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $162 in Hulhumale versus $201 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $42.00 versus $29.00 in Hulhumale. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,516 in Hulhumale, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Hulhumale. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,260 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Hulhumale and Playa del Carmen 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 Playa del Carmen 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.