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: $1,521 in Hulhumale versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,721 in Hulhumale versus $2,126 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,921 in Hulhumale versus $2,980 in Playa del Carmen.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Hulhumale is 13% above, Playa del Carmen is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.38 MVR 83.0

$11.87 MX$204

-54.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.74 MVR 459

$42.90 MX$736

-30.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.59 MVR 148

$10.65 MX$183

-9.95%

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

$3.45 MX$59.2

-14.78%

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

$1.27 MVR 19.58

$1.50 MX$25.81

-15.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 MVR 4.19

$0.95 MX$16.28

-71.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 MVR 27.90

$1.38 MX$23.61

31.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 MVR 24.15

$1.85 MX$31.70

-15.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.31 MVR 4.71

$1.61 MX$27.65

-80.75%

Eggs

$1.53 MVR 23.60

$2.59 MX$44.51

-40.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.22 MVR 127

$8.26 MX$142

-0.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.11 MVR 94.2

$8.37 MX$144

-27.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.65 MVR 133

$10.66 MX$183

-18.86%

Apples (1kg)

$4.01 MVR 61.8

$2.63 MX$45.12

52.47%

Banana (1kg)

$3.73 MVR 57.5

$1.49 MX$25.53

150.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.39 MVR 67.7

$1.92 MX$32.94

128.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.22 MVR 49.66

$2.09 MX$35.81

54.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 MVR 23.96

$1.86 MX$31.88

-16.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 MVR 18.96

$2.26 MX$38.81

-45.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.13 MVR 48.29

$1.06 MX$18.23

195.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 MVR 7.68

$1.09 MX$18.67

-54.13%

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

$4.15 MX$71.2

100.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.98 MVR 30.56

$3.13 MX$53.7

-36.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 MVR 29.68

$2.51 MX$43.09

-23.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.52 MVR 147

$3.15 MX$54.1

202.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 MVR 14.84

$1.27 MX$21.88

-24.41%

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

$32.6K MVR 502.3K

$30.4K MX$521.3K

7.26%

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

$34.4K MVR 530.5K

$23.6K MX$404.5K

45.98%

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

$107 MVR 1,650

$83.0 MX$1,425

28.88%

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

$42.13 MVR 650

$22.71 MX$390

85.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.52 MVR 656

$29.46 MX$506

44.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.1 MVR 1,004

$51.0 MX$875

27.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 MVR 147

$4.93 MX$84.5

93.10%

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

$160 MVR 2,460

$197 MX$3,386

-19.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,594 MVR 55.4K

$5,280 MX$90.6K

-31.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.16 MVR 696

$36.90 MX$633

22.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.3 MVR 868

$39.89 MX$685

41.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.7 MVR 1,368

$80.0 MX$1,373

10.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$53.4 MVR 823

$89.5 MX$1,536

-40.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,294 MVR 20.0K

$956 MX$16.4K

35.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$768 MVR 11.8K

$477 MX$8,189

61.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,918 MVR 45.0K

$1,646 MX$28.3K

77.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,283 MVR 35.2K

$1,225 MX$21.0K

86.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,384 MVR 83.0K

$3,918 MX$67.2K

37.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$494 MVR 7,620

$6,459 MX$110.9K

-92.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$710 MVR 10.9K

$667 MX$11.4K

6.43%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,294 in Hulhumale and $956 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: $30.00 in Hulhumale vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $224 vs $250 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.

Hulhumale pays 6% 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 $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $160 in Hulhumale versus $197 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 $43.00 versus $30.00 in Hulhumale. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,521 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 $1,271 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.