Cost of Living Comparison Between Hulhumale and Sunny Beach Cost of Living Comparison Between Hulhumale and Sunny Beach

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,495 in Hulhumale versus $1,094 in Sunny Beach.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,699 in Hulhumale versus $1,685 in Sunny Beach.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,904 in Hulhumale versus $2,276 in Sunny Beach.

Living in Hulhumale is roughly 37% more expensive than Sunny Beach, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Hulhumale is 12% above, Sunny Beach is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.43 MVR 83.7

$8.07 BGN 13.42

-32.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.78 MVR 459

$40.91 BGN 68.1

-27.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.82 MVR 151

$9.97 BGN 16.58

-1.50%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.67 MVR 72.0

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MVR 56.8

Cappuccino

$2.94 MVR 45.39

$1.97 BGN 3.27

49.24%

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

$1.33 MVR 20.44

$1.30 BGN 2.17

2.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 MVR 3.81

$1.05 BGN 1.74

-76.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.80 BGN 2.99

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 BGN 2.88

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 MVR 27.45

$1.96 BGN 3.26

-9.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 MVR 23.80

$0.57 BGN 0.95

170.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.30 MVR 4.69

$2.78 BGN 4.63

-89.21%

Eggs

$1.53 MVR 23.52

$3.89 BGN 6.47

-60.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.16 MVR 126

$13.17 BGN 21.91

-38.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.03 MVR 93.0

$8.20 BGN 13.63

-26.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.60 MVR 133

$12.74 BGN 21.19

-32.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.94 MVR 60.8

$1.66 BGN 2.77

137.35%

Banana (1kg)

$3.88 MVR 59.9

$2.18 BGN 3.62

77.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.23 MVR 65.3

$1.74 BGN 2.89

143.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.22 MVR 49.64

$2.88 BGN 4.79

11.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.50 MVR 23.20

$1.17 BGN 1.94

28.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 MVR 18.25

$1.44 BGN 2.39

-18.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.08 MVR 47.51

$1.22 BGN 2.03

152.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 MVR 7.77

$0.72 BGN 1.20

-30.56%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.24 MVR 189

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 MVR 40.34

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.03 MVR 155

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.24 MVR 127

$3.73 BGN 6.20

120.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.94 BGN 9.88

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 BGN 1.91

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 BGN 2.81

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.15 BGN 1.92

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.89 BGN 44.73

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.99 MVR 30.75

$1.17 BGN 1.94

70.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 MVR 29.47

$0.65 BGN 1.08

193.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.71 MVR 150

$11.61 BGN 19.31

-16.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 MVR 14.73

$1.54 BGN 2.55

-37.66%

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

$32.3K MVR 498.5K

$37.3K BGN 62.0K

-13.25%

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

$33.7K MVR 520.1K

$34.9K BGN 58.0K

-3.24%

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

$105 MVR 1,626

$121 BGN 201

-12.79%

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

$41.32 MVR 637

$17.44 BGN 29.01

136.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.98 MVR 663

$13.50 BGN 22.46

218.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.1 MVR 1,003

$29.54 BGN 49.15

120.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.91 BGN 24.80

Cinema Ticket

$9.95 MVR 153

$7.20 BGN 11.98

38.19%

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

$160 MVR 2,460

$327 BGN 545

-51.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,505 MVR 54.0K

$5,399 BGN 8,982

-35.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.62 MVR 704

$35.17 BGN 58.5

29.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.4 MVR 885

$28.93 BGN 48.12

98.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.5 MVR 1,395

$126 BGN 209

-28.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.9 MVR 815

$78.2 BGN 130

-32.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,312 MVR 20.2K

$595 BGN 989

120.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$772 MVR 11.9K

$350 BGN 582

120.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,943 MVR 45.4K

$719 BGN 1,196

309.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,229 MVR 34.4K

$539 BGN 897

313.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,431 MVR 83.8K

$1,394 BGN 2,320

289.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$500 MVR 7,712

$1,168 BGN 1,944

-57.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$726 MVR 11.2K

$954 BGN 1,586

-23.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.4

5.1

143.14%

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

Last update for Hulhumale: June 1, 2026

Last update for Sunny Beach: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,312 in Hulhumale and $595 in Sunny Beach. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sunny Beach pays 31% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $30.00 in Hulhumale vs $41.00 in Sunny Beach for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $222 vs $254 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 Sunny Beach: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sunny Beach wins on cost – living expenses run 37% lower than in Hulhumale. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Sunny Beach the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Sunny Beach earns 31% 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: $1,312 in Hulhumale versus $595 in Sunny Beach. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $160 in Hulhumale versus $327 in Sunny Beach. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Sunny Beach – a meal for two runs $41.00 versus $30.00 in Hulhumale. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,094 in Sunny Beach versus $1,495 in Hulhumale, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sunny Beach but tight or insufficient in Hulhumale. The gap between the two cities makes Sunny Beach 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 Sunny Beach 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 Sunny Beach gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Hulhumale. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.