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: $1,508 in Hulhumale versus $1,111 in Sunny Beach.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,649 in Hulhumale versus $1,671 in Sunny Beach.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,789 in Hulhumale versus $2,230 in Sunny Beach.

Living in Hulhumale is roughly 36% more expensive than in Sunny Beach, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Hulhumale is 13% above, Sunny Beach is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.29 MVR 81.6

$8.10 BGN 13.47

-34.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.57 MVR 456

$41.93 BGN 69.8

-29.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.66 MVR 149

$10.02 BGN 16.67

-3.59%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.64 MVR 71.6

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 MVR 56.4

Cappuccino

$2.91 MVR 44.81

$1.90 BGN 3.16

53.16%

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

$1.27 MVR 19.62

$1.32 BGN 2.20

-3.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 MVR 4.18

$1.05 BGN 1.75

-74.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.80 BGN 2.99

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 BGN 3.03

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 MVR 27.31

$2.04 BGN 3.39

-13.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 MVR 25.09

$0.62 BGN 1.03

162.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.33 MVR 5.09

$2.76 BGN 4.60

-88.04%

Eggs

$1.60 MVR 24.74

$3.92 BGN 6.52

-59.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.15 MVR 126

$13.00 BGN 21.62

-37.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.09 MVR 93.8

$8.33 BGN 13.86

-26.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 MVR 139

$12.74 BGN 21.19

-29.20%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 MVR 63.0

$1.60 BGN 2.66

155.62%

Banana (1kg)

$3.86 MVR 59.5

$2.20 BGN 3.65

75.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.39 MVR 67.7

$1.75 BGN 2.91

150.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.33 MVR 51.3

$2.74 BGN 4.56

21.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 MVR 22.97

$1.19 BGN 1.98

25.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.22 MVR 18.79

$1.36 BGN 2.26

-10.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.16 MVR 48.79

$1.22 BGN 2.04

159.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 MVR 8.23

$0.79 BGN 1.32

-32.91%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.33 MVR 190

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 MVR 40.17

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.45 MVR 146

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.94 MVR 122

$3.70 BGN 6.15

114.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.96 BGN 9.91

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 BGN 1.98

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 BGN 2.82

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.20 BGN 1.99

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.06 BGN 45.01

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 MVR 30.86

$1.16 BGN 1.93

72.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 MVR 29.31

$0.61 BGN 1.01

211.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.91 MVR 153

$12.03 BGN 20.01

-17.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 MVR 13.90

$1.48 BGN 2.47

-39.19%

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

$32.2K MVR 496.9K

$37.5K BGN 62.3K

-13.99%

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

$33.6K MVR 518.2K

$34.5K BGN 57.4K

-2.58%

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

$107 MVR 1,647

$117 BGN 195

-8.95%

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

$41.88 MVR 646

$17.33 BGN 28.84

141.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.43 MVR 639

$13.38 BGN 22.26

209.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.3 MVR 991

$29.54 BGN 49.14

117.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.59 BGN 24.27

Cinema Ticket

$9.82 MVR 152

$6.88 BGN 11.44

42.73%

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

$163 MVR 2,506

$328 BGN 545

-50.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,612 MVR 55.7K

$5,492 BGN 9,136

-34.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.94 MVR 693

$34.40 BGN 57.2

30.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.2 MVR 882

$29.72 BGN 49.43

92.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.0 MVR 1,404

$125 BGN 209

-27.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.6 MVR 842

$77.9 BGN 130

-29.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,304 MVR 20.1K

$598 BGN 995

117.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 MVR 11.9K

$361 BGN 600

114.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,932 MVR 45.2K

$701 BGN 1,166

318.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,279 MVR 35.1K

$537 BGN 893

324.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,382 MVR 83.0K

$1,367 BGN 2,275

293.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$496 MVR 7,654

$1,129 BGN 1,878

-56.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$721 MVR 11.1K

$939 BGN 1,563

-23.22%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Sunny Beach: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,304 in Hulhumale and $598 in Sunny Beach. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sunny Beach pays 30% 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 $42.00 in Sunny Beach for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $227 vs $256 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 36% 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, salaries run 30% lower in Sunny Beach. 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: $1,304 in Hulhumale versus $598 in Sunny Beach. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $163 in Hulhumale versus $328 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 $42.00 versus $30.00 in Hulhumale. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,111 in Sunny Beach versus $1,508 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 36% less than in Hulhumale. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.