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: $1,463 in Hulhumale versus $1,081 in Sunny Beach.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,588 in Hulhumale versus $1,619 in Sunny Beach.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,714 in Hulhumale versus $2,157 in Sunny Beach.

Living in Hulhumale is roughly 35% more expensive than in Sunny Beach, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Hulhumale is 6% above, Sunny Beach is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.03 MVR 93.0

$8.41 BGN 13.99

-28.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.48 MVR 609

$47.69 BGN 79.3

-17.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.15 MVR 141

$10.04 BGN 16.71

-8.86%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.83 MVR 74.5

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.88 MVR 75.3

Cappuccino

$3.58 MVR 55.2

$2.90 BGN 4.82

23.45%

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

$1.66 MVR 25.53

$1.76 BGN 2.93

-5.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 MVR 4.80

$1.59 BGN 2.64

-80.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 BGN 3.98

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 BGN 2.92

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 MVR 24.00

$1.80 BGN 2.99

-13.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 MVR 25.03

$0.83 BGN 1.38

95.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.33 MVR 5.12

$2.29 BGN 3.80

-85.59%

Eggs

$1.83 MVR 28.22

$3.88 BGN 6.45

-52.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.26 MVR 50.2

$8.84 BGN 14.70

-63.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.99 MVR 92.4

$8.77 BGN 14.58

-31.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.40 MVR 145

$14.56 BGN 24.21

-35.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.85 MVR 59.4

$1.78 BGN 2.97

116.29%

Banana (1kg)

$3.06 MVR 47.25

$1.87 BGN 3.12

63.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 MVR 45.46

$2.07 BGN 3.45

42.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.67 MVR 41.11

$2.63 BGN 4.37

1.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 MVR 19.84

$1.13 BGN 1.88

14.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 MVR 17.10

$1.12 BGN 1.87

-0.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 MVR 33.04

$1.18 BGN 1.96

81.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 MVR 9.54

$0.75 BGN 1.25

-17.33%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.16 MVR 187

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 MVR 40.95

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 MVR 30.64

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.98 MVR 200

$4.05 BGN 6.74

220.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.31 BGN 10.49

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 BGN 2.03

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 BGN 3.40

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.16 BGN 1.94

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.95 MVR 30.08

$1.33 BGN 2.21

46.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 MVR 29.35

$0.63 BGN 1.06

201.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.04 MVR 155

$10.88 BGN 18.11

-7.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 MVR 14.36

$1.59 BGN 2.64

-41.51%

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

$32.6K MVR 502.8K

$31.1K BGN 51.8K

4.68%

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

$29.9K MVR 460.9K

$25.2K BGN 42.0K

18.43%

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

$104 MVR 1,596

$117 BGN 195

-11.90%

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

$30.17 MVR 465

$19.67 BGN 32.73

53.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.1 MVR 1,112

$15.78 BGN 26.26

356.84%

Cinema Ticket

$9.79 MVR 151

$9.42 BGN 15.67

3.93%

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

$183 MVR 2,829

$541 BGN 899

-66.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,991 MVR 46.1K

$5,768 BGN 9,595

-48.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.05 MVR 618

$34.75 BGN 57.8

15.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.52 MVR 764

$43.51 BGN 72.4

13.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.2 MVR 1,329

$98.4 BGN 164

-12.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$51.6 MVR 795

$108 BGN 179

-52.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,151 MVR 17.8K

$600 BGN 999

91.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$776 MVR 12.0K

$362 BGN 602

114.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,249 MVR 34.7K

$708 BGN 1,177

217.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,295 MVR 35.4K

$543 BGN 903

322.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,449 MVR 84.0K

$1,397 BGN 2,325

289.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$502 MVR 7,739

$1,168 BGN 1,943

-57.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$713 MVR 11.0K

$962 BGN 1,600

-25.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.1

351.61%

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

Last update for Hulhumale: August 31, 2026

Last update for Sunny Beach: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,151 in Hulhumale and $600 in Sunny Beach. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sunny Beach pays 35% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $39.00 in Hulhumale vs $48.00 in Sunny Beach for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $249 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 35% 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 35% 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: $1,151 in Hulhumale versus $600 in Sunny Beach. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $183 in Hulhumale versus $541 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 $48.00 versus $39.00 in Hulhumale. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,081 in Sunny Beach versus $1,463 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 35% less than in Hulhumale. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.