Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Fuvahmulah

For one person, living is cheaper in Fuvahmulah: $774 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Fuvahmulah

🇲🇻 Maldives

$774

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Fuvahmulah

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Istanbul and in Fuvahmulah actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,519 in Istanbul versus $774 in Fuvahmulah.

Istanbul $1,519
Fuvahmulah $774

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,365 in Istanbul versus $1,110 in Fuvahmulah.

Istanbul $2,365
Fuvahmulah $1,110

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,212 in Istanbul versus $1,447 in Fuvahmulah.

Istanbul $3,212
Fuvahmulah $1,447

Living in Istanbul is roughly 96% more expensive than in Fuvahmulah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Istanbul is 12% above, Fuvahmulah is 43% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.81 ₺592

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.9 ₺2,754

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.26 ₺465

Cappuccino

$4.30 ₺216

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

$1.77 ₺89.0

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺28.32

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺235

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 ₺357

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 ₺62.7

$1.64 MVR 25.34

-23.78%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 ₺44.17

$0.97 MVR 14.91

-9.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ₺111

$0.47 MVR 7.19

368.09%

Eggs

$2.43 ₺122

$1.57 MVR 24.24

54.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.48 ₺526

$6.31 MVR 97.3

66.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.31 ₺267

$4.91 MVR 75.7

8.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.10 ₺1,058

$13.06 MVR 201

61.56%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ₺93.1

$3.16 MVR 48.70

-41.14%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 ₺115

$1.26 MVR 19.40

82.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.22 ₺61.0

$3.19 MVR 49.24

-61.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺90.2

$1.65 MVR 25.51

9.09%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 ₺34.83

$1.11 MVR 17.14

-37.84%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺32.16

$1.12 MVR 17.26

-42.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 ₺68.0

$1.57 MVR 24.23

-13.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₺28.94

$0.63 MVR 9.72

-7.94%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.89 MVR 60.1

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 ₺117

$6.75 MVR 104

-65.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.03 ₺653

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₺118

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 ₺166

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₺44.07

$0.68 MVR 10.46

29.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.1 ₺3,316

$19.19 MVR 296

244.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 ₺64.4

$1.63 MVR 25.17

-21.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.80

$1.59 MVR 24.52

-46.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.09 ₺556

$6.32 MVR 97.4

75.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 ₺74.0

$1.27 MVR 19.56

16.54%

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

$48.6K ₺2.4M

$19.5K MVR 300.7K

149.41%

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

$42.0K ₺2.1M

$22.9K MVR 353.3K

83.19%

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

$92.7 ₺4,650

$164 MVR 2,536

-43.62%

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

$11.20 ₺562

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.89 ₺797

$38.17 MVR 589

-58.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.7 ₺3,745

$22.43 MVR 346

232.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.95 ₺1,151

$12.85 MVR 198

78.60%

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 ₺404

$6.51 MVR 100

23.66%

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

$948 ₺47.6K

$153 MVR 2,363

518.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.9K ₺1.9M

$2,283 MVR 35.2K

1517.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₺2,702

$29.40 MVR 453

83.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.49 ₺2,081

$19.41 MVR 299

113.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 ₺5,060

$38.32 MVR 591

163.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.3 ₺4,580

$52.1 MVR 804

75.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 ₺50.8K

$327 MVR 5,043

209.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 ₺31.3K

$261 MVR 4,020

139.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 ₺100.6K

$556 MVR 8,581

260.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 ₺56.5K

$512 MVR 7,894

119.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,988 ₺149.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,730 ₺86.8K

$344 MVR 5,309

402.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,136 ₺57.0K

$647 MVR 9,974

75.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.42

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

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Last update for Fuvahmulah: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$625 41.1%

Fuvahmulah

–

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$258 17%

Fuvahmulah

–

Eating Out

Istanbul

$221 14.6%

Fuvahmulah

–

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Fuvahmulah

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$120 7.9%

Fuvahmulah

–

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$91 6%

Fuvahmulah

–

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 5%

Fuvahmulah

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Istanbul and $327 in Fuvahmulah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Istanbul pays 76% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇲🇻 Fuvahmulah

🕒 Local time

21:12 9:12 PM

23:12 11:12 PM

2 h ahead of Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

11,140

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Maldivian Rufiyaa MVR Rf

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 1.99 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 EUR

100 MVR = 6.49 USD

100 MVR = 5.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MVR, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 50.15 TRY (100 TRY = 1.99 USD). 1 EUR = 56.33 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

Maldivian Rufiyaa exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 15.42 MVR (100 MVR = 6.49 USD). 1 EUR = 17.32 MVR (100 MVR = 5.77 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Istanbul Fuvahmulah 6,410 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Fuvahmulah

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Istanbul vs Fuvahmulah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fuvahmulah is about 49% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 76% higher in Istanbul, 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: $1,014 in Istanbul versus $327 in Fuvahmulah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $948 in Istanbul versus $153 in Fuvahmulah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

A monthly transit pass in Fuvahmulah runs roughly 71% less than in Istanbul. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $774 in Fuvahmulah versus $1,519 in Istanbul, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Fuvahmulah but tight or insufficient in Istanbul. The gap between the two cities makes Fuvahmulah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Fuvahmulah is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Istanbul, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Istanbul and Fuvahmulah are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Fuvahmulah wins on affordability, Istanbul on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.