Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Fuvahmulah Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Fuvahmulah

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $764 in Fuvahmulah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,102 in Fuvahmulah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $1,441 in Fuvahmulah.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 200% more expensive than in Fuvahmulah, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Fuvahmulah is 43% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.18

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.5

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.04

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

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

$2.29 €2.01

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.53

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.96

$1.66 MVR 25.58

-34.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$0.91 MVR 14.05

92.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.47 MVR 7.23

274.47%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$1.54 MVR 23.80

105.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.56

$6.43 MVR 99.2

105.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.98

$4.77 MVR 73.6

67.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.60

$13.08 MVR 202

18.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$3.19 MVR 49.26

-25.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.33 MVR 20.44

28.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$3.20 MVR 49.32

-37.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$1.63 MVR 25.14

49.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.11 MVR 17.16

58.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.09 MVR 16.80

86.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.64 MVR 25.34

17.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.62 MVR 9.55

37.10%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.80 MVR 58.7

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$6.84 MVR 105

-3.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.89

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.66 MVR 10.21

245.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.10

$19.20 MVR 296

138.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$1.60 MVR 24.70

164.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$1.66 MVR 25.65

-51.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.15

$6.39 MVR 98.5

188.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.28 MVR 19.69

62.50%

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

$34.7K €30.4K

$19.4K MVR 299.6K

78.46%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$22.4K MVR 345.6K

74.72%

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

$148 €130

$165 MVR 2,545

-10.29%

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

$20.46 €17.92

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.64

$38.96 MVR 601

1.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €42.03

$23.09 MVR 356

107.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.29

$13.23 MVR 204

40.59%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.08

$6.43 MVR 99.1

43.39%

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

$616 €540

$155 MVR 2,397

296.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$2,301 MVR 35.5K

614.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €90.0

$29.49 MVR 455

248.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.55

$19.37 MVR 299

115.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €83.0

$38.97 MVR 601

143.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$51.8 MVR 799

135.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,430

$322 MVR 4,969

406.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,079

$255 MVR 3,928

383.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,713

$556 MVR 8,567

457.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,779

$526 MVR 8,118

285.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,858

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,844

$352 MVR 5,421

1148.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,408

$646 MVR 9,957

148.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Fuvahmulah: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $322 in Fuvahmulah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 149% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

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

Lisbon vs Fuvahmulah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fuvahmulah is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 200% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 149% higher in Lisbon, 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $322 in Fuvahmulah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $155 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 138% less than in Lisbon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $764 in Fuvahmulah versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Fuvahmulah but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. 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 Lisbon, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Fuvahmulah 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 Fuvahmulah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 200% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.