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: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $782 in Fuvahmulah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $1,123 in Fuvahmulah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $1,465 in Fuvahmulah.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 196% more expensive than in Fuvahmulah, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 69% above, Fuvahmulah is 43% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.87

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.4

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.79

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.74

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

$2.45 €2.10

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.09

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.92

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

$1.66 MVR 25.55

-25.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$0.89 MVR 13.79

122.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$0.47 MVR 7.23

223.40%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.47

$1.59 MVR 24.59

154.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.64

$6.45 MVR 99.4

109.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.21

$4.81 MVR 74.2

74.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.69

$13.08 MVR 202

39.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$3.15 MVR 48.53

-27.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$1.31 MVR 20.17

32.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$3.26 MVR 50.3

-42.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.26

$1.59 MVR 24.52

65.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.08 MVR 16.67

77.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$1.12 MVR 17.23

86.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.64 MVR 25.27

-12.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.72

$0.68 MVR 10.48

23.53%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.90 MVR 60.1

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.83

$6.89 MVR 106

-1.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.91

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.06

$0.67 MVR 10.33

258.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.22

$19.51 MVR 301

139.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.59

$1.65 MVR 25.43

152.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.60 MVR 24.62

-28.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.20

$6.29 MVR 97.0

181.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.32 MVR 20.35

75.76%

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

$35.3K €30.4K

$19.6K MVR 301.9K

80.51%

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

$41.4K €35.6K

$22.6K MVR 348.7K

83.26%

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

$170 €146

$159 MVR 2,450

7.19%

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

$19.34 €16.62

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €28.92

$37.74 MVR 582

-10.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.35

$22.39 MVR 345

114.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.11

$13.01 MVR 201

52.96%

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.53

$6.50 MVR 100

52.62%

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

$717 €617

$155 MVR 2,384

364.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.0K

$2,231 MVR 34.4K

683.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$29.49 MVR 455

255.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.36

$19.12 MVR 295

145.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €88.9

$37.65 MVR 581

174.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$52.4 MVR 808

136.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,441

$321 MVR 4,954

421.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,093

$264 MVR 4,066

382.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,566

$549 MVR 8,470

443.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,713

$524 MVR 8,082

280.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,728

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,004

$353 MVR 5,442

1219.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,361

$658 MVR 10.1K

140.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Fuvahmulah: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $321 in Fuvahmulah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 141% 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 196% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 141% 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: $1,677 in Lisbon versus $321 in Fuvahmulah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $717 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 140% less than in Lisbon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $782 in Fuvahmulah versus $2,316 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 196% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.