Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Hulhumale Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Hulhumale

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,227 in Lisbon versus $1,506 in Hulhumale.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,305 in Lisbon versus $2,680 in Hulhumale.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,384 in Lisbon versus $3,854 in Hulhumale.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 48% more expensive than Hulhumale, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 66% above, Hulhumale 12% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 €13.84

$5.41 MVR 83.6

198.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 €55.3

$28.88 MVR 446

123.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.88

$9.97 MVR 154

4.11%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.58 MVR 70.7

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.74 MVR 57.8

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.37

$2.84 MVR 43.93

-2.46%

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

$2.25 €1.92

$1.33 MVR 20.51

69.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$0.25 MVR 3.86

528.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €2.99

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 €3.43

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.78 MVR 27.45

-39.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.55 MVR 23.92

12.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 €1.49

$0.33 MVR 5.17

427.27%

Eggs

$3.18 €2.72

$1.54 MVR 23.87

106.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.43 €11.50

$8.01 MVR 124

67.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.84

$6.05 MVR 93.5

32.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 €13.77

$8.63 MVR 133

86.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.95

$3.98 MVR 61.5

-42.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.48

$3.71 MVR 57.3

-53.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.66

$4.21 MVR 65.1

-53.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.18

$3.24 MVR 50.0

-21.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$1.52 MVR 23.44

20.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.23 MVR 19.08

65.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 €1.69

$3.06 MVR 47.31

-35.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.50 MVR 7.68

70.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.23 MVR 189

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 MVR 41.16

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.80 MVR 151

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.85 €5.87

$7.92 MVR 122

-13.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €4.94

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.48

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.95

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.84 €40.10

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.49

$2.00 MVR 30.98

104.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$1.94 MVR 29.93

-57.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.27 €15.64

$9.98 MVR 154

83.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.72

$0.91 MVR 14.12

120.88%

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

$35.3K €30.2K

$32.6K MVR 503.7K

8.16%

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

$38.5K €32.9K

$34.0K MVR 525.9K

13.06%

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

$145 €124

$108 MVR 1,670

34.53%

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

$20.96 €17.94

$40.96 MVR 633

-48.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.05 €34.29

$41.62 MVR 643

-3.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.79 €41.76

$65.7 MVR 1,015

-25.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 €16.00

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 €7.76

$9.89 MVR 153

-8.39%

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

$607 €519

$165 MVR 2,553

267.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$3,595 MVR 55.5K

354.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.6

$44.10 MVR 681

137.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.95 €35.06

$56.9 MVR 879

-28.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 €80.1

$90.7 MVR 1,401

3.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €101

$53.3 MVR 824

122.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,373

$1,279 MVR 19.8K

25.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 €1,058

$774 MVR 12.0K

59.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,046 €2,607

$2,878 MVR 44.5K

5.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 €1,761

$2,292 MVR 35.4K

-10.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,709 €6,599

$5,375 MVR 83.0K

43.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,266 €3,652

$494 MVR 7,632

763.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,584 €1,356

$709 MVR 10.9K

123.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

12.4

-69.27%

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

Last update for Lisbon: April 26, 2026

Last update for Hulhumale: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Lisbon and $1,279 in Hulhumale. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 124% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $29.00 in Hulhumale for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $271 vs $221 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

Lisbon vs Hulhumale: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hulhumale wins on cost – living expenses run 48% lower than in Lisbon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Hulhumale the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Lisbon pays 124% more on average, 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: $1,604 in Lisbon versus $1,279 in Hulhumale. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $607 in Lisbon versus $165 in Hulhumale. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Hulhumale – a meal for two runs $29.00 versus $65.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,506 in Hulhumale versus $2,227 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Hulhumale but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Hulhumale the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Hulhumale delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,506 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Hulhumale hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Hulhumale 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 Hulhumale gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.