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: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $1,447 in Hulhumale.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $2,576 in Hulhumale.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $3,704 in Hulhumale.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 59% more expensive than in Hulhumale, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 68% above, Hulhumale 6% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.33

$6.16 MVR 95.0

185.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.8

$38.91 MVR 600

61.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.10

$9.46 MVR 146

22.41%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.95 MVR 76.4

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MVR 76.1

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$3.64 MVR 56.1

-14.84%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$1.61 MVR 24.85

54.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$0.29 MVR 4.40

500.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$1.62 MVR 25.05

-29.01%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$1.66 MVR 25.61

15.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$0.33 MVR 5.15

354.55%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$1.80 MVR 27.76

121.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.59

$3.28 MVR 50.5

305.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.98

$5.94 MVR 91.6

34.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.73

$9.61 MVR 148

87.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$4.00 MVR 61.7

-41.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.53

$3.13 MVR 48.20

-44.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$2.83 MVR 43.72

-34.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$2.68 MVR 41.25

-4.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

$1.28 MVR 19.78

43.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$1.16 MVR 17.89

81.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.30

$2.10 MVR 32.36

-29.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.58 MVR 8.90

41.38%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.27 MVR 189

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.75 MVR 42.39

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 MVR 31.12

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.19

$12.91 MVR 199

-45.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.15

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.15

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.63

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$1.93 MVR 29.69

111.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$1.91 MVR 29.46

-40.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.90

$9.85 MVR 152

73.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$0.97 MVR 14.92

138.14%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$32.1K MVR 495.4K

6.24%

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

$41.4K €36.1K

$29.5K MVR 454.5K

40.37%

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

$169 €147

$105 MVR 1,620

60.42%

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

$19.33 €16.85

$29.86 MVR 460

-35.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.21

$71.8 MVR 1,106

-53.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.57

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.94

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.34

$9.47 MVR 146

1.06%

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

$696 €607

$183 MVR 2,824

280.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$3,060 MVR 47.2K

467.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.8

$39.54 MVR 610

166.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.62

$48.94 MVR 755

-2.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.6

$88.0 MVR 1,356

14.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$52.8 MVR 815

135.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,449

$1,142 MVR 17.6K

45.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,086

$785 MVR 12.1K

58.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,584

$2,306 MVR 35.6K

28.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,786

$2,310 MVR 35.6K

-11.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,829

$5,464 MVR 84.3K

43.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,892

$503 MVR 7,755

787.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,422

$706 MVR 10.9K

131.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

-73.00%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Hulhumale: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $1,142 in Hulhumale. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 131% 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: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $39.00 in Hulhumale for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $195 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 59% 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.

Average pay runs 131% 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: $1,662 in Lisbon versus $1,142 in Hulhumale. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Lisbon versus $183 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 $39.00 versus $63.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,447 in Hulhumale versus $2,296 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 $1,447 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 59% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.