Cost of Living Comparison Between Male and Fuvahmulah Cost of Living Comparison Between Male and Fuvahmulah

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,501 in Male versus $764 in Fuvahmulah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,377 in Male versus $1,102 in Fuvahmulah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Male versus $1,441 in Fuvahmulah.

Living in Male is roughly 96% more expensive than in Fuvahmulah, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.37 MVR 82.8

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.25 MVR 451

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.52 MVR 147

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.65 MVR 71.7

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 MVR 56.3

Cappuccino

$2.96 MVR 45.72

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

$1.34 MVR 20.62

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 MVR 4.20

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 MVR 28.72

$1.66 MVR 25.58

12.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 MVR 24.95

$0.91 MVR 14.05

78.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 MVR 20.23

$0.47 MVR 7.23

178.72%

Eggs

$1.80 MVR 27.71

$1.54 MVR 23.80

16.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.25 MVR 127

$6.43 MVR 99.2

28.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.34 MVR 97.8

$4.77 MVR 73.6

32.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.04 MVR 139

$13.08 MVR 202

-30.89%

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 MVR 61.7

$3.19 MVR 49.26

25.39%

Banana (1kg)

$3.76 MVR 58.0

$1.33 MVR 20.44

182.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.24 MVR 65.4

$3.20 MVR 49.32

32.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.27 MVR 50.4

$1.63 MVR 25.14

100.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 MVR 23.89

$1.11 MVR 17.16

39.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.21 MVR 18.73

$1.09 MVR 16.80

11.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.09 MVR 47.69

$1.64 MVR 25.34

88.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 MVR 8.18

$0.62 MVR 9.55

-14.52%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.46 MVR 192

$3.80 MVR 58.7

227.89%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.75 MVR 42.41

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.52 MVR 162

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.14 MVR 126

$6.84 MVR 105

19.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 MVR 9.57

$0.66 MVR 10.21

-6.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 MVR 451

$19.20 MVR 296

52.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.94 MVR 29.91

$1.60 MVR 24.70

21.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.93 MVR 29.80

$1.66 MVR 25.65

16.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.79 MVR 151

$6.39 MVR 98.5

53.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 MVR 14.77

$1.28 MVR 19.69

-25.00%

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

$31.9K MVR 492.0K

$19.4K MVR 299.6K

64.23%

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

$34.7K MVR 535.8K

$22.4K MVR 345.6K

55.05%

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

$105 MVR 1,612

$165 MVR 2,545

-36.66%

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

$41.36 MVR 638

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.8 MVR 1,168

$38.96 MVR 601

94.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$81.9 MVR 1,263

$23.09 MVR 356

254.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$44.07 MVR 679

$13.23 MVR 204

233.11%

Cinema Ticket

$9.48 MVR 146

$6.43 MVR 99.1

47.43%

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

$164 MVR 2,524

$155 MVR 2,397

5.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,553 MVR 54.8K

$2,301 MVR 35.5K

54.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.31 MVR 699

$29.49 MVR 455

53.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MVR 864

$19.37 MVR 299

189.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.2 MVR 1,407

$38.97 MVR 601

134.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$53.3 MVR 823

$51.8 MVR 799

2.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$972 MVR 15.0K

$322 MVR 4,969

201.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$697 MVR 10.8K

$255 MVR 3,928

173.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,665 MVR 25.7K

$556 MVR 8,567

199.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,442 MVR 22.2K

$526 MVR 8,118

173.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,263 MVR 34.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,886 MVR 29.1K

$352 MVR 5,421

436.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$866 MVR 13.4K

$646 MVR 9,957

34.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.4

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

Last update for Male: July 14, 2026

Last update for Fuvahmulah: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $972 in Male and $322 in Fuvahmulah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Male pays 34% 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

Male vs Fuvahmulah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fuvahmulah is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 96% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 34% higher in Male, 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: $972 in Male versus $322 in Fuvahmulah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $164 in Male 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 52% less than in Male. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $764 in Fuvahmulah versus $1,501 in Male, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Fuvahmulah but tight or insufficient in Male. The gap between the two cities makes Fuvahmulah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Male 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 96% less than in Male. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.