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: $1,500 in Male versus $782 in Fuvahmulah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,446 in Male versus $1,123 in Fuvahmulah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,393 in Male versus $1,465 in Fuvahmulah.

Living in Male is roughly 92% more expensive than in Fuvahmulah, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Male is 9% above, Fuvahmulah is 43% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 MVR 95.0

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.53 MVR 594

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.94 MVR 153

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.90 MVR 75.6

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.81 MVR 74.3

Cappuccino

$3.55 MVR 54.8

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

$1.59 MVR 24.57

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 MVR 4.84

Milk (1 liter)

$2.09 MVR 32.20

$1.66 MVR 25.55

25.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.67 MVR 25.81

$0.89 MVR 13.79

87.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.26 MVR 19.35

$0.47 MVR 7.23

168.09%

Eggs

$1.87 MVR 28.82

$1.59 MVR 24.59

17.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.44 MVR 161

$6.45 MVR 99.4

61.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.24 MVR 96.3

$4.81 MVR 74.2

29.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.46 MVR 146

$13.08 MVR 202

-27.68%

Apples (1kg)

$3.92 MVR 60.4

$3.15 MVR 48.53

24.44%

Banana (1kg)

$3.13 MVR 48.29

$1.31 MVR 20.17

138.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.09 MVR 63.1

$3.26 MVR 50.3

25.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.66 MVR 40.96

$1.59 MVR 24.52

67.30%

Potato (1kg)

$2.03 MVR 31.32

$1.08 MVR 16.67

87.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.86 MVR 28.66

$1.12 MVR 17.23

66.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 MVR 32.98

$1.64 MVR 25.27

30.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 MVR 9.63

$0.68 MVR 10.48

-8.82%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.57 MVR 194

$3.90 MVR 60.1

222.31%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 MVR 41.09

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 MVR 30.45

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.85 MVR 229

$6.89 MVR 106

115.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.66 MVR 10.22

$0.67 MVR 10.33

-1.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.42 MVR 469

$19.51 MVR 301

55.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.93 MVR 29.69

$1.65 MVR 25.43

16.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.99 MVR 30.69

$1.60 MVR 24.62

24.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.97 MVR 154

$6.29 MVR 97.0

58.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 MVR 14.89

$1.32 MVR 20.35

-26.52%

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

$31.7K MVR 489.2K

$19.6K MVR 301.9K

62.05%

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

$28.8K MVR 444.6K

$22.6K MVR 348.7K

27.50%

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

$120 MVR 1,843

$159 MVR 2,450

-24.80%

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

$30.58 MVR 472

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.4 MVR 1,101

$37.74 MVR 582

89.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.1 MVR 1,082

$22.39 MVR 345

213.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$33.42 MVR 515

$13.01 MVR 201

156.88%

Cinema Ticket

$9.55 MVR 147

$6.50 MVR 100

46.92%

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

$187 MVR 2,882

$155 MVR 2,384

20.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,960 MVR 45.6K

$2,231 MVR 34.4K

32.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.33 MVR 606

$29.49 MVR 455

33.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.68 MVR 751

$19.12 MVR 295

154.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.0 MVR 1,356

$37.65 MVR 581

133.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$51.6 MVR 796

$52.4 MVR 808

-1.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$952 MVR 14.7K

$321 MVR 4,954

196.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$696 MVR 10.7K

$264 MVR 4,066

163.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,064 MVR 31.8K

$549 MVR 8,470

275.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,548 MVR 23.9K

$524 MVR 8,082

195.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,266 MVR 34.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,376 MVR 21.2K

$353 MVR 5,442

289.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$813 MVR 12.5K

$658 MVR 10.1K

23.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Male: August 30, 2026

Last update for Fuvahmulah: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $952 in Male and $321 in Fuvahmulah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Male pays 24% 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, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 92% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 24% 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: $952 in Male versus $321 in Fuvahmulah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $187 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 56% less than in Male. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $782 in Fuvahmulah versus $1,500 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 92% less than in Male. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.