Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Male and Fuvahmulah

For one person, living is cheaper in Fuvahmulah: $774 a month against $1,530 in Male, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Male
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Male Living Index

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Male

🇲🇻 Maldives

$1,530

/mo nomad

Fuvahmulah

🇲🇻 Maldives

$774

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Male and in Fuvahmulah

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Male and in Fuvahmulah actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,530 in Male versus $774 in Fuvahmulah.

Male $1,530
Fuvahmulah $774

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,451 in Male versus $1,109 in Fuvahmulah.

Male $2,451
Fuvahmulah $1,109

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,373 in Male versus $1,443 in Fuvahmulah.

Male $3,373
Fuvahmulah $1,443

Living in Male is roughly 98% more expensive than in Fuvahmulah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Male is 13% above, Fuvahmulah is 43% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.82 MVR 89.7

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.04 MVR 602

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.84 MVR 152

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.80 MVR 74.0

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.89 MVR 75.5

Cappuccino

$3.51 MVR 54.1

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

$1.67 MVR 25.69

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 MVR 4.80

Milk (1 liter)

$1.99 MVR 30.68

$1.64 MVR 25.22

21.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.69 MVR 26.08

$0.92 MVR 14.15

83.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 MVR 19.33

$0.47 MVR 7.20

165.96%

Eggs

$1.88 MVR 29.07

$1.53 MVR 23.64

22.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.61 MVR 164

$6.57 MVR 101

61.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.16 MVR 95.0

$4.65 MVR 71.8

32.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.56 MVR 147

$13.08 MVR 202

-26.91%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 MVR 61.4

$3.27 MVR 50.4

21.71%

Banana (1kg)

$2.98 MVR 45.98

$1.28 MVR 19.67

132.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.03 MVR 62.1

$3.34 MVR 51.4

20.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 MVR 42.16

$1.64 MVR 25.30

66.46%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MVR 32.01

$1.13 MVR 17.42

84.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 MVR 28.77

$1.11 MVR 17.12

68.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.12 MVR 32.73

$1.67 MVR 25.69

26.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 MVR 9.09

$0.67 MVR 10.31

-11.94%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.47 MVR 192

$3.82 MVR 59.0

226.44%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 MVR 40.81

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 MVR 29.47

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.18 MVR 234

$6.82 MVR 105

122.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 MVR 10.26

$0.66 MVR 10.18

1.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.32 MVR 467

$19.12 MVR 295

58.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.99 MVR 30.69

$1.58 MVR 24.29

25.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.98 MVR 30.55

$1.67 MVR 25.69

18.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.20 MVR 157

$6.64 MVR 102

53.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 MVR 15.19

$1.30 MVR 20.05

-24.62%

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

$32.1K MVR 495.0K

$19.7K MVR 303.1K

63.30%

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

$29.2K MVR 451.0K

$22.7K MVR 350.2K

28.79%

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

$119 MVR 1,829

$162 MVR 2,494

-26.67%

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

$30.12 MVR 465

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.9 MVR 1,140

$38.76 MVR 598

90.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 MVR 1,100

$22.86 MVR 353

212.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$33.67 MVR 519

$13.05 MVR 201

158.01%

Cinema Ticket

$9.76 MVR 150

$6.41 MVR 98.8

52.26%

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

$181 MVR 2,797

$157 MVR 2,416

15.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,056 MVR 47.1K

$2,222 MVR 34.3K

37.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.52 MVR 609

$28.80 MVR 444

37.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.45 MVR 763

$19.41 MVR 299

154.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.8 MVR 1,323

$38.30 MVR 591

124.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.6 MVR 812

$51.6 MVR 796

1.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$938 MVR 14.5K

$328 MVR 5,054

186.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 MVR 10.9K

$263 MVR 4,053

169.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 MVR 31.0K

$549 MVR 8,465

266.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,570 MVR 24.2K

$508 MVR 7,840

208.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,213 MVR 34.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,385 MVR 21.4K

$342 MVR 5,279

304.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$842 MVR 13.0K

$649 MVR 10.0K

29.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Male: October 12, 2026

Last update for Fuvahmulah: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Male

$709 46.4%

Fuvahmulah

–

Groceries & Markets

Male

$234 15.3%

Fuvahmulah

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Male

$223 14.6%

Fuvahmulah

–

Eating Out

Male

$126 8.2%

Fuvahmulah

–

Clothing & Footwear

Male

$102 6.7%

Fuvahmulah

–

Sport & Entertainment

Male

$91 5.9%

Fuvahmulah

–

Getting Around

Male

$45 2.9%

Fuvahmulah

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $938 in Male and $328 in Fuvahmulah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Male pays 30% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Good to know

🇲🇻 Male

🇲🇻 Fuvahmulah

🕒 Local time

16:37 4:37 PM

Same time as Male

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

103,693 Capital

11,140

💱 Currency

Maldivian Rufiyaa MVR Rf

📈 Exchange rate

100 MVR = 6.49 USD

100 MVR = 5.77 EUR

100 MVR = 6.49 USD

100 MVR = 5.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Male Fuvahmulah 500 km

From you

Male
Fuvahmulah

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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, eating out, and utilities. The 98% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 30% 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: $938 in Male versus $328 in Fuvahmulah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $181 in Male versus $157 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 59% less than in Male. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $774 in Fuvahmulah versus $1,530 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 98% less than in Male. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.