Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Male and Hulhumale

For one person, living is cheaper in Hulhumale: $1,420 a month against $1,503 in Male, rent and utilities included – about $1,000 less a year. The total is higher in Male despite lower rent and utilities.

73

Cost of Living Index in Male
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Male Living Index
69

Cost of Living Index in Hulhumale
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Hulhumale Living Index

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Male

🇲🇻 Maldives

$1,503

/mo nomad

Hulhumale

🇲🇻 Maldives

$1,420

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Male and in Hulhumale

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 Hulhumale actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,503 in Male versus $1,420 in Hulhumale.

Male $1,503
Hulhumale $1,420

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,416 in Male versus $2,583 in Hulhumale.

Male $2,416
Hulhumale $2,583

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Male versus $3,747 in Hulhumale.

Male $3,329
Hulhumale $3,747

Living in Male is roughly 6% more expensive than in Hulhumale, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Male 10% above, Hulhumale 4% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.82 MVR 89.8

$6.09 MVR 93.9

-4.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.22 MVR 605

$39.34 MVR 607

-0.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.64 MVR 149

$9.58 MVR 148

0.63%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.81 MVR 74.2

$4.78 MVR 73.7

0.63%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.82 MVR 74.3

$4.90 MVR 75.5

-1.63%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MVR 53.9

$3.47 MVR 53.5

0.86%

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

$1.60 MVR 24.74

$1.60 MVR 24.64

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 MVR 4.85

$0.29 MVR 4.46

6.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.07 MVR 31.97

$1.54 MVR 23.70

34.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.69 MVR 26.03

$1.62 MVR 24.97

4.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 MVR 18.58

$0.33 MVR 5.10

263.64%

Eggs

$1.87 MVR 28.91

$1.84 MVR 28.39

1.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.46 MVR 161

$3.29 MVR 50.8

217.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.20 MVR 95.6

$5.94 MVR 91.5

4.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.20 MVR 142

$9.36 MVR 144

-1.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.99 MVR 61.5

$4.02 MVR 61.9

-0.75%

Banana (1kg)

$3.14 MVR 48.37

$3.14 MVR 48.43

Oranges (1kg)

$4.17 MVR 64.3

$2.84 MVR 43.72

46.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.71 MVR 41.77

$2.65 MVR 40.87

2.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 MVR 32.19

$1.23 MVR 19.00

69.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 MVR 29.91

$1.15 MVR 17.66

68.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.16 MVR 33.27

$2.08 MVR 32.15

3.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 MVR 9.69

$0.58 MVR 9.00

8.62%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.41 MVR 191

$12.13 MVR 187

2.31%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.68 MVR 41.38

$2.71 MVR 41.78

-1.11%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 MVR 30.86

$1.94 MVR 29.90

3.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.69 MVR 227

$12.99 MVR 200

13.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.63 MVR 9.71

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.62 MVR 457

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.93 MVR 29.70

$1.99 MVR 30.74

-3.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 MVR 30.19

$1.92 MVR 29.58

2.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.14 MVR 156

$10.09 MVR 156

0.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 MVR 15.05

$0.98 MVR 15.04

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

$32.8K MVR 505.8K

$32.6K MVR 502.7K

0.63%

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

$29.9K MVR 461.0K

$28.9K MVR 444.9K

3.63%

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

$118 MVR 1,812

$105 MVR 1,617

12.06%

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

$29.67 MVR 457

$29.88 MVR 461

-0.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.0 MVR 1,126

$71.5 MVR 1,103

2.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.9 MVR 1,078

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$33.50 MVR 517

Cinema Ticket

$9.69 MVR 149

$9.57 MVR 148

1.25%

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

$188 MVR 2,896

$183 MVR 2,825

2.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,954 MVR 45.6K

$3,027 MVR 46.7K

-2.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.54 MVR 610

$38.84 MVR 599

1.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.1 MVR 773

$49.67 MVR 766

0.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.9 MVR 1,325

$85.7 MVR 1,321

0.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.9 MVR 816

$52.3 MVR 806

1.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$939 MVR 14.5K

$1,147 MVR 17.7K

-18.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$686 MVR 10.6K

$762 MVR 11.8K

-9.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,019 MVR 31.1K

$2,237 MVR 34.5K

-9.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,530 MVR 23.6K

$2,299 MVR 35.5K

-33.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,275 MVR 35.1K

$5,433 MVR 83.8K

-58.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,398 MVR 21.6K

$506 MVR 7,798

176.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$833 MVR 12.8K

$721 MVR 11.1K

15.60%

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 25, 2026

Last update for Hulhumale: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Male

$686 45.7%

Hulhumale

$762 53.7% 11% $76

Groceries & Markets

Male

$235 15.7%

Hulhumale

$193 13.6% 18.1% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Male

$220 14.7%

Hulhumale

$206 14.5% 6.3% $14

Eating Out

Male

$125 8.3%

Hulhumale

$127 8.9% 1.2% $1.6

Clothing & Footwear

Male

$103 6.8%

Hulhumale

$102 7.2% 0.9% $0.9

Sport & Entertainment

Male

$89 5.9%

Hulhumale

$19 * 1.4% 78.5% $70

Getting Around

Male

$44 2.9%

Hulhumale

$12 * 0.8% 73.6% $32

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $939 in Male and $1,147 in Hulhumale. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Male pays 16% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $39 in Male vs $39 in Hulhumale. Groceries flip the comparison at $235 vs $193, with Hulhumale cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇲🇻 Male

🇲🇻 Hulhumale

🕒 Local time

06:22 6:22 AM

Same time as Male

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

103,693 Capital

5,000

💱 Currency

Maldivian Rufiyaa MVR Rf

📈 Exchange rate

100 MVR = 6.49 USD

100 MVR = 5.83 EUR

100 MVR = 6.49 USD

100 MVR = 5.83 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Male Hulhumale 6 km

From you

Male
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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 Hulhumale: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hulhumale wins on cost – living expenses run 5% lower than in Male. 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 16% 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: $939 in Male versus $1,147 in Hulhumale. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,503 per month in Male versus $1,420 in Hulhumale – Hulhumale is about 5% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Male. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Hulhumale is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

It comes down to priorities – Hulhumale wins on affordability, Male on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.