Cost of Living Comparison Between Sosua and Hulhumale Cost of Living Comparison Between Sosua and Hulhumale

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,161 in Sosua versus $1,508 in Hulhumale.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,032 in Sosua versus $2,649 in Hulhumale.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,903 in Sosua versus $3,789 in Hulhumale.

Living in Sosua costs roughly 23% less than in Hulhumale, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sosua is 13% below, Hulhumale is 13% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.63 DOP 503

$5.29 MVR 81.6

63.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.7 DOP 3,013

$29.57 MVR 456

74.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.05 DOP 411

$9.66 MVR 149

-27.02%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.64 MVR 71.6

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 MVR 56.4

Cappuccino

$2.63 DOP 153

$2.91 MVR 44.81

-9.62%

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

$0.99 DOP 58.0

$1.27 MVR 19.62

-22.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 DOP 48.20

$0.27 MVR 4.18

207.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 DOP 145

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.06 DOP 294

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 DOP 80.4

$1.77 MVR 27.31

-22.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 DOP 101

$1.63 MVR 25.09

6.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 DOP 67.7

$0.33 MVR 5.09

251.52%

Eggs

$1.84 DOP 107

$1.60 MVR 24.74

15.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.25 DOP 422

$8.15 MVR 126

-11.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.47 DOP 377

$6.09 MVR 93.8

6.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.64 DOP 445

$9.02 MVR 139

-15.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.59 DOP 151

$4.09 MVR 63.0

-36.67%

Banana (1kg)

$0.83 DOP 48.43

$3.86 MVR 59.5

-78.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.89 DOP 169

$4.39 MVR 67.7

-34.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.87 DOP 109

$3.33 MVR 51.3

-43.84%

Potato (1kg)

$2.29 DOP 133

$1.49 MVR 22.97

53.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 DOP 134

$1.22 MVR 18.79

89.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 DOP 60.3

$3.16 MVR 48.79

-67.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 DOP 44.97

$0.53 MVR 8.23

45.28%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.33 MVR 190

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 MVR 40.17

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.45 MVR 146

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.91 DOP 344

$7.94 MVR 122

-25.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.61 DOP 618

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 DOP 152

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 DOP 146

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 DOP 40.33

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.33 DOP 194

$2.00 MVR 30.86

66.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.22 DOP 129

$1.90 MVR 29.31

16.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.88 DOP 343

$9.91 MVR 153

-40.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 DOP 77.6

$0.90 MVR 13.90

47.78%

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

$27.0K DOP 1.6M

$32.2K MVR 496.9K

-16.24%

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

$32.1K DOP 1.9M

$33.6K MVR 518.2K

-4.35%

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

$74.9 DOP 4,362

$107 MVR 1,647

-29.91%

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

$20.57 DOP 1,198

$41.88 MVR 646

-50.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.93 DOP 2,093

$41.43 MVR 639

-13.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.20 DOP 1,468

$64.3 MVR 991

-60.80%

Cinema Ticket

$6.70 DOP 390

$9.82 MVR 152

-31.77%

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

$267 DOP 15.5K

$163 MVR 2,506

64.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,378 DOP 371.5K

$3,612 MVR 55.7K

76.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 DOP 3,433

$44.94 MVR 693

31.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 DOP 2,960

$57.2 MVR 882

-11.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.2 DOP 5,662

$91.0 MVR 1,404

6.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 DOP 6,829

$54.6 MVR 842

114.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$459 DOP 26.7K

$1,304 MVR 20.1K

-64.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$479 DOP 27.9K

$774 MVR 11.9K

-38.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,464 DOP 85.3K

$2,932 MVR 45.2K

-50.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,290 DOP 75.1K

$2,279 MVR 35.1K

-43.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,873 DOP 109.1K

$5,382 MVR 83.0K

-65.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,815 DOP 105.7K

$496 MVR 7,654

265.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$721 MVR 11.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.9

12.4

4.03%

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

Last update for Sosua: July 12, 2026

Last update for Hulhumale: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $459 in Sosua and $1,304 in Hulhumale. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $52.0 in Sosua vs $30.00 in Hulhumale. Groceries flip the comparison at $223 vs $227, with Sosua cheaper for home cooking.

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

Sosua vs Hulhumale: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sosua wins on cost – living expenses run 30% lower than in Hulhumale. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Sosua the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,742 in Sosua and $2,262 in Hulhumale to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $459 in Sosua versus $1,304 in Hulhumale. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $267 in Sosua versus $163 in Hulhumale. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Sosua – a meal for two runs $52.0 versus $30.00 in Hulhumale. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,161 in Sosua versus $1,508 in Hulhumale, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sosua but tight or insufficient in Hulhumale. The gap between the two cities makes Sosua 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, Sosua 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 Sosua gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Hulhumale. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.