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: $1,188 in Sosua versus $1,495 in Hulhumale.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,085 in Sosua versus $2,699 in Hulhumale.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,981 in Sosua versus $3,904 in Hulhumale.

Living in Sosua costs roughly 21% less than in Hulhumale, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sosua is 11% below, Hulhumale is 12% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.27 DOP 482

$5.43 MVR 83.7

52.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.8 DOP 3,023

$29.78 MVR 459

74.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.29 DOP 425

$9.82 MVR 151

-25.76%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.67 MVR 72.0

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MVR 56.8

Cappuccino

$2.73 DOP 159

$2.94 MVR 45.39

-7.14%

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

$0.99 DOP 57.6

$1.33 MVR 20.44

-25.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 DOP 45.04

$0.25 MVR 3.81

208.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.62 DOP 153

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.06 DOP 295

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 DOP 78.5

$1.78 MVR 27.45

-24.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.78 DOP 104

$1.54 MVR 23.80

15.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 DOP 67.4

$0.30 MVR 4.69

286.67%

Eggs

$1.89 DOP 111

$1.53 MVR 23.52

23.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.01 DOP 409

$8.16 MVR 126

-14.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.45 DOP 376

$6.03 MVR 93.0

6.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.67 DOP 447

$8.60 MVR 133

-10.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.67 DOP 156

$3.94 MVR 60.8

-32.23%

Banana (1kg)

$0.78 DOP 45.65

$3.88 MVR 59.9

-79.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.01 DOP 175

$4.23 MVR 65.3

-28.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.88 DOP 109

$3.22 MVR 49.64

-41.61%

Potato (1kg)

$2.34 DOP 137

$1.50 MVR 23.20

56.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 DOP 133

$1.18 MVR 18.25

93.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 DOP 60.9

$3.08 MVR 47.51

-66.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 DOP 43.54

$0.50 MVR 7.77

50.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.24 MVR 189

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 MVR 40.34

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.03 MVR 155

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.70 DOP 332

$8.24 MVR 127

-30.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.53 DOP 614

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 DOP 157

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 DOP 148

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 DOP 40.82

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.43 DOP 200

$1.99 MVR 30.75

72.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 DOP 125

$1.91 MVR 29.47

12.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.03 DOP 351

$9.71 MVR 150

-37.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 DOP 73.6

$0.96 MVR 14.73

31.25%

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

$27.0K DOP 1.6M

$32.3K MVR 498.5K

-16.50%

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

$31.1K DOP 1.8M

$33.7K MVR 520.1K

-7.87%

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

$76.1 DOP 4,438

$105 MVR 1,626

-27.86%

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

$20.61 DOP 1,202

$41.32 MVR 637

-50.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.89 DOP 2,093

$42.98 MVR 663

-16.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.12 DOP 1,465

$65.1 MVR 1,003

-61.39%

Cinema Ticket

$6.83 DOP 399

$9.95 MVR 153

-31.36%

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

$262 DOP 15.3K

$160 MVR 2,460

64.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,250 DOP 364.6K

$3,505 MVR 54.0K

78.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.9 DOP 3,550

$45.62 MVR 704

33.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.8 DOP 3,079

$57.4 MVR 885

-7.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 DOP 5,528

$90.5 MVR 1,395

4.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 DOP 6,794

$52.9 MVR 815

120.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$467 DOP 27.2K

$1,312 MVR 20.2K

-64.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$466 DOP 27.2K

$772 MVR 11.9K

-39.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,433 DOP 83.6K

$2,943 MVR 45.4K

-51.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,306 DOP 76.2K

$2,229 MVR 34.4K

-41.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,916 DOP 111.7K

$5,431 MVR 83.8K

-64.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,822 DOP 106.3K

$500 MVR 7,712

264.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$726 MVR 11.2K

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Hulhumale: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $467 in Sosua and $1,312 in Hulhumale. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $52.0 in Sosua vs $30.00 in Hulhumale for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $223 vs $222 per month, with Hulhumale cheaper across the board.

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 26% 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 $1,782 in Sosua and $2,242 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: $467 in Sosua versus $1,312 in Hulhumale. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $262 in Sosua versus $160 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 $1,188 in Sosua versus $1,495 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 26% less than in Hulhumale. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.