Compare the cost of your home country to the actual living costs in the Maldives, simply select your home currency and see the difference!
All data is kept up to date by local members and actual students. Our latest update was on: 30th of June 2020
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| Food | Price in Rf | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 12 eggs dozen, large |
12.50 MVR | |||
 1 beer pint in local shops, markets |
7 MVR | |||
 1 kg of tomatoes |
8.50 MVR | |||
 Full chicken 2kg |
38.75 MVR | |||
 1litre 100% fruit juice |
8.50 MVR | |||
 1 package of cigarettes imported brands |
25 MVR | |||
 1 kg (2 lb.) of apples |
7.50 MVR | |||
 1 bottle of red table wine, good quality |
48.95 MVR | |||
| 2.5 liters of Coca-Cola |
0.95 MVR | |||
 1 Bread loaf standard |
9.50 MVR | |||
 Whole fat Yogurt. 500ml |
12 MVR | |||
 1x6 pack Dardanelle tuna |
18.50 MVR | |||
| Heinz baked beans 1 tin |
8 MVR | |||
 1.5 kg Sugar |
10 MVR | |||
| 2 liter cooking oil |
20 MVR | |||
 Yum-yum noodles per pack |
2.00 MVR | |||
| 1 kg (2 lb.) of potatoes |
5.50 MVR | |||
 1 liter milk |
8.50 MVR | |||
 Fast food restaurant large serving/ take away |
25 MVR | |||
| Housing | ||||
 Utilities per month (water, electricity, gas) for 2 people in flat |
165 MVR | |||
 Wi-Fi monthly fee 8 Mbps (1 month) |
145 MVR | |||
 Laundry detergent (bleach, sunlight liquid, washing surf… altogether) |
58.50 MVR | |||
 House Cleaning fee per day |
105 MVR | |||
 Large Gas heater price range upwards. |
200 MVR | |||
 Original branded Electric Fans |
200 MVR | |||
 Original branded Electric kettle. |
120 MVR | |||
 40 inches Beko flat screen HD TV set |
2000 MVR | |||
 Single bed Blankets |
120 MVR | |||
| Personal Care | ||||
 Avon for women and men cologne |
100 MVR | |||
 Ladies hair plaiting. |
60 MVR | |||
 Ladies Sanitaryware (Pads and Tampoons) |
18 MVR | |||
 Men's haircut |
40 MVR | |||
 Ibuprofen, Panadol, Grandpa Pain killers box of 12 dosses |
24.50 MVR | |||
 Mobile package local network providers’ talk-time, data and messages |
65 MVR | |||
 1 month of gym subscription. |
105 MVR | |||
 Earphones original (Samsung. iPhone) |
90 MVR | |||
| Unisex Loris perfume |
30 MVR | |||
 Gadgets maintenance and repairs (cellphone, laptops, tablets...) starting price. |
100 MVR | |||
| Smart phones (Samsung, Xiaomi, HTC, IPhone) price range upwards |
1000 MVR | |||
 Laptops (Samsung, Lenovo, Hp, Monster, Dell etc.) price range upwards |
3000 MVR | |||
| Entertainment | ||||
 Boat cruise with refreshments and finger snacks |
120 MVR | |||
 Go carting 30mins |
120 MVR | |||
 Movie House 3d cinema |
30 MVR | |||
 Summer Festivals (jet, bumper cars, lucky deep ...(per ticket) |
15 MVR | |||
 Photo shoot |
120 MVR | |||
 Cappuccino / expresso/ coffee |
12.50 MVR | |||
 3 course dinner local restaurant two people |
96.50 MVR | |||
 3 course dinner classy, exotic restaurant two people |
150 MVR | |||
 Play station 4 console without games. |
2000 MVR | |||
 Spalding Basketball |
200 MVR | |||
 Original branded Racket and Wilson’s tennis balls |
500 MVR | |||
| Transportation | ||||
 Taxi fare on average 5-10km |
45 MVR | |||
 Public transport per trip one way maximum fare |
30 MVR | |||
 1 liter petrol/diesel |
6.50 MVR | |||
| 1 day rent a car cost |
140 MVR | |||
 Driver’s license |
2300 MVR | |||
| Clothes | ||||
 1 pair of jeans (Denim or similar) |
150 MVR | |||
 1 pair of men’s formal shoes |
215 MVR | |||
 1 pair original sport/casual shoes (Nike, Adidas, or equivalent brands) |
280 MVR | |||
 1 classy summer dress (Zara, H&M or similar retailers) |
135.79 MVR | |||
 Ladies formal shoes original and durable |
120 MVR | |||
 Back-pack, gym bag (Nike, Adidas, New balance) |
150 MVR | |||
Like in most countries, the largest amount of money in the state of Maldives gets spent on food. Right after the food and groceries, rent is the next big expense for the people of Maldives, it is exceptionally high, especially taking into consideration the average salary in the Maldives.
Apart from food and rent, huge expenses here are also transportation and restaurants since a huge part of society eats in restaurants every day. Sports and leisure are just above clothing expenses which take up the last place.
The cost of living in the Maldives depends highly on where you live: for instance, if you are a local Maldivian and live on one of the islands, then the cost of living is reasonable – in between the high and the low. But if you live in the capital of Malé it can be twice as much.
Another thing that is good to know is that the prices change seasonally: during the tourist season – they start skyrocketing, and when the rainy weather comes; the prices get lower. The capital island of Malé does have some cheap places, though, where you can stay for smaller amounts of money.
Accommodation
Rent can be a bit steep in the Maldives. But it all still depends on where you want to live. For a decent flat in most of the Maldives, you’ll need around $1000, but let’s break that down into areas.
A one-bedroom apartment in the city center costs around $860 approximately, while the same apartment on the outskirts of town will cost you around $650.
Average Rent Prices
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Center | $827.40 | Per month |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Center | $649.53 | Per month |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Center | $1,772.32 | Per month |
Restaurants
The cost of restaurants also depends on whether you’re eating on an island or in the capital. On a local village island, you can eat in a local café for less than $5 per meal. This doesn’t mean that you can’t eat cheap food in the capital: Malé still has similar cheap places but it also has places where you can spend over $7 on coffee and a tiny piece of cake.
Average Restaurant Prices
| Meal (Inexpensive Restaurant) | $3.72 | Average Restaurant Prices |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 Liter) | $3.00 | Average Restaurant Prices |
| Water (0.33 Liter) | $0.31 | Average Restaurant Prices |
Markets
The good thing about cooking in the Maldives is that their local dishes comprise of a very small amount of groceries.
So, if you want to whisk up a delicious Maldivian meal, just buy some tuna, coconut milk, and rice, and you are done.
Cooking at home, generally, saves up a lot of your money since groceries cost much less than meals in restaurants do.
Average Market Prices
| Milk (1 Liter) | $1.69 | Average Market Prices |
| Loaf Bread (500g) | $1.62 | Average Market Prices |
| Eggs (12) | $1.68 | Average Market Prices |
Transportation
Malé city is the biggest in the Maldives, but it’s still very small, so you can get anywhere on foot within 10-15 minutes.
Of course, you can take a bus, but they aren’t very reliable and the tickets can’t be considered cheap: a one-way ticket is priced at around $1.50.
If you are staying in Malé the best advice you can get is to buy yourself a motorbike.
Average Transport Prices
| One Way Ticket | $1.46 | Average Transport Prices |
| Monthly Pass | $54.98 | Average Transport Prices |
| Gasoline | $1.62 | Average Transport Prices |
Utilities (Monthly)
For such a world-wide popular tourist destination, the prices of necessary things such as bills and utilities aren't high at all. For example, if you live in a larger apartment for two people, which means around 85m2, all of your basic utilities including electricity, cooling, gas, garbage services, and water will cost around $200.
Average Utility Prices
| Basic (Water, Electricity, Garbage, Heating, Cooling) | $209.07 | Average Utility Prices |
| 1 min. of Prepaid Mobile Tariff Local | $0.07 | Average Utility Prices |
| Internet (Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | $82.23 | Average Utility Prices |
Health Care
Comprehensive but affordable, international student health insurance plans are designed to meet visa requirements and provide key coverage that schools want, like mental health, sports, and maternity.
With multiple plans and levels offered, we have a plan for every international student budget and need. The healthcare system in the Maldives is constantly changing and evolving, making it necessary that you are up to speed with the different aspects of the country’s complex healthcare system and health insurance-related issues before you move or travel there.
The costs involved in covering hospital care, as well as emergency evacuation to India or Sri Lanka are expensive and can add up to over USD$100,000, depending on circumstances. As such, ex-pats in the Maldives are strongly encouraged to obtain international health insurance, which includes air transportation services.
Sports and Leisure
Indulging in sports and fitness is not too pricey either taking into account where you are. Becoming a member of a gym or a fitness club will cost you roughly around $50, which is a reasonable price, while leisure activities like going to the cinema aren’t exactly cheap, but they aren’t expensive either: a movie ticket costs less than $7.
Average Leisure Prices
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | $52.29 | Average Leisure Prices |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour) | $8.09 | Average Leisure Prices |
| Cinema, 1 Seat, International Release | $6.47 | Average Leisure Prices |
Clothing and Shoes
Shopping for clothing in the Maldives now that’s an outstanding idea. Go shopping and you won’t regret it: buying clothes in one of Maldive’s shopping centers can include finding quality jeans like Levi’s for only $37, running sneakers of brands like Nike for $60, while lighter pieces of clothing like summer dresses cost $30.
Average Clothing Prices
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Comparable) | $37.37 | Average Clothing Prices |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara) | $32.09 | Average Clothing Prices |
| 1 Pair of Adidas Walking Shoes (Mid-Range) | $60.23 | Average Clothing Prices |
