Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Maldives Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Maldives

Name: Maldives
Address: MV

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,184 per month in Australia vs $960 in Maldives, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,221 per month in Australia vs $1,551 in Maldives, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,257 per month in Australia vs $2,142 in Maldives, rent included.

Australia costs about 127% more than Maldives on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Australia sits 64% above the global median, while Maldives is 28% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Both countries show comparable internal variation: Australia spans $1,608–$2,789, Maldives spans $45.00–$1,519. City choice affects budget similarly in either country.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.24 A$22.97

$6.17 MVR 95.1

163.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.5 A$113

$49.06 MVR 757

62.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.88 A$13.97

$9.96 MVR 154

-0.80%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.62 MVR 71.2

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 MVR 90.7

Cappuccino

$3.57 A$5.05

$3.06 MVR 47.25

16.67%

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

$2.59 A$3.67

$1.39 MVR 21.49

86.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 A$3.03

$0.35 MVR 5.33

511.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.44 A$9.11

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.99 A$9.89

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 A$2.15

$1.74 MVR 26.82

-12.64%

White Bread (500g)

$2.48 A$3.50

$1.51 MVR 23.28

64.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.10 A$2.97

$1.13 MVR 17.35

85.84%

Eggs

$4.25 A$6.02

$1.59 MVR 24.59

167.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.04 A$12.79

$7.95 MVR 123

13.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.64 A$12.22

$6.06 MVR 93.5

42.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.06 A$19.89

$9.71 MVR 150

44.80%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 A$4.65

$4.06 MVR 62.5

-18.97%

Banana (1kg)

$2.80 A$3.97

$3.66 MVR 56.5

-23.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.84 A$4.02

$3.76 MVR 58.0

-24.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.42 A$6.25

$3.57 MVR 55.0

23.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.48 A$3.51

$1.48 MVR 22.81

67.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 A$3.06

$1.22 MVR 18.75

77.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 A$3.21

$2.51 MVR 38.71

-9.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 A$2.13

$0.65 MVR 10.01

130.77%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$11.23 MVR 173

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 MVR 40.79

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.07 MVR 124

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$30.89 A$43.71

$8.17 MVR 126

278.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.98 A$19.78

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.42 A$6.26

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 A$6.86

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 A$4.12

$0.67 MVR 10.27

334.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.7 A$137

$28.51 MVR 440

239.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.68 A$5.21

$1.92 MVR 29.65

91.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 A$2.48

$1.97 MVR 30.41

-11.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.19 A$54.0

$7.97 MVR 123

379.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 A$1.63

$0.98 MVR 15.06

17.35%

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

$29.2K A$41.3K

$31.9K MVR 491.3K

-8.31%

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

$22.4K A$31.7K

$29.9K MVR 461.3K

-25.15%

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

$178 A$252

$115 MVR 1,771

54.91%

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

$26.86 A$38.00

$41.53 MVR 640

-35.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.7 A$74.6

$70.0 MVR 1,079

-24.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.75 A$66.1

$76.6 MVR 1,181

-38.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.54 A$23.40

$36.00 MVR 555

-54.06%

Cinema Ticket

$13.61 A$19.25

$9.39 MVR 145

44.94%

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

$1,612 A$2,281

$168 MVR 2,586

861.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K A$17.7K

$3,316 MVR 51.1K

276.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.5 A$99.8

$42.31 MVR 652

66.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 A$72.4

$50.7 MVR 781

1.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 A$146

$81.1 MVR 1,250

27.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 A$155

$54.0 MVR 833

102.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,394 A$1,973

$994 MVR 15.3K

40.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,080 A$1,529

$688 MVR 10.6K

56.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,268 A$3,209

$1,618 MVR 24.9K

40.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,739 A$2,461

$1,413 MVR 21.8K

23.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,445 A$10.5K

$2,660 MVR 41.0K

179.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,628 A$7,963

$836 MVR 12.9K

572.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,996 A$5,653

$806 MVR 12.4K

395.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.35

12.4

-48.79%

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

Last update for Australia: June 14, 2026

Last update for Maldives: June 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,232 in Australia vs $641 in Maldives. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,583 in Canberra and $969 in Male.

Average salary: $3,853 in Australia vs $743 in Maldives. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 92% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 413% more in Australia.

Public transport is 458% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 419% higher in Australia, giving Australia stronger purchasing power.

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

Australia vs Maldives: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Maldives is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 181% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Australia, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Australia consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Maldives, contributing to the overall 181% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Maldives, but in Australia it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Maldives is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.