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 $2,509 per month in Australia vs $945 in Maldives, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,641 per month in Australia vs $1,554 in Maldives, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,772 per month in Australia vs $2,163 in Maldives, rent included.

The cost of living in Australia is about 166% higher than in Maldives on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Australia sits 83% above the global median, while Maldives is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

The regional cost range is wider in Australia ($1,174–$3,292) than in Maldives ($43.00–$1,534), so city choice matters more there.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.16 A$25.52

$6.58 MVR 102

175.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.9 A$121

$51.1 MVR 789

67.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.87 A$15.27

$9.93 MVR 153

9.47%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.01 MVR 77.3

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.44 MVR 146

Cappuccino

$4.11 A$5.78

$3.45 MVR 53.1

19.13%

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

$3.04 A$4.28

$1.53 MVR 23.52

98.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 A$3.47

$0.31 MVR 4.79

696.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 A$11.05

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.98 A$11.21

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 A$2.43

$1.85 MVR 28.56

-6.49%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 A$3.90

$1.51 MVR 23.23

84.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.38 A$3.34

$1.02 MVR 15.76

133.33%

Eggs

$5.08 A$7.14

$1.82 MVR 28.07

179.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.98 A$14.02

$6.26 MVR 96.5

59.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.24 A$12.98

$6.59 MVR 102

40.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.49 A$21.76

$9.92 MVR 153

56.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.73 A$5.24

$4.12 MVR 63.5

-9.47%

Banana (1kg)

$3.02 A$4.25

$3.00 MVR 46.25

0.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.23 A$4.54

$3.74 MVR 57.7

-13.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.88 A$6.86

$2.57 MVR 39.65

89.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.87 A$4.04

$1.84 MVR 28.45

55.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 A$3.32

$1.77 MVR 27.33

33.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.49 A$3.50

$2.15 MVR 33.20

15.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 A$2.35

$0.66 MVR 10.17

154.55%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$11.14 MVR 172

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 MVR 37.93

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MVR 71.2

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$38.51 A$54.1

$14.79 MVR 228

160.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 A$20.02

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.07 A$7.12

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.19 A$7.29

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.78 A$3.91

$0.63 MVR 9.65

341.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.8 A$133

$29.00 MVR 447

227.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.52 A$4.95

$2.01 MVR 30.96

75.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 A$2.24

$1.90 MVR 29.35

-15.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.42 A$56.8

$8.08 MVR 125

400.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 A$1.79

$1.03 MVR 15.86

23.30%

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

$28.3K A$39.8K

$32.9K MVR 507.3K

-13.83%

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

$28.6K A$40.2K

$29.9K MVR 461.5K

-4.30%

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

$202 A$284

$130 MVR 2,006

55.15%

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

$29.08 A$40.86

$30.35 MVR 468

-4.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.6 A$83.7

$69.1 MVR 1,066

-13.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.3 A$83.3

$62.6 MVR 966

-5.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.13 A$28.28

$21.23 MVR 327

-5.18%

Cinema Ticket

$15.75 A$22.12

$9.12 MVR 141

72.70%

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

$2,197 A$3,087

$181 MVR 2,793

1113.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.2K A$25.6K

$2,851 MVR 44.0K

540.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.3 A$111

$37.56 MVR 579

111.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.2 A$80.4

$49.11 MVR 757

16.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 A$160

$88.5 MVR 1,364

29.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 A$175

$52.4 MVR 808

137.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,581 A$2,221

$938 MVR 14.5K

68.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,291 A$1,813

$685 MVR 10.6K

88.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 A$3,555

$1,917 MVR 29.6K

32.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,982 A$2,784

$1,486 MVR 22.9K

33.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,571 A$12.0K

$2,595 MVR 40.0K

230.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,120 A$8,598

$758 MVR 11.7K

707.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,979 A$5,591

$765 MVR 11.8K

420.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.93

-57.64%

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

Last update for Australia: September 12, 2026

Last update for Maldives: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,387 in Australia vs $609 in Maldives. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,829 in Canberra and $966 in Male.

Average salary: $3,903 in Australia vs $733 in Maldives. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 128% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 342% more in Australia.

Public transport is 508% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 432% higher in Australia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Australia.

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 183% 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 183% 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.