Cost of Living Comparison Between Canada and Maldives Cost of Living Comparison Between Canada and Maldives

Name: Maldives
Address: MV

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,320 per month in Canada vs $962 in Maldives, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,377 per month in Canada vs $1,569 in Maldives, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,433 per month in Canada vs $2,175 in Maldives, rent included.

Canada costs about 141% more than Maldives on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Canada sits 73% above the global median, while Maldives is 28% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Both countries show comparable internal variation: Canada spans $1,320–$3,077, Maldives spans $43.00–$1,521. City choice affects budget similarly in either country.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.77 CA$26.22

$6.11 MVR 94.3

207.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.2 CA$104

$48.93 MVR 755

51.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.25 CA$15.71

$9.46 MVR 146

18.92%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.57 MVR 70.5

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.09 MVR 93.9

Cappuccino

$3.86 CA$5.39

$3.13 MVR 48.23

23.32%

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

$2.19 CA$3.06

$1.39 MVR 21.43

57.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 CA$2.36

$0.32 MVR 4.89

428.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.96 CA$8.32

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 CA$8.25

Milk (1 liter)

$2.29 CA$3.19

$1.69 MVR 26.02

35.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.76 CA$3.85

$1.56 MVR 24.04

76.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.60 CA$5.03

$1.16 MVR 17.96

210.34%

Eggs

$3.50 CA$4.89

$1.62 MVR 25.01

116.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.47 CA$16.01

$7.76 MVR 120

47.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.38 CA$17.30

$6.32 MVR 97.5

95.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.97 CA$20.90

$9.66 MVR 149

54.97%

Apples (1kg)

$4.22 CA$5.90

$3.98 MVR 61.4

6.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 CA$2.10

$3.82 MVR 58.9

-60.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.90 CA$5.45

$3.79 MVR 58.4

2.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.11 CA$5.73

$3.56 MVR 54.9

15.45%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 CA$3.90

$1.47 MVR 22.73

89.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.62 CA$3.66

$1.22 MVR 18.86

114.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.66 CA$3.72

$2.41 MVR 37.23

10.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 CA$2.53

$0.62 MVR 9.51

193.55%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$11.19 MVR 173

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.76 MVR 42.50

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.09 MVR 125

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.71 CA$20.55

$7.98 MVR 123

84.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.87 CA$17.98

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.02 CA$4.21

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 CA$4.74

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.59 CA$3.62

$0.62 MVR 9.62

317.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.1 CA$109

$28.15 MVR 434

177.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.56 CA$4.97

$1.99 MVR 30.66

78.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 CA$2.05

$1.90 MVR 29.28

-22.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.11 CA$40.65

$8.10 MVR 125

259.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 CA$1.63

$0.98 MVR 15.05

19.39%

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

$24.6K CA$34.4K

$32.2K MVR 497.1K

-23.62%

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

$20.5K CA$28.6K

$30.0K MVR 463.3K

-31.77%

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

$154 CA$215

$114 MVR 1,763

34.70%

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

$46.20 CA$64.5

$41.80 MVR 645

10.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.1 CA$88.1

$70.6 MVR 1,089

-10.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.87 CA$59.9

$76.9 MVR 1,185

-44.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.61 CA$24.60

$35.52 MVR 548

-50.42%

Cinema Ticket

$11.46 CA$16.00

$9.18 MVR 141

24.84%

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

$813 CA$1,136

$171 MVR 2,638

375.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K CA$17.1K

$3,357 MVR 51.8K

264.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.3 CA$78.6

$42.07 MVR 649

33.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.36 CA$57.8

$50.1 MVR 772

-17.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.0 CA$124

$81.9 MVR 1,262

8.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 CA$149

$53.2 MVR 820

99.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,380 CA$1,927

$979 MVR 15.1K

40.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,182 CA$1,651

$689 MVR 10.6K

71.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,125 CA$2,968

$1,666 MVR 25.7K

27.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,889 CA$2,638

$1,395 MVR 21.5K

35.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,826 CA$6,740

$2,607 MVR 40.2K

85.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,896 CA$5,441

$843 MVR 13.0K

361.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,947 CA$4,115

$799 MVR 12.3K

268.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.33

12.4

-48.95%

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

Last update for Canada: June 7, 2026

Last update for Maldives: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,279 in Canada vs $642 in Maldives. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,500 in Ottawa and $949 in Male.

Average salary: $2,945 in Canada vs $741 in Maldives. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 99% higher in Canada.

Dining out costs 353% more in Canada.

Public transport is 442% more expensive in Canada.

Salaries are 297% higher in Canada, giving Canada 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

Canada 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 Canada, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Canada 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 Canada 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.