Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between China and the Maldives

Name: Maldives
Address: MV

For one person, living is cheaper in China: $791 a month against $1,476 in the Maldives, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in China
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China Living Index
71

Cost of Living Index in the Maldives
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Maldives Living Index

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🇨🇳 China

$791

/mo nomad

🇲🇻 Maldives

$1,476

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in China and in the Maldives

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in China and in the Maldives actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $791 in China versus $1,476 in the Maldives.

China $791
Maldives $1,476

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,251 in China versus $2,376 in the Maldives.

China $1,251
Maldives $2,376

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,711 in China versus $3,276 in the Maldives.

China $1,711
Maldives $3,276

Internal cost variation is higher in the Maldives: monthly costs span $45 to $1,503, compared to $465–$1,222 in China. City choice carries more weight in the Maldives.

Living in China costs about 46% less than in the Maldives on average.

China (42% below) and the Maldives (8% above) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.98 ¥19.81

$6.31 MVR 97.3

-52.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.09 ¥147

$50.4 MVR 778

-56.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.20 ¥34.60

$9.74 MVR 150

-46.61%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.95 MVR 76.4

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.89 MVR 153

Cappuccino

$2.97 ¥19.74

$3.31 MVR 51.0

-10.27%

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

$0.48 ¥3.19

$1.59 MVR 24.46

-69.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ¥2.01

$0.29 MVR 4.44

3.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.08 ¥7.18

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 ¥15.15

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ¥11.96

$1.85 MVR 28.58

-2.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 ¥11.15

$1.56 MVR 24.10

7.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.13

$1.04 MVR 16.04

-11.54%

Eggs

$1.61 ¥10.73

$1.74 MVR 26.81

-7.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.38 ¥89.0

$6.33 MVR 97.6

111.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.35 ¥22.28

$6.49 MVR 100

-48.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.35 ¥75.5

$10.13 MVR 156

12.04%

Apples (1kg)

$1.82 ¥12.12

$4.00 MVR 61.6

-54.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 ¥8.69

$3.00 MVR 46.33

-56.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 ¥9.89

$3.86 MVR 59.5

-61.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.27 ¥8.47

$2.58 MVR 39.79

-50.78%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 ¥4.73

$1.76 MVR 27.08

-59.66%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.21

$1.75 MVR 27.05

-46.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ¥4.12

$2.11 MVR 32.53

-70.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.74

$0.61 MVR 9.37

-8.20%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$11.13 MVR 172

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 MVR 38.09

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MVR 71.4

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.78 ¥25.15

$15.03 MVR 232

-74.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.13 ¥80.7

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥5.54

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 ¥11.21

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.91

$0.62 MVR 9.54

-53.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.83 ¥119

$28.37 MVR 437

-37.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.49 ¥9.89

$1.97 MVR 30.35

-24.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 ¥2.49

$1.90 MVR 29.24

-80.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.10 ¥47.23

$8.30 MVR 128

-14.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 ¥8.37

$0.99 MVR 15.29

27.27%

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

$19.4K ¥129.4K

$31.9K MVR 492.1K

-39.07%

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

$17.5K ¥116.7K

$30.8K MVR 474.3K

-42.98%

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

$54.6 ¥363

$129 MVR 1,993

-57.79%

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

$8.73 ¥58.1

$30.04 MVR 463

-70.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.07 ¥73.6

$68.3 MVR 1,054

-83.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.77 ¥271

$62.7 MVR 967

-35.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.48 ¥96.4

$20.86 MVR 322

-30.58%

Cinema Ticket

$6.78 ¥45.12

$8.98 MVR 139

-24.50%

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

$517 ¥3,437

$181 MVR 2,795

185.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.8K ¥131.8K

$2,834 MVR 43.7K

599.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.53 ¥310

$38.11 MVR 588

22.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.66 ¥237

$50.0 MVR 771

-28.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ¥512

$86.1 MVR 1,327

-10.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.3 ¥534

$52.4 MVR 808

53.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$386 ¥2,567

$930 MVR 14.3K

-58.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$235 ¥1,561

$678 MVR 10.5K

-65.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 ¥5,469

$1,939 MVR 29.9K

-57.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$453 ¥3,015

$1,484 MVR 22.9K

-69.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,697 ¥31.3K

$2,663 MVR 41.1K

76.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,372 ¥15.8K

$776 MVR 12.0K

205.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,093 ¥7,274

$781 MVR 12.0K

39.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

-75.29%

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

Last update for China: October 24, 2026

Last update for the Maldives: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

China

$235 29.6%

Maldives

$678 46% 189% $444

Groceries & Markets

China

$210 26.5%

Maldives

$218 14.8% 3.8% $7.9

Clothing & Footwear

China

$108 13.6%

Maldives

$102 6.9% 5.4% $5.8

Eating Out

China

$88 11.1%

Maldives

$127 8.6% 44% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

China

$74 9.4%

Maldives

$228 15.4% 206% $153

Sport & Entertainment

China

$54 6.9%

Maldives

$81 5.5% 48.5% $26

Getting Around

China

$22 2.8%

Maldives

$42 2.9% 89.3% $20

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $298 in China, $805 in the Maldives. Capital cities: $933 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $939 in Male.

National salary averages: $873 in China, $736 in the Maldives. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 170% higher in the Maldives.

Dining out costs 77% more in the Maldives.

Public transport is 39% more expensive in the Maldives.

Salaries are 19% higher in China, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

Good to know

🇨🇳 China

🇲🇻 Maldives

🕒 Local time

00:56 12:56 AM

21:56 9:56 PM

3 h behind China

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,442,965,000

436,330

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Maldivian Rufiyaa MVR Rf

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

100 MVR = 6.49 USD

100 MVR = 5.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MVR, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 6.65 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.43 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

Maldivian Rufiyaa exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 15.42 MVR (100 MVR = 6.49 USD). 1 EUR = 17.22 MVR (100 MVR = 5.81 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

China Maldives 5,850 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

China
Maldives

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

China vs Maldives: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $791 per month in China and $1,476 in the Maldives, China comes out about 46% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is cheaper in China: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $805 in the Maldives and $298 in China. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

It depends on what you’re after: China wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.