Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Maldives Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Maldives

Name: Maldives
Address: MV

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $713 in China versus $962 in Maldives.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,132 in China versus $1,569 in Maldives.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,551 in China versus $2,175 in Maldives.

Living in China costs about 26% less than in Maldives on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: China 47% lower, Maldives 28% lower.

Internal cost variation is higher in Maldives: monthly costs span $43.00 to $1,521, compared to $535–$1,206 in China. City choice carries more weight in Maldives.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.86 ¥19.39

$6.11 MVR 94.3

-53.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.29 ¥158

$48.93 MVR 755

-52.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.83 ¥32.73

$9.46 MVR 146

-48.94%

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

$3.04 ¥20.56

$3.13 MVR 48.23

-2.88%

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

$0.45 ¥3.04

$1.39 MVR 21.43

-67.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 ¥1.82

$0.32 MVR 4.89

-15.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.99 ¥6.72

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 ¥13.76

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 ¥11.88

$1.69 MVR 26.02

3.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.67 ¥11.34

$1.56 MVR 24.04

7.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.97 ¥6.57

$1.16 MVR 17.96

-16.38%

Eggs

$1.54 ¥10.47

$1.62 MVR 25.01

-4.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.30 ¥90.1

$7.76 MVR 120

71.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.21 ¥21.73

$6.32 MVR 97.5

-49.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.79 ¥73.1

$9.66 MVR 149

11.70%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 ¥12.30

$3.98 MVR 61.4

-54.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 ¥8.86

$3.82 MVR 58.9

-65.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 ¥10.17

$3.79 MVR 58.4

-60.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 ¥7.75

$3.56 MVR 54.9

-67.98%

Potato (1kg)

$0.73 ¥4.91

$1.47 MVR 22.73

-50.34%

Onion (1kg)

$0.87 ¥5.87

$1.22 MVR 18.86

-28.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.57 ¥3.85

$2.41 MVR 37.23

-76.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ¥3.64

$0.62 MVR 9.51

-12.90%

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)

$3.53 ¥23.93

$7.98 MVR 123

-55.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.71 ¥79.4

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 ¥5.68

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 ¥11.31

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 ¥2.76

$0.62 MVR 9.62

-33.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.78 ¥141

$28.15 MVR 434

-26.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ¥9.23

$1.99 MVR 30.66

-31.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ¥2.22

$1.90 MVR 29.28

-82.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.86 ¥46.49

$8.10 MVR 125

-15.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 ¥7.59

$0.98 MVR 15.05

14.29%

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

$19.2K ¥130.0K

$32.2K MVR 497.1K

-40.47%

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

$16.9K ¥114.6K

$30.0K MVR 463.3K

-43.68%

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

$51.8 ¥351

$114 MVR 1,763

-54.69%

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

$9.85 ¥66.7

$41.80 MVR 645

-76.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.13 ¥75.4

$70.6 MVR 1,089

-84.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.10 ¥265

$76.9 MVR 1,185

-49.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.89 ¥101

$35.52 MVR 548

-58.08%

Cinema Ticket

$6.25 ¥42.32

$9.18 MVR 141

-31.92%

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

$404 ¥2,738

$171 MVR 2,638

136.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K ¥120.7K

$3,357 MVR 51.8K

430.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.11 ¥312

$42.07 MVR 649

9.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.27 ¥219

$50.1 MVR 772

-35.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.7 ¥492

$81.9 MVR 1,262

-11.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.9 ¥494

$53.2 MVR 820

37.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$445 ¥3,015

$979 MVR 15.1K

-54.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$255 ¥1,730

$689 MVR 10.6K

-62.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$927 ¥6,278

$1,666 MVR 25.7K

-44.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$532 ¥3,607

$1,395 MVR 21.5K

-61.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,943 ¥33.5K

$2,607 MVR 40.2K

89.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,492 ¥16.9K

$843 MVR 13.0K

195.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,057 ¥7,162

$799 MVR 12.3K

32.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

12.4

-67.26%

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

Last update for China: June 6, 2026

Last update for Maldives: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $286 in China, $642 in Maldives. Capital cities: $913 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $949 in Male.

National salary averages: $862 in China, $741 in Maldives. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 124% higher in Maldives.

Dining out costs 40% more in China.

Public transport is 50% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 16% higher in China, giving China 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

China vs Maldives: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $871 per month in China and $782 in Maldives, there's a 11% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Maldives is simply cheaper day-to-day: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in China beats Maldives across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Maldives, $2,000 covers most cities easily. In China, it works in regional areas but falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after. Maldives wins on affordability; China may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.