Cost of Living Comparison Between India and Maldives Cost of Living Comparison Between India and Maldives

Name: Maldives
Address: MV

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $388 in India versus $955 in Maldives.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $617 in India versus $1,551 in Maldives.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $846 in India versus $2,146 in Maldives.

Living in India costs about 59% less than in Maldives on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: India 71% lower, Maldives 29% lower.

Internal cost variation is higher in Maldives: monthly costs span $45.00 to $1,508, compared to $265–$913 in India. City choice carries more weight in Maldives.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.53 ₹244

$6.14 MVR 94.6

-58.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.73 ₹1,321

$47.89 MVR 738

-71.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.00 ₹385

$9.55 MVR 147

-58.12%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 MVR 72.3

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.86 MVR 90.4

Cappuccino

$1.91 ₹184

$3.15 MVR 48.55

-39.37%

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

$0.43 ₹41.85

$1.43 MVR 22.12

-69.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.17 ₹16.11

$0.31 MVR 4.84

-45.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.93 ₹186

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 ₹341

Milk (1 liter)

$0.73 ₹69.9

$1.70 MVR 26.29

-57.06%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 ₹50.1

$1.56 MVR 24.12

-66.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.73 ₹69.9

$1.12 MVR 17.23

-34.82%

Eggs

$0.95 ₹91.4

$1.56 MVR 24.12

-39.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.32 ₹512

$7.72 MVR 119

-31.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.10 ₹299

$6.33 MVR 97.5

-51.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.79 MVR 151

Apples (1kg)

$2.16 ₹208

$3.98 MVR 61.4

-45.73%

Banana (1kg)

$0.70 ₹67.7

$3.65 MVR 56.3

-80.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.05 ₹101

$3.85 MVR 59.4

-72.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.53 ₹50.8

$3.47 MVR 53.6

-84.73%

Potato (1kg)

$0.39 ₹37.65

$1.45 MVR 22.34

-73.10%

Onion (1kg)

$0.48 ₹46.63

$1.16 MVR 17.83

-58.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.52 ₹49.78

$2.45 MVR 37.81

-78.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.36 ₹34.33

$0.65 MVR 10.10

-44.62%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$11.53 MVR 178

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 MVR 40.87

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.22 MVR 127

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.02 ₹387

$7.82 MVR 121

-48.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.28 ₹701

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 ₹183

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 ₹292

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$5.84 ₹562

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 ₹34.66

$0.68 MVR 10.47

-47.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.84 ₹948

$28.20 MVR 435

-65.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.95 ₹91.8

$1.97 MVR 30.33

-51.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 ₹29.03

$1.93 MVR 29.71

-84.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.79 ₹172

$7.95 MVR 123

-77.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 ₹117

$0.98 MVR 15.07

23.47%

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

$13.9K ₹1.3M

$32.0K MVR 492.7K

-56.65%

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

$22.4K ₹2.2M

$30.4K MVR 468.3K

-26.10%

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

$40.16 ₹3,866

$116 MVR 1,794

-65.48%

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

$3.76 ₹362

$40.95 MVR 632

-90.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.04 ₹774

$71.8 MVR 1,107

-88.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.25 ₹1,565

$77.7 MVR 1,199

-79.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.56 ₹728

$35.87 MVR 553

-78.92%

Cinema Ticket

$3.43 ₹330

$9.41 MVR 145

-63.55%

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

$69.7 ₹6,713

$167 MVR 2,579

-58.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,852 ₹178.3K

$3,325 MVR 51.3K

-44.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.59 ₹2,463

$42.61 MVR 657

-39.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.30 ₹2,531

$50.5 MVR 779

-47.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$44.89 ₹4,321

$81.2 MVR 1,251

-44.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$33.20 ₹3,196

$53.7 MVR 828

-38.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$174 ₹16.8K

$1,001 MVR 15.4K

-82.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$112 ₹10.8K

$674 MVR 10.4K

-83.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$405 ₹38.9K

$1,633 MVR 25.2K

-75.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$258 ₹24.8K

$1,379 MVR 21.3K

-81.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,263 ₹121.6K

$2,664 MVR 41.1K

-52.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$653 ₹62.8K

$845 MVR 13.0K

-22.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$424 ₹40.8K

$800 MVR 12.3K

-47.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.02

12.4

-27.26%

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

Last update for India: July 12, 2026

Last update for Maldives: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $127 in India, $650 in Maldives. Capital cities: $242 in Delhi vs $972 in Male.

National salary averages: $398 in India, $744 in Maldives. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 412% higher in Maldives.

Dining out costs 36% more in Maldives.

Public transport is 33% more expensive in Maldives.

Salaries are 87% higher in Maldives, and purchasing power comes out stronger in India.

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

India vs Maldives: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $589 per month in India and $777 in Maldives, there's a 32% gap. 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 simply cheaper in India: 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 Maldives is consistently higher than in India across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In India, $1,000 covers most cities easily; in Maldives it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

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