Cost of Living Comparison Between Maldives and Australia Cost of Living Comparison Between Maldives and Australia

Name: Australia
Address: AU

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $962 per month in Maldives vs $2,184 in Australia, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,569 per month in Maldives vs $3,219 in Australia, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,175 per month in Maldives vs $4,253 in Australia, rent included.

Maldives is roughly 56% cheaper than Australia on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Maldives sits 28% below the global median, while Australia is 63% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Both countries show comparable internal variation: Maldives spans $43.00–$1,521, Australia spans $1,592–$2,842. City choice affects budget similarly in either country.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.11 MVR 94.3

$16.44 A$23.23

-62.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.93 MVR 755

$78.1 A$110

-37.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.46 MVR 146

$9.94 A$14.05

-4.83%

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

$3.13 MVR 48.23

$3.60 A$5.08

-13.06%

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

$1.39 MVR 21.43

$2.68 A$3.78

-48.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 MVR 4.89

$2.14 A$3.02

-85.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.53 A$9.23

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.05 A$9.96

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 MVR 26.02

$1.58 A$2.23

6.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 MVR 24.04

$2.53 A$3.57

-38.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 MVR 17.96

$2.07 A$2.93

-43.96%

Eggs

$1.62 MVR 25.01

$4.30 A$6.08

-62.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.76 MVR 120

$9.03 A$12.76

-14.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.32 MVR 97.5

$8.55 A$12.08

-26.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.66 MVR 149

$13.96 A$19.72

-30.80%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 MVR 61.4

$3.18 A$4.49

25.16%

Banana (1kg)

$3.82 MVR 58.9

$2.84 A$4.01

34.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.79 MVR 58.4

$2.95 A$4.17

28.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.56 MVR 54.9

$4.43 A$6.26

-19.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 MVR 22.73

$2.46 A$3.47

-40.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.22 MVR 18.86

$2.17 A$3.07

-43.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 MVR 37.23

$2.29 A$3.24

5.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 MVR 9.51

$1.57 A$2.22

-60.51%

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)

$7.98 MVR 123

$30.87 A$43.61

-74.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.06 A$19.86

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.55 A$6.43

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.81 A$6.80

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 MVR 9.62

$2.87 A$4.05

-78.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.15 MVR 434

$95.8 A$135

-70.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.99 MVR 30.66

$3.65 A$5.15

-45.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 MVR 29.28

$1.76 A$2.49

7.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.10 MVR 125

$38.27 A$54.1

-78.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 MVR 15.05

$1.15 A$1.63

-14.78%

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

$32.2K MVR 497.1K

$28.4K A$40.1K

13.62%

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

$30.0K MVR 463.3K

$23.0K A$32.5K

30.64%

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

$114 MVR 1,763

$178 A$251

-35.76%

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

$41.80 MVR 645

$26.46 A$37.38

57.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 MVR 1,089

$54.1 A$76.4

30.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.9 MVR 1,185

$46.64 A$65.9

64.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.52 MVR 548

$16.54 A$23.37

114.75%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 MVR 141

$13.65 A$19.28

-32.75%

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

$171 MVR 2,638

$1,575 A$2,225

-89.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,357 MVR 51.8K

$12.7K A$17.9K

-73.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.07 MVR 649

$71.5 A$101

-41.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.1 MVR 772

$50.8 A$71.8

-1.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.9 MVR 1,262

$100 A$142

-18.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$53.2 MVR 820

$108 A$153

-50.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 MVR 15.1K

$1,384 A$1,955

-29.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$689 MVR 10.6K

$1,105 A$1,562

-37.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,666 MVR 25.7K

$2,298 A$3,246

-27.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,395 MVR 21.5K

$1,728 A$2,441

-19.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,607 MVR 40.2K

$7,610 A$10.8K

-65.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$843 MVR 13.0K

$5,504 A$7,776

-84.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$799 MVR 12.3K

$4,002 A$5,654

-80.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.4

6.35

95.28%

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

Last update for Maldives: June 7, 2026

Last update for Australia: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $642 in Maldives vs $1,232 in Australia. For reference, capital cities sit at $949 in Male and $1,568 in Canberra.

Average salary: $741 in Maldives vs $3,845 in Australia. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 92% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 413% more in Australia.

Public transport is 458% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 419% higher in Australia, giving Australia 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

Maldives vs Australia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Maldives is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 184% 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 184% 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.