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 $967 per month in Maldives vs $2,181 in Australia, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,566 per month in Maldives vs $3,218 in Australia, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,165 per month in Maldives vs $4,254 in Australia, rent included.

The cost of living in Maldives is roughly 56% lower than in Australia on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Maldives sits 27% below the global median, while Australia is 64% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Cost ranges are similar: Maldives spans $44.00–$1,550, Australia $1,595–$2,799. City choice affects budget similarly in either country.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.07 MVR 93.6

$15.97 A$22.66

-61.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.95 MVR 755

$79.0 A$112

-38.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.88 MVR 152

$9.68 A$13.74

2.07%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.84 MVR 74.7

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.99 MVR 92.3

Cappuccino

$3.11 MVR 47.94

$3.58 A$5.08

-13.13%

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

$1.40 MVR 21.56

$2.56 A$3.64

-45.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 MVR 5.27

$2.22 A$3.15

-84.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.34 A$8.99

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.95 A$9.86

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 MVR 26.29

$1.56 A$2.22

9.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 MVR 23.06

$2.53 A$3.59

-40.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 MVR 18.07

$2.00 A$2.83

-41.50%

Eggs

$1.57 MVR 24.19

$4.26 A$6.05

-63.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.16 MVR 126

$8.75 A$12.42

-6.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.07 MVR 93.6

$8.23 A$11.68

-26.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.09 MVR 156

$14.15 A$20.08

-28.69%

Apples (1kg)

$4.01 MVR 61.8

$3.26 A$4.63

23.01%

Banana (1kg)

$3.71 MVR 57.2

$2.81 A$3.99

32.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.73 MVR 57.5

$3.00 A$4.26

24.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.56 MVR 55.0

$4.31 A$6.12

-17.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.42 MVR 21.93

$2.55 A$3.62

-44.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 MVR 18.08

$2.16 A$3.07

-45.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.52 MVR 38.81

$2.22 A$3.15

13.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 MVR 9.95

$1.53 A$2.17

-57.52%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$11.46 MVR 177

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 MVR 40.85

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.21 MVR 127

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.78 MVR 120

$31.28 A$44.38

-75.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.09 A$20.00

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.44 A$6.30

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.90 A$6.96

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.63 MVR 9.66

$2.95 A$4.19

-78.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.53 MVR 440

$95.9 A$136

-70.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.96 MVR 30.26

$3.49 A$4.95

-43.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.01 MVR 30.96

$1.84 A$2.61

9.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 MVR 125

$37.26 A$52.9

-78.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 MVR 14.22

$1.17 A$1.66

-21.37%

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

$32.5K MVR 501.7K

$28.7K A$40.8K

13.23%

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

$30.5K MVR 469.6K

$22.5K A$31.9K

35.56%

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

$116 MVR 1,790

$173 A$246

-33.02%

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

$40.88 MVR 630

$26.62 A$37.77

53.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.9 MVR 1,093

$53.1 A$75.3

33.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.7 MVR 1,198

$46.82 A$66.4

65.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.00 MVR 540

$16.38 A$23.25

113.68%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 MVR 140

$13.56 A$19.24

-33.11%

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

$171 MVR 2,630

$1,571 A$2,229

-89.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,328 MVR 51.3K

$12.6K A$17.9K

-73.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.24 MVR 651

$72.1 A$102

-41.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.74 MVR 767

$51.6 A$73.2

-3.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.2 MVR 1,268

$101 A$144

-18.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.1 MVR 835

$108 A$153

-49.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 MVR 15.1K

$1,398 A$1,984

-30.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$684 MVR 10.5K

$1,086 A$1,541

-36.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,631 MVR 25.1K

$2,272 A$3,223

-28.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,402 MVR 21.6K

$1,751 A$2,485

-19.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,622 MVR 40.4K

$7,955 A$11.3K

-67.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$757 MVR 11.7K

$5,978 A$8,483

-87.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$779 MVR 12.0K

$4,053 A$5,751

-80.79%

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: July 28, 2026

Last update for Australia: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $651 in Maldives vs $1,230 in Australia. For reference, capital cities sit at $961 in Male and $1,557 in Canberra.

Average salary: $732 in Maldives vs $3,808 in Australia. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 89% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 413% more in Australia.

Public transport is 458% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 420% higher in Australia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Australia.

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 176% 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 176% 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.