Cost of Living Comparison Between Maldives and Brazil Cost of Living Comparison Between Maldives and Brazil

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $945 per month in Maldives vs $847 in Brazil, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,554 per month in Maldives vs $1,348 in Brazil, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,163 per month in Maldives vs $1,848 in Brazil, rent included.

The cost of living in Maldives is about 12% higher than in Brazil on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both Maldives and Brazil are more affordable than the global median – Maldives 31% lower, Brazil 38% lower.

The regional cost range is wider in Maldives ($43.00$1,534) than in Brazil ($591$1,421), so city choice matters more there.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Maldives
Brazil
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.58 MVR 102
$6.72 R$34.46
-2.08%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$51.1 MVR 789
$32.91 R$169
55.39%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.93 MVR 153
$7.58 R$38.83
31.00%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.01 MVR 77.3
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$9.44 MVR 146
-
-
Cappuccino
$3.45 MVR 53.1
$2.00 R$10.24
72.50%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.53 MVR 23.52
$1.20 R$6.16
27.50%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.31 MVR 4.79
$0.73 R$3.74
-57.53%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$1.94 R$9.92
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.91 R$14.91
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Maldives
Brazil
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.85 MVR 28.56
$1.07 R$5.49
72.90%
White Bread (500g)
$1.51 MVR 23.23
$1.70 R$8.69
-11.18%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.02 MVR 15.76
$1.30 R$6.69
-21.54%
Eggs
$1.82 MVR 28.07
$2.27 R$11.65
-19.82%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.26 MVR 96.5
$9.19 R$47.09
-31.88%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.59 MVR 102
$4.31 R$22.08
52.90%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.92 MVR 153
$8.25 R$42.29
20.24%
Apples (1kg)
$4.12 MVR 63.5
$2.18 R$11.19
88.99%
Banana (1kg)
$3.00 MVR 46.25
$1.34 R$6.89
123.88%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.74 MVR 57.7
$1.24 R$6.33
201.61%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.57 MVR 39.65
$1.53 R$7.86
67.97%
Potato (1kg)
$1.84 MVR 28.45
$1.17 R$5.99
57.26%
Onion (1kg)
$1.77 MVR 27.33
$1.12 R$5.71
58.04%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.15 MVR 33.20
$0.84 R$4.30
155.95%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.66 MVR 10.17
$0.80 R$4.12
-17.50%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
$11.14 MVR 172
-
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.46 MVR 37.93
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.61 MVR 71.2
-
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.79 MVR 228
$2.38 R$12.19
521.43%
Wine (Bottle)
-
$7.66 R$39.25
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$1.30 R$6.68
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.37 R$12.17
-
🚌 Getting Around
Maldives
Brazil
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.63 MVR 9.65
$1.01 R$5.20
-37.62%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$29.00 MVR 447
$44.31 R$227
-34.55%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.01 MVR 30.96
$1.29 R$6.63
55.81%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.90 MVR 29.35
$0.92 R$4.73
106.52%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.08 MVR 125
$7.58 R$38.84
6.60%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.03 MVR 15.86
$1.26 R$6.46
-18.25%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.9K MVR 507.3K
$22.9K R$117.2K
43.85%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$29.9K MVR 461.5K
$32.1K R$164.7K
-6.86%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Maldives
Brazil
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$130 MVR 2,006
$81.3 R$417
59.94%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$30.35 MVR 468
$13.24 R$67.9
129.23%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$69.1 MVR 1,066
$20.68 R$106
234.28%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Maldives
Brazil
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$62.6 MVR 966
$25.06 R$128
149.96%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$21.23 MVR 327
$25.92 R$133
-18.09%
Cinema Ticket
$9.12 MVR 141
$7.15 R$36.62
27.55%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Maldives
Brazil
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$181 MVR 2,793
$328 R$1,682
-44.82%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$2,851 MVR 44.0K
$8,652 R$44.3K
-67.05%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Maldives
Brazil
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$37.56 MVR 579
$52.2 R$268
-28.07%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$49.11 MVR 757
$48.15 R$247
1.99%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$88.5 MVR 1,364
$86.8 R$445
1.96%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$52.4 MVR 808
$68.8 R$353
-23.82%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Maldives
Brazil
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$938 MVR 14.5K
$378 R$1,936
148.28%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$685 MVR 10.6K
$242 R$1,240
183.11%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,917 MVR 29.6K
$707 R$3,622
171.16%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,486 MVR 22.9K
$481 R$2,464
209.04%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,595 MVR 40.0K
$1,887 R$9,671
37.52%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$758 MVR 11.7K
$1,290 R$6,609
-41.21%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Maldives
Brazil
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$765 MVR 11.8K
$515 R$2,641
48.37%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
14
11.19
25.11%

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

Last update for Maldives: September 14, 2026

Last update for Brazil: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $609 in Maldives vs $342 in Brazil. For reference, capital cities sit at $966 in Male and $480 in Brasilia.

Average salary: $733 in Maldives vs $486 in Brazil. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 78% higher in Maldives.

Dining out costs 58% more in Brazil.

Public transport is 200% more expensive in Brazil.

Salaries are 51% higher in Maldives, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Maldives.

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 Brazil: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do Brazil and Maldives compare in cost of living?
Maldives is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 28% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.
How do rents compare between Brazil and Maldives?
Housing costs more in Brazil, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Brazil consistently has higher rents.
Where are groceries and transport cheaper: Brazil or Maldives?
Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Maldives, contributing to the overall 28% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.
How far does $2,000 go in Brazil compared to Maldives?
$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Maldives, but in Brazil it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.
How do I choose between living in Brazil and in Maldives?
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.

Maldives vs other spots: cost of living compared

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