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

Name: China
Address: CN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $967 in Maldives versus $712 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,566 in Maldives versus $1,131 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,165 in Maldives versus $1,549 in China.

Living in Maldives is roughly 36% more expensive than in China on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Maldives 27% lower, China 47% lower.

Internal cost variation is higher in Maldives: monthly costs span $44.00 to $1,550, compared to $533–$1,212 in China. City choice carries more weight in Maldives.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.07 MVR 93.6

$2.77 ¥18.71

119.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.95 MVR 755

$24.05 ¥162

103.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.88 MVR 152

$4.73 ¥31.91

108.88%

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

$3.08 ¥20.77

0.97%

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

$1.40 MVR 21.56

$0.44 ¥2.99

218.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 MVR 5.27

$0.29 ¥1.98

17.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.01 ¥6.80

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 ¥14.02

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 MVR 26.29

$1.83 ¥12.38

-6.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 MVR 23.06

$1.62 ¥10.94

-7.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 MVR 18.07

$0.97 ¥6.58

20.62%

Eggs

$1.57 MVR 24.19

$1.61 ¥10.90

-2.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.16 MVR 126

$13.34 ¥90.1

-38.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.07 MVR 93.6

$3.37 ¥22.74

80.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.09 MVR 156

$10.68 ¥72.1

-5.52%

Apples (1kg)

$4.01 MVR 61.8

$1.81 ¥12.25

121.55%

Banana (1kg)

$3.71 MVR 57.2

$1.25 ¥8.43

196.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.73 MVR 57.5

$1.46 ¥9.88

155.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.56 MVR 55.0

$1.15 ¥7.73

209.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.42 MVR 21.93

$0.73 ¥4.91

94.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 MVR 18.08

$0.89 ¥5.99

31.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.52 MVR 38.81

$0.60 ¥4.05

320.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 MVR 9.95

$0.53 ¥3.58

22.64%

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

$3.39 ¥22.91

129.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.73 ¥79.2

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ¥5.22

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 ¥10.97

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.63 MVR 9.66

$0.41 ¥2.77

53.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.53 MVR 440

$21.24 ¥143

34.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.96 MVR 30.26

$1.35 ¥9.12

45.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.01 MVR 30.96

$0.36 ¥2.40

458.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 MVR 125

$6.70 ¥45.23

21.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 MVR 14.22

$1.18 ¥7.98

-22.03%

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

$32.5K MVR 501.7K

$19.8K ¥133.4K

64.69%

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

$30.5K MVR 469.6K

$16.5K ¥111.6K

84.18%

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

$116 MVR 1,790

$51.7 ¥349

124.41%

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

$40.88 MVR 630

$10.09 ¥68.1

305.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.9 MVR 1,093

$11.38 ¥76.8

522.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.7 MVR 1,198

$39.24 ¥265

98.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.00 MVR 540

$14.84 ¥100

135.85%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 MVR 140

$6.30 ¥42.53

43.97%

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

$171 MVR 2,630

$414 ¥2,793

-58.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,328 MVR 51.3K

$17.4K ¥117.5K

-80.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.24 MVR 651

$46.77 ¥316

-9.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.74 MVR 767

$33.08 ¥223

50.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.2 MVR 1,268

$70.9 ¥479

15.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.1 MVR 835

$74.5 ¥503

-27.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 MVR 15.1K

$440 ¥2,971

122.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$684 MVR 10.5K

$253 ¥1,706

170.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,631 MVR 25.1K

$911 ¥6,150

78.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,402 MVR 21.6K

$531 ¥3,582

164.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,622 MVR 40.4K

$4,778 ¥32.3K

-45.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$757 MVR 11.7K

$2,403 ¥16.2K

-68.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$779 MVR 12.0K

$1,058 ¥7,140

-26.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.4

4.06

205.42%

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

Last update for Maldives: July 28, 2026

Last update for China: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $651 in Maldives, $287 in China. Capital cities: $961 in Male vs $909 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $732 in Maldives, $857 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 127% higher in Maldives.

Dining out costs 40% more in China.

Public transport is 50% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 17% higher in China, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

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 China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $873 per month in China and $797 in Maldives, there's a 9% 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 Maldives: 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 is consistently higher than in 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 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: Maldives wins on affordability; China may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.