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: $945 in Maldives versus $719 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,554 in Maldives versus $1,147 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,163 in Maldives versus $1,574 in China.

Living in Maldives is roughly 31% more expensive than in China on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Maldives 31% lower, China 47% lower.

Internal cost variation is higher in Maldives: monthly costs span $43.00 to $1,534, compared to $455–$1,219 in China. City choice carries more weight in Maldives.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.58 MVR 102

$2.92 ¥19.58

125.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.1 MVR 789

$22.23 ¥149

130.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.93 MVR 153

$5.13 ¥34.33

93.57%

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

$2.99 ¥20.03

15.38%

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

$1.53 MVR 23.52

$0.52 ¥3.50

194.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 MVR 4.79

$0.28 ¥1.87

10.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.05 ¥7.04

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ¥15.17

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MVR 28.56

$1.81 ¥12.11

2.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 MVR 23.23

$1.68 ¥11.23

-10.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 MVR 15.76

$0.90 ¥6.05

13.33%

Eggs

$1.82 MVR 28.07

$1.56 ¥10.43

16.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.26 MVR 96.5

$13.24 ¥88.7

-52.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.59 MVR 102

$3.49 ¥23.39

88.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.92 MVR 153

$11.23 ¥75.2

-11.67%

Apples (1kg)

$4.12 MVR 63.5

$1.86 ¥12.43

121.51%

Banana (1kg)

$3.00 MVR 46.25

$1.26 ¥8.47

138.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.74 MVR 57.7

$1.53 ¥10.22

144.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.57 MVR 39.65

$1.26 ¥8.45

103.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 MVR 28.45

$0.73 ¥4.91

152.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 MVR 27.33

$0.88 ¥5.89

101.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.15 MVR 33.20

$0.65 ¥4.33

230.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 MVR 10.17

$0.58 ¥3.88

13.79%

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

$3.71 ¥24.84

298.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.80 ¥79.0

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 ¥5.69

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 ¥11.19

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.63 MVR 9.65

$0.29 ¥1.92

117.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.00 MVR 447

$22.67 ¥152

27.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.01 MVR 30.96

$1.50 ¥10.07

34.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 MVR 29.35

$0.35 ¥2.32

442.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.08 MVR 125

$7.29 ¥48.83

10.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 MVR 15.86

$1.22 ¥8.18

-15.57%

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

$32.9K MVR 507.3K

$19.0K ¥127.2K

73.20%

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

$29.9K MVR 461.5K

$17.4K ¥116.2K

72.49%

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

$130 MVR 2,006

$54.0 ¥361

140.98%

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

$30.35 MVR 468

$8.41 ¥56.3

260.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.1 MVR 1,066

$10.82 ¥72.4

538.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.6 MVR 966

$40.41 ¥271

55.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.23 MVR 327

$14.63 ¥98.0

45.11%

Cinema Ticket

$9.12 MVR 141

$6.60 ¥44.17

38.18%

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

$181 MVR 2,793

$452 ¥3,024

-59.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,851 MVR 44.0K

$19.2K ¥128.8K

-85.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.56 MVR 579

$44.23 ¥296

-15.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.11 MVR 757

$35.46 ¥237

38.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.5 MVR 1,364

$74.7 ¥500

18.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.4 MVR 808

$78.6 ¥526

-33.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$938 MVR 14.5K

$394 ¥2,641

137.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$685 MVR 10.6K

$243 ¥1,630

181.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,917 MVR 29.6K

$845 ¥5,659

126.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,486 MVR 22.9K

$481 ¥3,220

208.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,595 MVR 40.0K

$4,609 ¥30.9K

-43.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$758 MVR 11.7K

$2,327 ¥15.6K

-67.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$765 MVR 11.8K

$1,060 ¥7,098

-27.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.47

303.46%

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

Last update for Maldives: September 14, 2026

Last update for China: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $609 in Maldives, $294 in China. Capital cities: $966 in Male vs $985 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $733 in Maldives, $867 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 107% higher in Maldives.

Dining out costs 11% more in China.

Public transport is 31% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 18% 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 $837 per month in China and $789 in Maldives, there's a 6% 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.