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: $962 in Maldives versus $713 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,569 in Maldives versus $1,132 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,175 in Maldives versus $1,551 in China.

Living in Maldives is roughly 35% more expensive than China on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Maldives 28% lower, China 47% lower.

Internal cost variation is higher in Maldives: monthly costs span $43.00 to $1,521, compared to $535–$1,206 in China. City choice carries more weight in Maldives.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.11 MVR 94.3

$2.86 ¥19.39

113.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.93 MVR 755

$23.29 ¥158

110.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.46 MVR 146

$4.83 ¥32.73

95.86%

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

$3.04 ¥20.56

2.96%

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

$1.39 MVR 21.43

$0.45 ¥3.04

208.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 MVR 4.89

$0.27 ¥1.82

18.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.99 ¥6.72

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 ¥13.76

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 MVR 26.02

$1.75 ¥11.88

-3.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 MVR 24.04

$1.67 ¥11.34

-6.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 MVR 17.96

$0.97 ¥6.57

19.59%

Eggs

$1.62 MVR 25.01

$1.54 ¥10.47

5.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.76 MVR 120

$13.30 ¥90.1

-41.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.32 MVR 97.5

$3.21 ¥21.73

96.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.66 MVR 149

$10.79 ¥73.1

-10.47%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 MVR 61.4

$1.81 ¥12.30

119.89%

Banana (1kg)

$3.82 MVR 58.9

$1.31 ¥8.86

191.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.79 MVR 58.4

$1.50 ¥10.17

152.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.56 MVR 54.9

$1.14 ¥7.75

212.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 MVR 22.73

$0.73 ¥4.91

101.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.22 MVR 18.86

$0.87 ¥5.87

40.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 MVR 37.23

$0.57 ¥3.85

322.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 MVR 9.51

$0.54 ¥3.64

14.81%

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

$3.53 ¥23.93

126.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.71 ¥79.4

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 ¥5.68

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 ¥11.31

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 MVR 9.62

$0.41 ¥2.76

51.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.15 MVR 434

$20.78 ¥141

35.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.99 MVR 30.66

$1.36 ¥9.23

46.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 MVR 29.28

$0.33 ¥2.22

475.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.10 MVR 125

$6.86 ¥46.49

18.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 MVR 15.05

$1.12 ¥7.59

-12.50%

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

$32.2K MVR 497.1K

$19.2K ¥130.0K

67.99%

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

$30.0K MVR 463.3K

$16.9K ¥114.6K

77.57%

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

$114 MVR 1,763

$51.8 ¥351

120.69%

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

$41.80 MVR 645

$9.85 ¥66.7

324.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 MVR 1,089

$11.13 ¥75.4

534.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.9 MVR 1,185

$39.10 ¥265

96.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.52 MVR 548

$14.89 ¥101

138.55%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 MVR 141

$6.25 ¥42.32

46.88%

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

$171 MVR 2,638

$404 ¥2,738

-57.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,357 MVR 51.8K

$17.8K ¥120.7K

-81.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.07 MVR 649

$46.11 ¥312

-8.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.1 MVR 772

$32.27 ¥219

55.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.9 MVR 1,262

$72.7 ¥492

12.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$53.2 MVR 820

$72.9 ¥494

-27.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 MVR 15.1K

$445 ¥3,015

120.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$689 MVR 10.6K

$255 ¥1,730

169.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,666 MVR 25.7K

$927 ¥6,278

79.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,395 MVR 21.5K

$532 ¥3,607

162.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,607 MVR 40.2K

$4,943 ¥33.5K

-47.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$843 MVR 13.0K

$2,492 ¥16.9K

-66.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$799 MVR 12.3K

$1,057 ¥7,162

-24.43%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for China: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $642 in Maldives, $286 in China. Capital cities: $949 in Male vs $913 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $741 in Maldives, $862 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 124% higher in Maldives.

Dining out costs 40% more in China.

Public transport is 50% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 16% higher in China, giving China 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 China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $871 per month in China and $782 in Maldives, there's a 11% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Maldives is simply cheaper day-to-day: 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 beats 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 works in regional areas but 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.