Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the Maldives and India

Name: India
Address: IN

For one person, living is cheaper in India: $399 a month against $1,476 in the Maldives, rent and utilities included – about $12,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

71

Cost of Living Index in the Maldives
Learn more

Maldives Living Index
19

Cost of Living Index in India
Learn more

India Living Index

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🇲🇻 Maldives

$1,476

/mo nomad

🇮🇳 India

$399

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in the Maldives and in India

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in the Maldives and in India actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,476 in the Maldives versus $399 in India.

Maldives $1,476
India $399

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,376 in the Maldives versus $639 in India.

Maldives $2,376
India $639

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,276 in the Maldives versus $879 in India.

Maldives $3,276
India $879

Internal cost variation is higher in the Maldives: monthly costs span $45 to $1,503, compared to $230–$813 in India. City choice carries more weight in the Maldives.

Living in the Maldives is roughly 270% more expensive than in India on average.

The Maldives (8% above) and India (71% below) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.31 MVR 97.3

$2.14 ₹204

194.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.4 MVR 778

$10.46 ₹996

382.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.74 MVR 150

$3.80 ₹362

156.32%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.95 MVR 76.4

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.89 MVR 153

Cappuccino

$3.31 MVR 51.0

$1.68 ₹160

97.02%

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

$1.59 MVR 24.46

$0.38 ₹36.03

318.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 MVR 4.44

$0.15 ₹14.62

93.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.87 ₹178

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 ₹303

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MVR 28.58

$0.62 ₹59.3

198.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 MVR 24.10

$0.50 ₹47.82

212.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.04 MVR 16.04

$0.63 ₹60.4

65.08%

Eggs

$1.74 MVR 26.81

$0.96 ₹91.4

81.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.33 MVR 97.6

$4.85 ₹462

30.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.49 MVR 100

$2.84 ₹271

128.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.13 MVR 156

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 MVR 61.6

$2.00 ₹191

100.00%

Banana (1kg)

$3.00 MVR 46.33

$0.65 ₹61.5

361.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.86 MVR 59.5

$0.97 ₹92.4

297.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.58 MVR 39.79

$0.47 ₹44.35

448.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 MVR 27.08

$0.34 ₹31.91

417.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.75 MVR 27.05

$0.42 ₹39.78

316.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.11 MVR 32.53

$0.47 ₹44.45

348.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 MVR 9.37

$0.31 ₹29.71

96.77%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$11.13 MVR 172

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 MVR 38.09

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MVR 71.4

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.03 MVR 232

$5.08 ₹483

195.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.31 ₹696

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ₹155

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ₹263

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$5.11 ₹487

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 MVR 9.54

$0.26 ₹24.89

138.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.37 MVR 437

$8.58 ₹817

230.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.97 MVR 30.35

$1.00 ₹94.8

97.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 MVR 29.24

$0.27 ₹25.77

603.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.30 MVR 128

$1.54 ₹146

438.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 MVR 15.29

$1.07 ₹102

-7.48%

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

$31.9K MVR 492.1K

$11.2K ₹1.1M

184.60%

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

$30.8K MVR 474.3K

$20.1K ₹1.9M

53.40%

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

$129 MVR 1,993

$37.08 ₹3,531

248.62%

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

$30.04 MVR 463

$3.58 ₹341

739.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.3 MVR 1,054

$7.15 ₹681

855.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.7 MVR 967

$15.00 ₹1,428

318.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.86 MVR 322

$7.17 ₹683

190.93%

Cinema Ticket

$8.98 MVR 139

$3.20 ₹304

180.63%

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

$181 MVR 2,795

$58.8 ₹5,599

208.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,834 MVR 43.7K

$1,667 ₹158.7K

70.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.11 MVR 588

$23.03 ₹2,193

65.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.0 MVR 771

$24.17 ₹2,302

106.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.1 MVR 1,327

$41.20 ₹3,923

108.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.4 MVR 808

$29.62 ₹2,820

77.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$930 MVR 14.3K

$146 ₹13.9K

535.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$678 MVR 10.5K

$96.4 ₹9,176

604.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,939 MVR 29.9K

$343 ₹32.7K

465.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,484 MVR 22.9K

$234 ₹22.3K

534.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,663 MVR 41.1K

$1,177 ₹112.1K

126.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$776 MVR 12.0K

$633 ₹60.3K

22.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$781 MVR 12.0K

$409 ₹38.9K

91.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.93

56.77%

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

Last update for the Maldives: October 25, 2026

Last update for India: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Maldives

$678 46%

India

$96 24.1% 85.8% $582

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Maldives

$228 15.4%

India

$48 12% 79% $180

Groceries & Markets

Maldives

$218 14.8%

India

$102 25.6% 53.1% $116

Eating Out

Maldives

$127 8.6%

India

$67 16.7% 47.6% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Maldives

$102 6.9%

India

$53 13.3% 47.9% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Maldives

$81 5.5%

India

$21 5.4% 73.5% $59

Getting Around

Maldives

$42 2.9%

India

$12 3% 71.7% $30

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $805 in the Maldives, $120 in India. Capital cities: $939 in Male vs $277 in Delhi.

National salary averages: $736 in the Maldives, $412 in India. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 571% higher in the Maldives.

Dining out costs 255% more in the Maldives.

Public transport is 213% more expensive in the Maldives.

Salaries are 79% higher in the Maldives, and purchasing power comes out stronger in India.

Good to know

🇲🇻 Maldives

🇮🇳 India

🕒 Local time

19:18 7:18 PM

19:48 7:48 PM

30 min ahead of the Maldives

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

436,330

1,326,093,247

💱 Currency

Maldivian Rufiyaa MVR Rf

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

100 MVR = 6.49 USD

100 MVR = 5.83 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.5 USD

1,000 INR = 9.44 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, USD, EUR to MVR – Maldivian Rufiyaa Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇻 Maldivian Rufiyaa (Rf)

Maldivian Rufiyaa exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 15.42 MVR (100 MVR = 6.49 USD). 1 EUR = 17.16 MVR (100 MVR = 5.83 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 95.22 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.44 EUR).

USD to MVR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Maldives India 2,750 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Maldives
India

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 India: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $399 per month in India and $1,476 in the Maldives, there’s a 270% 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 cheaper in India: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $805 in the Maldives and $120 in India. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

In India, $1,000 covers most cities easily; in the Maldives 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: India wins on affordability; the Maldives may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.