Cost of Living Comparison Between Maldives and ItalyCost of Living Comparison Between Maldives and Italy
Monthly Cost of Living
🙂Monthly costs for one person with rent: $967 in Maldives versus $1,720 in Italy.
🙂Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,566 in Maldives versus $2,626 in Italy.
🙂Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,165 in Maldives versus $3,531 in Italy.
🌍Living in Maldives costs about 44% less than in Italy on average.
📊Maldives (27% below) and Italy (29% above) straddle the global median.
📏Maldives ($44.00–$1,550) and Italy ($1,191–$2,443) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Maldives
Italy
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.07MVR 93.6
$17.16€14.86
-64.63%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$48.95MVR 755
$81.4€70.5
-39.85%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$9.88MVR 152
$11.60€10.05
-14.83%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$4.84MVR 74.7
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$5.99MVR 92.3
-
-
Cappuccino
$3.11MVR 47.94
$1.98€1.71
57.07%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.40MVR 21.56
$3.00€2.60
-53.33%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.34MVR 5.27
$1.36€1.18
-75.00%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
-
$5.92€5.13
-
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
-
$5.25€4.55
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Maldives
Italy
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.71MVR 26.29
$1.70€1.48
0.59%
White Bread(500g)
$1.50MVR 23.06
$2.37€2.05
-36.71%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.17MVR 18.07
$3.03€2.63
-61.39%
Eggs
$1.57MVR 24.19
$3.95€3.42
-60.25%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$8.16MVR 126
$16.66€14.43
-51.02%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$6.07MVR 93.6
$12.26€10.61
-50.49%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$10.09MVR 156
$20.06€17.37
-49.70%
Apples(1kg)
$4.01MVR 61.8
$2.55€2.21
57.25%
Banana(1kg)
$3.71MVR 57.2
$2.20€1.91
68.64%
Oranges(1kg)
$3.73MVR 57.5
$2.75€2.38
35.64%
Tomato(1kg)
$3.56MVR 55.0
$3.22€2.79
10.56%
Potato(1kg)
$1.42MVR 21.93
$1.94€1.68
-26.80%
Onion(1kg)
$1.17MVR 18.08
$1.82€1.58
-35.71%
Lettuce(1 head)
$2.52MVR 38.81
$1.48€1.28
70.27%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.65MVR 9.95
$0.50€0.43
30.00%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine(Mid-Range)
$11.46MVR 177
-
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$2.65MVR 40.85
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$8.21MVR 127
-
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$7.78MVR 120
$7.13€6.17
9.12%
Wine(Bottle)
-
$7.37€6.38
-
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
-
$1.76€1.52
-
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.53€2.19
-
🚌 Getting Around
Maldives
Italy
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.63MVR 9.66
$1.99€1.72
-68.34%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$28.53MVR 440
$42.32€36.65
-32.59%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$1.96MVR 30.26
$5.67€4.91
-65.43%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$2.01MVR 30.96
$1.52€1.31
32.24%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$8.13MVR 125
$34.94€30.25
-76.73%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$0.92MVR 14.22
$2.09€1.81
-55.98%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.5KMVR 501.7K
$32.7K€28.3K
-0.37%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$30.5KMVR 469.6K
$32.9K€28.5K
-7.48%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Maldives
Italy
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$116MVR 1,790
$227€196
-48.79%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$40.88MVR 630
$13.58€11.76
201.03%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$70.9MVR 1,093
$31.57€27.34
124.45%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Maldives
Italy
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$77.7MVR 1,198
$57.7€49.93
34.76%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$35.00MVR 540
$25.23€21.85
38.72%
Cinema Ticket
$9.07MVR 140
$10.59€9.18
-14.35%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Maldives
Italy
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$171MVR 2,630
$568€492
-69.95%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$3,328MVR 51.3K
$10.5K€9,126
-68.42%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Maldives
Italy
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$42.24MVR 651
$90.7€78.5
-53.41%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$49.74MVR 767
$40.49€35.06
22.85%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$82.2MVR 1,268
$99.8€86.4
-17.58%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$54.1MVR 835
$130€112
-58.23%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Maldives
Italy
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$979MVR 15.1K
$865€749
13.18%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$684MVR 10.5K
$672€582
1.74%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,631MVR 25.1K
$1,523€1,319
7.05%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,402MVR 21.6K
$1,078€934
29.99%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$2,622MVR 40.4K
$3,767€3,262
-30.39%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$757MVR 11.7K
$2,360€2,044
-67.94%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Maldives
Italy
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$779MVR 12.0K
$1,949€1,688
-60.05%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
12.4
4.41
181.18%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Maldives: July 28, 2026
Last update for Italy: July 27, 2026
Cost Breakdown
🏠National rent averages: $651 in Maldives, $743 in Italy. Capital cities: $961 in Male vs $1,334 in Rome.
💰National salary averages: $732 in Maldives, $1,912 in Italy. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.
Cost Highlights
⭐Rent is 14% higher in Italy.
⭐Dining out costs 393% more in Italy.
⭐Public transport is 267% more expensive in Italy.
⭐Salaries are 161% higher in Italy, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Italy.
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 Italy: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost difference between Italy and Maldives?
At $1,817 per month in Italy and $797 in Maldives, there's a 128% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
Which country is cheaper for everyday spending?
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.
Which country has higher housing costs?
Rent in Italy 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.
Is $2,000 a realistic budget in Italy or in Maldives?
In Maldives, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in Italy it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.
Should I move to Italy or to Maldives?
It depends on what you're after: Maldives wins on affordability; Italy may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.