Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the Maldives and Pakistan

Name: Pakistan
Address: PK

For one person, living is cheaper in Pakistan: $483 a month against $1,476 in the Maldives, rent and utilities included – about $11,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

71

Cost of Living Index in the Maldives
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Maldives Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Pakistan
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Pakistan Living Index

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🇲🇻 Maldives

$1,476

/mo nomad

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$483

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Pakistan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,476 in the Maldives versus $483 in Pakistan.

Maldives $1,476
Pakistan $483

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,376 in the Maldives versus $736 in Pakistan.

Maldives $2,376
Pakistan $736

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,276 in the Maldives versus $988 in Pakistan.

Maldives $3,276
Pakistan $988

Internal cost variation is higher in the Maldives: monthly costs span $45 to $1,503, compared to $291–$607 in Pakistan. City choice carries more weight in the Maldives.

Living in the Maldives is roughly 206% more expensive than in Pakistan on average.

The Maldives (8% above) and Pakistan (65% below) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.31 MVR 97.3

$2.11 PKR 583

199.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.4 MVR 778

$13.97 PKR 3,866

261.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.74 MVR 150

$5.50 PKR 1,523

77.09%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.95 MVR 76.4

$2.22 PKR 616

122.97%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.89 MVR 153

$4.31 PKR 1,193

129.47%

Cappuccino

$3.31 MVR 51.0

$1.97 PKR 546

68.02%

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

$1.59 MVR 24.46

$0.38 PKR 105

318.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 MVR 4.44

$0.23 PKR 63.7

26.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MVR 28.58

$0.87 PKR 240

112.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 MVR 24.10

$0.60 PKR 165

160.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.04 MVR 16.04

$1.21 PKR 335

-14.05%

Eggs

$1.74 MVR 26.81

$1.21 PKR 334

43.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.33 MVR 97.6

$5.42 PKR 1,500

16.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.49 MVR 100

$2.83 PKR 783

129.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.13 MVR 156

$5.06 PKR 1,400

100.20%

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 MVR 61.6

$1.20 PKR 331

233.33%

Banana (1kg)

$3.00 MVR 46.33

$0.64 PKR 176

368.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.86 MVR 59.5

$0.87 PKR 241

343.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.58 MVR 39.79

$0.54 PKR 149

377.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 MVR 27.08

$0.33 PKR 91.8

433.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.75 MVR 27.05

$0.39 PKR 108

348.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.11 MVR 32.53

$0.37 PKR 104

470.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 MVR 9.37

$0.41 PKR 113

48.78%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$11.13 MVR 172

$2.08 PKR 575

435.10%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 MVR 38.09

$1.07 PKR 296

130.84%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MVR 71.4

$2.36 PKR 652

96.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.03 MVR 232

$2.14 PKR 593

602.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 MVR 9.54

$0.20 PKR 55.0

210.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.37 MVR 437

$10.01 PKR 2,769

183.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.97 MVR 30.35

$0.88 PKR 243

123.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 MVR 29.24

$0.56 PKR 155

239.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.30 MVR 128

$2.22 PKR 614

273.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 MVR 15.29

$1.29 PKR 357

-23.26%

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

$31.9K MVR 492.1K

$17.8K PKR 4.9M

79.58%

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

$30.8K MVR 474.3K

$24.3K PKR 6.7M

26.35%

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

$129 MVR 1,993

$110 PKR 30.5K

17.21%

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

$30.04 MVR 463

$5.41 PKR 1,496

455.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.3 MVR 1,054

$15.79 PKR 4,369

332.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.7 MVR 967

$18.50 PKR 5,119

239.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.86 MVR 322

$11.09 PKR 3,067

88.10%

Cinema Ticket

$8.98 MVR 139

$4.32 PKR 1,195

107.87%

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

$181 MVR 2,795

$56.4 PKR 15.6K

221.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,834 MVR 43.7K

$1,511 PKR 418.2K

87.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.11 MVR 588

$17.56 PKR 4,860

117.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.0 MVR 771

$23.58 PKR 6,523

112.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.1 MVR 1,327

$76.7 PKR 21.2K

12.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.4 MVR 808

$35.08 PKR 9,706

49.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$930 MVR 14.3K

$150 PKR 41.5K

520.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$678 MVR 10.5K

$87.4 PKR 24.2K

676.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,939 MVR 29.9K

$320 PKR 88.7K

505.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,484 MVR 22.9K

$190 PKR 52.5K

681.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,663 MVR 41.1K

$970 PKR 268.5K

174.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$776 MVR 12.0K

$520 PKR 144.0K

49.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$781 MVR 12.0K

$192 PKR 53.2K

306.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

14.1

-0.71%

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

Last update for the Maldives: October 25, 2026

Last update for Pakistan: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Maldives

$678 46%

Pakistan

$87 18.1% 87.1% $591

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Maldives

$228 15.4%

Pakistan

$131 27.2% 42.2% $96

Groceries & Markets

Maldives

$218 14.8%

Pakistan

$94 19.5% 56.9% $124

Eating Out

Maldives

$127 8.6%

Pakistan

$59 12.3% 53.1% $67

Clothing & Footwear

Maldives

$102 6.9%

Pakistan

$69 14.3% 32.5% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Maldives

$81 5.5%

Pakistan

$27 5.6% 66.4% $54

Getting Around

Maldives

$42 2.9%

Pakistan

$14 3% 65.8% $28

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $805 in the Maldives, $137 in Pakistan. Capital cities: $939 in Male vs $261 in Islamabad.

National salary averages: $736 in the Maldives, $185 in Pakistan. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 488% higher in the Maldives.

Dining out costs 200% more in the Maldives.

Public transport is 150% more expensive in the Maldives.

Salaries are about 4 times higher in the Maldives, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the Maldives.

Good to know

🇲🇻 Maldives

🇵🇰 Pakistan

🕒 Local time

03:58 3:58 AM

Same time as the Maldives

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

436,330

223,773,700

💱 Currency

Maldivian Rufiyaa MVR Rf

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

100 MVR = 6.49 USD

100 MVR = 5.83 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.25 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PKR, 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 = 17.17 MVR (100 MVR = 5.83 EUR).

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 308 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.25 EUR).

USD to MVR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Maldives Pakistan 3,280 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Maldives
Pakistan

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 Pakistan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,476 per month in the Maldives and $483 in Pakistan, Pakistan comes out about 67% cheaper. 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 Pakistan: 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 $137 in Pakistan. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

In Pakistan, $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: Pakistan wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.