Cost of Living Comparison Between Maldives and Pakistan Cost of Living Comparison Between Maldives and Pakistan

Name: Pakistan
Address: PK

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $945 in Maldives versus $454 in Pakistan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,554 in Maldives versus $683 in Pakistan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,163 in Maldives versus $912 in Pakistan.

Living in Maldives is roughly 108% more expensive than in Pakistan on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Maldives 31% lower, Pakistan 67% lower.

Internal cost variation is higher in Maldives: monthly costs span $43.00 to $1,534, compared to $297–$593 in Pakistan. City choice carries more weight in Maldives.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.58 MVR 102

$2.16 PKR 598

204.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.1 MVR 789

$14.02 PKR 3,885

264.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.93 MVR 153

$5.27 PKR 1,461

88.43%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.01 MVR 77.3

$2.15 PKR 596

133.02%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.44 MVR 146

$4.09 PKR 1,134

130.81%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MVR 53.1

$1.94 PKR 538

77.84%

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

$1.53 MVR 23.52

$0.39 PKR 107

292.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 MVR 4.79

$0.22 PKR 60.8

40.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MVR 28.56

$0.87 PKR 242

112.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 MVR 23.23

$0.63 PKR 174

139.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 MVR 15.76

$1.17 PKR 323

-12.82%

Eggs

$1.82 MVR 28.07

$1.19 PKR 329

52.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.26 MVR 96.5

$5.67 PKR 1,571

10.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.59 MVR 102

$2.80 PKR 775

135.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.92 MVR 153

$5.02 PKR 1,392

97.61%

Apples (1kg)

$4.12 MVR 63.5

$1.13 PKR 314

264.60%

Banana (1kg)

$3.00 MVR 46.25

$0.68 PKR 189

341.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.74 MVR 57.7

$0.86 PKR 238

334.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.57 MVR 39.65

$0.59 PKR 162

335.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 MVR 28.45

$0.31 PKR 87.2

493.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 MVR 27.33

$0.39 PKR 107

353.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.15 MVR 33.20

$0.37 PKR 104

481.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 MVR 10.17

$0.41 PKR 112

60.98%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$11.14 MVR 172

$2.02 PKR 560

451.49%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 MVR 37.93

$1.13 PKR 314

117.70%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MVR 71.2

$2.40 PKR 665

92.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.79 MVR 228

$2.16 PKR 598

584.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.63 MVR 9.65

$0.16 PKR 43.45

293.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.00 MVR 447

$10.21 PKR 2,828

184.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.01 MVR 30.96

$0.86 PKR 239

133.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 MVR 29.35

$0.57 PKR 157

233.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.08 MVR 125

$2.13 PKR 589

279.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 MVR 15.86

$1.17 PKR 324

-11.97%

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

$32.9K MVR 507.3K

$18.4K PKR 5.1M

78.88%

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

$29.9K MVR 461.5K

$25.2K PKR 7.0M

18.73%

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

$130 MVR 2,006

$112 PKR 30.9K

16.66%

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

$30.35 MVR 468

$5.33 PKR 1,475

469.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.1 MVR 1,066

$15.94 PKR 4,416

333.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.6 MVR 966

$16.12 PKR 4,467

288.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.23 MVR 327

$10.90 PKR 3,018

94.77%

Cinema Ticket

$9.12 MVR 141

$4.29 PKR 1,189

112.59%

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

$181 MVR 2,793

$42.45 PKR 11.8K

326.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,851 MVR 44.0K

$1,378 PKR 381.6K

106.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.56 MVR 579

$16.34 PKR 4,526

129.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.11 MVR 757

$23.18 PKR 6,420

111.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.5 MVR 1,364

$79.2 PKR 21.9K

11.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.4 MVR 808

$34.65 PKR 9,599

51.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$938 MVR 14.5K

$137 PKR 37.9K

584.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$685 MVR 10.6K

$77.4 PKR 21.5K

784.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,917 MVR 29.6K

$307 PKR 85.1K

523.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,486 MVR 22.9K

$171 PKR 47.3K

769.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,595 MVR 40.0K

$1,022 PKR 283.1K

153.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$758 MVR 11.7K

$533 PKR 147.7K

42.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$765 MVR 11.8K

$188 PKR 52.0K

307.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.96

0.29%

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

Last update for Maldives: September 14, 2026

Last update for Pakistan: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $609 in Maldives, $124 in Pakistan. Capital cities: $966 in Male vs $278 in Islamabad.

National salary averages: $733 in Maldives, $182 in Pakistan. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 391% higher in Maldives.

Dining out costs 46% more in Maldives.

Public transport is 44% more expensive in Maldives.

Salaries are 303% higher in Maldives, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Maldives.

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 $789 per month in Maldives and $445 in Pakistan, there's a 77% 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 Pakistan: 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 Maldives is consistently higher than in Pakistan across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

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