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: $955 in Maldives versus $391 in Pakistan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,551 in Maldives versus $592 in Pakistan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,146 in Maldives versus $792 in Pakistan.

Living in Maldives is roughly 144% more expensive than in Pakistan on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Maldives 29% lower, Pakistan 71% lower.

Internal cost variation is higher in Maldives: monthly costs span $45.00 to $1,508, compared to $286–$534 in Pakistan. City choice carries more weight in Maldives.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.14 MVR 94.6

$1.81 PKR 502

239.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.89 MVR 738

$12.15 PKR 3,370

294.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.55 MVR 147

$4.29 PKR 1,189

122.61%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 MVR 72.3

$1.75 PKR 484

168.00%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.86 MVR 90.4

$3.98 PKR 1,105

47.24%

Cappuccino

$3.15 MVR 48.55

$1.74 PKR 482

81.03%

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

$1.43 MVR 22.12

$0.36 PKR 100

297.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 MVR 4.84

$0.21 PKR 58.2

47.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MVR 26.29

$0.78 PKR 215

117.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 MVR 24.12

$0.56 PKR 154

178.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.12 MVR 17.23

$1.21 PKR 337

-7.44%

Eggs

$1.56 MVR 24.12

$1.20 PKR 334

30.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.72 MVR 119

$5.69 PKR 1,577

35.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.33 MVR 97.5

$2.84 PKR 788

122.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.79 MVR 151

$4.09 PKR 1,133

139.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 MVR 61.4

$1.00 PKR 278

298.00%

Banana (1kg)

$3.65 MVR 56.3

$0.61 PKR 170

498.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.85 MVR 59.4

$0.76 PKR 211

406.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.47 MVR 53.6

$0.52 PKR 145

567.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 MVR 22.34

$0.38 PKR 106

281.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 MVR 17.83

$0.51 PKR 143

127.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.45 MVR 37.81

$0.38 PKR 106

544.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 MVR 10.10

$0.36 PKR 98.7

80.56%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$11.53 MVR 178

$2.01 PKR 558

473.63%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 MVR 40.87

$1.10 PKR 304

140.91%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.22 MVR 127

$2.08 PKR 578

295.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.82 MVR 121

$1.96 PKR 544

298.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 MVR 10.47

$0.20 PKR 56.1

240.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.20 MVR 435

$7.24 PKR 2,008

289.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.97 MVR 30.33

$0.84 PKR 232

134.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.93 MVR 29.71

$0.52 PKR 145

271.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.95 MVR 123

$1.79 PKR 496

344.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 MVR 15.07

$0.89 PKR 248

10.11%

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

$32.0K MVR 492.7K

$17.8K PKR 4.9M

79.47%

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

$30.4K MVR 468.3K

$23.7K PKR 6.6M

27.91%

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

$116 MVR 1,794

$110 PKR 30.5K

5.86%

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

$40.95 MVR 632

$4.58 PKR 1,269

794.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.8 MVR 1,107

$15.58 PKR 4,320

360.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.7 MVR 1,199

$13.28 PKR 3,682

485.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.87 MVR 553

$8.84 PKR 2,453

305.77%

Cinema Ticket

$9.41 MVR 145

$4.13 PKR 1,147

127.85%

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

$167 MVR 2,579

$39.62 PKR 11.0K

322.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,325 MVR 51.3K

$1,170 PKR 324.5K

184.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.61 MVR 657

$15.59 PKR 4,324

173.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.5 MVR 779

$23.77 PKR 6,593

112.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.2 MVR 1,251

$71.9 PKR 19.9K

12.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$53.7 MVR 828

$32.15 PKR 8,916

67.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,001 MVR 15.4K

$115 PKR 31.9K

771.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$674 MVR 10.4K

$66.3 PKR 18.4K

916.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 MVR 25.2K

$274 PKR 76.1K

495.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,379 MVR 21.3K

$163 PKR 45.1K

747.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,664 MVR 41.1K

$965 PKR 267.7K

176.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$845 MVR 13.0K

$502 PKR 139.2K

68.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$800 MVR 12.3K

$186 PKR 51.5K

330.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.4

18.97

-34.63%

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

Last update for Maldives: July 13, 2026

Last update for Pakistan: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $650 in Maldives, $78.0 in Pakistan. Capital cities: $972 in Male vs $199 in Islamabad.

National salary averages: $744 in Maldives, $181 in Pakistan. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 733% higher in Maldives.

Dining out costs 36% more in Maldives.

Public transport is 71% more expensive in Maldives.

Salaries are 311% 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 $777 per month in Maldives and $410 in Pakistan, there's a 89% 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.