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: $927 in Maldives versus $450 in Pakistan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,537 in Maldives versus $678 in Pakistan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,147 in Maldives versus $905 in Pakistan.

Living in Maldives is roughly 106% more expensive than in Pakistan on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Maldives 33% lower, Pakistan 67% lower.

Internal cost variation is higher in Maldives: monthly costs span $44.00 to $1,488, compared to $296–$604 in Pakistan. City choice carries more weight in Maldives.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.40 MVR 98.7

$2.10 PKR 581

204.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.6 MVR 780

$14.51 PKR 4,021

248.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MVR 150

$5.53 PKR 1,533

75.77%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.83 MVR 74.5

$2.14 PKR 594

125.70%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.62 MVR 148

$4.04 PKR 1,120

138.12%

Cappuccino

$3.25 MVR 50.2

$2.04 PKR 564

59.31%

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

$1.51 MVR 23.30

$0.38 PKR 105

297.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 MVR 4.47

$0.24 PKR 66.7

20.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MVR 28.54

$0.85 PKR 235

117.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 MVR 23.15

$0.63 PKR 174

138.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.98 MVR 15.14

$1.22 PKR 339

-19.67%

Eggs

$1.74 MVR 26.83

$1.22 PKR 337

42.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.41 MVR 98.8

$5.79 PKR 1,603

10.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.49 MVR 100

$2.90 PKR 803

123.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.17 MVR 157

$5.08 PKR 1,407

100.20%

Apples (1kg)

$4.03 MVR 62.1

$1.13 PKR 313

256.64%

Banana (1kg)

$3.00 MVR 46.32

$0.69 PKR 191

334.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.83 MVR 59.0

$0.84 PKR 232

355.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 MVR 39.34

$0.57 PKR 159

347.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 MVR 28.38

$0.34 PKR 95.0

441.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.76 MVR 27.11

$0.42 PKR 116

319.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 MVR 33.79

$0.34 PKR 95.1

544.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 MVR 9.28

$0.41 PKR 113

46.34%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$11.48 MVR 177

$2.04 PKR 566

462.75%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 MVR 39.92

$1.08 PKR 299

139.81%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 MVR 69.1

$2.32 PKR 644

93.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.07 MVR 232

$2.14 PKR 594

604.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 MVR 10.40

$0.18 PKR 48.48

272.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.66 MVR 457

$9.87 PKR 2,736

200.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.91 MVR 29.42

$0.91 PKR 252

109.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 MVR 29.24

$0.52 PKR 144

265.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.16 MVR 126

$2.17 PKR 601

276.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 MVR 14.51

$1.22 PKR 337

-22.95%

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

$31.8K MVR 489.9K

$18.3K PKR 5.1M

73.56%

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

$30.1K MVR 463.4K

$25.4K PKR 7.0M

18.11%

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

$132 MVR 2,032

$108 PKR 30.0K

21.65%

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

$29.71 MVR 458

$5.35 PKR 1,481

455.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.0 MVR 1,048

$15.67 PKR 4,340

333.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.3 MVR 961

$15.93 PKR 4,412

291.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 MVR 324

$10.70 PKR 2,964

96.17%

Cinema Ticket

$9.21 MVR 142

$4.41 PKR 1,222

108.84%

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

$178 MVR 2,739

$42.68 PKR 11.8K

316.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,923 MVR 45.1K

$1,343 PKR 372.0K

117.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.49 MVR 578

$15.94 PKR 4,417

135.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.56 MVR 764

$23.78 PKR 6,589

108.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.4 MVR 1,348

$78.7 PKR 21.8K

11.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$51.5 MVR 794

$33.79 PKR 9,361

52.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$934 MVR 14.4K

$134 PKR 37.1K

596.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$683 MVR 10.5K

$77.9 PKR 21.6K

776.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,911 MVR 29.5K

$309 PKR 85.5K

518.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,464 MVR 22.6K

$172 PKR 47.7K

749.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,598 MVR 40.1K

$1,017 PKR 281.8K

155.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$774 MVR 11.9K

$522 PKR 144.5K

48.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$783 MVR 12.1K

$185 PKR 51.2K

323.86%

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 7, 2026

Last update for Pakistan: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $596 in Maldives, $122 in Pakistan. Capital cities: $940 in Male vs $270 in Islamabad.

National salary averages: $733 in Maldives, $181 in Pakistan. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 389% higher in Maldives.

Dining out costs 54% more in Maldives.

Public transport is 33% more expensive in Maldives.

Salaries are 305% 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 $766 per month in Maldives and $450 in Pakistan, there's a 70% 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.