🙂Monthly costs for one person with rent: $927 in Maldives versus $1,020 in Turkey.
🙂Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,537 in Maldives versus $1,591 in Turkey.
🙂Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,147 in Maldives versus $2,161 in Turkey.
🌍Living in Maldives costs about 9% less than in Turkey on average.
📊Both countries sit below the global median: Maldives 33% lower, Turkey 26% lower.
📏Internal cost variation is higher in Maldives: monthly costs span $44.00 to $1,488, compared to $667–$1,752 in Turkey. City choice carries more weight in Maldives.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Maldives
Turkey
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.40MVR 98.7
$9.07₺440
-29.44%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$50.6MVR 780
$41.10₺1,996
23.09%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$9.72MVR 150
$8.74₺425
11.21%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$4.83MVR 74.5
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$9.62MVR 148
-
-
Cappuccino
$3.25MVR 50.2
$3.63₺176
-10.47%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.51MVR 23.30
$1.44₺70.0
4.86%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.29MVR 4.47
$0.50₺24.19
-42.00%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
-
$3.82₺185
-
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
-
$4.45₺216
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Maldives
Turkey
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.85MVR 28.54
$1.02₺49.48
81.37%
White Bread(500g)
$1.50MVR 23.15
$0.99₺48.06
51.52%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$0.98MVR 15.14
$2.22₺108
-55.86%
Eggs
$1.74MVR 26.83
$2.20₺107
-20.91%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$6.41MVR 98.8
$9.83₺477
-34.79%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$6.49MVR 100
$4.82₺234
34.65%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$10.17MVR 157
$20.63₺1,002
-50.70%
Apples(1kg)
$4.03MVR 62.1
$1.83₺88.6
120.22%
Banana(1kg)
$3.00MVR 46.32
$1.97₺95.5
52.28%
Oranges(1kg)
$3.83MVR 59.0
$1.11₺54.1
245.05%
Tomato(1kg)
$2.55MVR 39.34
$1.34₺64.9
90.30%
Potato(1kg)
$1.84MVR 28.38
$0.57₺27.79
222.81%
Onion(1kg)
$1.76MVR 27.11
$0.43₺20.76
309.30%
Lettuce(1 head)
$2.19MVR 33.79
$0.93₺45.19
135.48%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.60MVR 9.28
$0.64₺31.20
-6.25%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine(Mid-Range)
$11.48MVR 177
-
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$2.59MVR 39.92
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$4.48MVR 69.1
-
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$15.07MVR 232
$2.23₺108
575.78%
Wine(Bottle)
-
$11.94₺580
-
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
-
$2.24₺109
-
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.97₺144
-
🚌 Getting Around
Maldives
Turkey
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.67MVR 10.40
$0.80₺38.89
-16.25%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$29.66MVR 457
$41.38₺2,009
-28.32%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$1.91MVR 29.42
$1.52₺74.0
25.66%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.90MVR 29.24
$0.85₺41.26
123.53%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$8.16MVR 126
$7.97₺387
2.38%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$0.94MVR 14.51
$1.33₺64.8
-29.32%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$31.8KMVR 489.9K
$43.7K₺2.1M
-27.32%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$30.1KMVR 463.4K
$42.1K₺2.0M
-28.65%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Maldives
Turkey
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$132MVR 2,032
$75.9₺3,684
73.69%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$29.71MVR 458
$10.31₺500
188.17%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$68.0MVR 1,048
$15.65₺760
334.31%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Maldives
Turkey
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$62.3MVR 961
$54.3₺2,635
14.84%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.99MVR 324
$20.33₺987
3.25%
Cinema Ticket
$9.21MVR 142
$7.41₺360
24.29%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Maldives
Turkey
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$178MVR 2,739
$680₺33.0K
-73.89%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$2,923MVR 45.1K
$15.8K₺769.5K
-81.56%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Maldives
Turkey
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$37.49MVR 578
$52.8₺2,562
-28.96%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$49.56MVR 764
$43.65₺2,119
13.54%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$87.4MVR 1,348
$101₺4,885
-13.12%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$51.5MVR 794
$91.7₺4,453
-43.86%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Maldives
Turkey
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$934MVR 14.4K
$587₺28.5K
59.18%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$683MVR 10.5K
$421₺20.4K
62.39%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,911MVR 29.5K
$1,012₺49.1K
88.87%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,464MVR 22.6K
$699₺33.9K
109.41%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$2,598MVR 40.1K
$1,753₺85.1K
48.23%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$774MVR 11.9K
$1,103₺53.6K
-29.87%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Maldives
Turkey
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$783MVR 12.1K
$1,100₺53.4K
-28.80%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
14
41.91
-66.60%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Maldives: September 7, 2026
Last update for Turkey: September 6, 2026
Cost Breakdown
🏠National rent averages: $596 in Maldives, $458 in Turkey. Capital cities: $940 in Male vs $749 in Ankara.
💰National salary averages: $733 in Maldives, $1,058 in Turkey. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.
Cost Highlights
⭐Rent is 30% higher in Maldives.
⭐Dining out costs 80% more in Turkey.
⭐Public transport is 125% more expensive in Turkey.
⭐Salaries are 44% higher in Turkey, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Turkey.
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 Turkey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which country is more expensive to live in: Maldives or Turkey?
At $766 per month in Maldives and $1,210 in Turkey, there's a 58% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
Where are groceries and transport cheaper: Maldives or Turkey?
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.
How do rents compare between Maldives and Turkey?
Rent in Turkey 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.
How far does $2,000 go in Maldives compared to Turkey?
In Maldives, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in Turkey it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.
How do I choose between living in Maldives and in Turkey?
It depends on what you're after: Maldives wins on affordability; Turkey may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.