Cost of Living Comparison Between Maldives and Turkey Cost of Living Comparison Between Maldives and Turkey

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $955 in Maldives versus $1,081 in Turkey.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,551 in Maldives versus $1,675 in Turkey.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,146 in Maldives versus $2,268 in Turkey.

Living in Maldives costs about 12% less than in Turkey on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Maldives 29% lower, Turkey 19% lower.

Internal cost variation is higher in Maldives: monthly costs span $45.00 to $1,508, compared to $879$1,733 in Turkey. City choice carries more weight in Maldives.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Maldives
Turkey
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.14 MVR 94.6
$8.90 ₺420
-31.01%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.89 MVR 738
$37.67 ₺1,775
27.13%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.55 MVR 147
$7.72 ₺364
23.70%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.69 MVR 72.3
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.86 MVR 90.4
-
-
Cappuccino
$3.15 MVR 48.55
$3.33 ₺157
-5.41%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.43 MVR 22.12
$1.34 ₺63.1
6.72%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.31 MVR 4.84
$0.48 ₺22.72
-35.42%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$3.59 ₺169
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$4.45 ₺210
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Maldives
Turkey
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.70 MVR 26.29
$0.99 ₺46.47
71.72%
White Bread (500g)
$1.56 MVR 24.12
$0.81 ₺38.26
92.59%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.12 MVR 17.23
$2.18 ₺103
-48.62%
Eggs
$1.56 MVR 24.12
$2.31 ₺109
-32.47%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.72 MVR 119
$9.86 ₺465
-21.70%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.33 MVR 97.5
$5.71 ₺269
10.86%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.79 MVR 151
$19.55 ₺922
-49.92%
Apples (1kg)
$3.98 MVR 61.4
$1.34 ₺63.1
197.01%
Banana (1kg)
$3.65 MVR 56.3
$2.28 ₺107
60.09%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.85 MVR 59.4
$1.23 ₺57.9
213.01%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.47 MVR 53.6
$1.53 ₺72.1
126.80%
Potato (1kg)
$1.45 MVR 22.34
$0.72 ₺33.98
101.39%
Onion (1kg)
$1.16 MVR 17.83
$0.61 ₺28.92
90.16%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.45 MVR 37.81
$1.04 ₺49.20
135.58%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.65 MVR 10.10
$0.47 ₺22.31
38.30%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
$11.53 MVR 178
-
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.65 MVR 40.87
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.22 MVR 127
-
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.82 MVR 121
$2.14 ₺101
265.42%
Wine (Bottle)
-
$11.22 ₺529
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$2.13 ₺100
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.97 ₺140
-
🚌 Getting Around
Maldives
Turkey
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.68 MVR 10.47
$0.72 ₺33.81
-5.56%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$28.20 MVR 435
$46.57 ₺2,195
-39.45%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.97 MVR 30.33
$1.09 ₺51.4
80.73%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.93 MVR 29.71
$0.66 ₺31.05
192.42%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.95 MVR 123
$7.77 ₺366
2.32%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.98 MVR 15.07
$1.17 ₺55.2
-16.24%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.0K MVR 492.7K
$42.5K ₺2.0M
-24.76%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$30.4K MVR 468.3K
$43.2K ₺2.0M
-29.69%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Maldives
Turkey
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$116 MVR 1,794
$69.0 ₺3,254
68.51%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$40.95 MVR 632
$10.86 ₺512
277.07%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$71.8 MVR 1,107
$14.06 ₺663
410.74%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Maldives
Turkey
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$77.7 MVR 1,199
$49.31 ₺2,324
57.64%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$35.87 MVR 553
$18.14 ₺855
97.74%
Cinema Ticket
$9.41 MVR 145
$6.47 ₺305
45.44%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Maldives
Turkey
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$167 MVR 2,579
$637 ₺30.0K
-73.76%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,325 MVR 51.3K
$12.9K ₺607.4K
-74.20%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Maldives
Turkey
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$42.61 MVR 657
$54.5 ₺2,568
-21.77%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$50.5 MVR 779
$44.31 ₺2,088
13.95%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$81.2 MVR 1,251
$108 ₺5,068
-24.51%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$53.7 MVR 828
$94.7 ₺4,465
-43.33%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Maldives
Turkey
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,001 MVR 15.4K
$646 ₺30.4K
55.07%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$674 MVR 10.4K
$445 ₺21.0K
51.29%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,633 MVR 25.2K
$1,173 ₺55.3K
39.31%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,379 MVR 21.3K
$722 ₺34.0K
91.11%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,664 MVR 41.1K
$1,740 ₺82.0K
53.10%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$845 MVR 13.0K
$1,058 ₺49.9K
-20.18%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Maldives
Turkey
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$800 MVR 12.3K
$1,087 ₺51.2K
-26.35%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
12.4
42.38
-70.74%

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

Last update for Maldives: July 13, 2026

Last update for Turkey: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $650 in Maldives, $527 in Turkey. Capital cities: $972 in Male vs $726 in Ankara.

National salary averages: $744 in Maldives, $1,041 in Turkey. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 23% higher in Maldives.

Dining out costs 100% more in Turkey.

Public transport is 158% more expensive in Turkey.

Salaries are 40% 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 $777 per month in Maldives and $1,306 in Turkey, there's a 68% 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.

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