Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pakistan and the Maldives

For one person, living is cheaper in Pakistan: $483 a month against $1,476 in the Maldives, rent and utilities included – about $11,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Pakistan
Maldives
🇵🇰 Pakistan
$483
/mo nomad
🇲🇻 Maldives
$1,476
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Pakistan and in the Maldives

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Pakistan and in the Maldives actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $483 in Pakistan versus $1,476 in the Maldives.

  • Pakistan $483
  • Maldives $1,476

Estimated couple costs with rent: $736 in Pakistan versus $2,376 in the Maldives.

  • Pakistan $736
  • Maldives $2,376

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $988 in Pakistan versus $3,276 in the Maldives.

  • Pakistan $988
  • Maldives $3,276

Internal cost variation is higher in the Maldives: monthly costs span $45 to $1,503, compared to $291–$607 in Pakistan. City choice carries more weight in the Maldives.

Living in Pakistan costs about 67% less than in the Maldives on average.

Pakistan (65% below) and the Maldives (8% above) straddle the global median.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Pakistan
Maldives
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.11 PKR 583
$6.31 MVR 97.3
-66.56%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$13.97 PKR 3,866
$50.4 MVR 778
-72.30%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.50 PKR 1,523
$9.74 MVR 150
-43.53%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.22 PKR 616
$4.95 MVR 76.4
-55.15%
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.31 PKR 1,193
$9.89 MVR 153
-56.42%
Cappuccino
$1.97 PKR 546
$3.31 MVR 51.0
-40.48%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.38 PKR 105
$1.59 MVR 24.46
-76.10%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.23 PKR 63.7
$0.29 MVR 4.44
-20.69%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Pakistan
Maldives
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.87 PKR 240
$1.85 MVR 28.58
-52.97%
White Bread (500g)
$0.60 PKR 165
$1.56 MVR 24.10
-61.54%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.21 PKR 335
$1.04 MVR 16.04
16.35%
Eggs
$1.21 PKR 334
$1.74 MVR 26.81
-30.46%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$5.42 PKR 1,500
$6.33 MVR 97.6
-14.38%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.83 PKR 783
$6.49 MVR 100
-56.39%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$5.06 PKR 1,400
$10.13 MVR 156
-50.05%
Apples (1kg)
$1.20 PKR 331
$4.00 MVR 61.6
-70.00%
Banana (1kg)
$0.64 PKR 176
$3.00 MVR 46.33
-78.67%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.87 PKR 241
$3.86 MVR 59.5
-77.46%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.54 PKR 149
$2.58 MVR 39.79
-79.07%
Potato (1kg)
$0.33 PKR 91.8
$1.76 MVR 27.08
-81.25%
Onion (1kg)
$0.39 PKR 108
$1.75 MVR 27.05
-77.71%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.37 PKR 104
$2.11 MVR 32.53
-82.46%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.41 PKR 113
$0.61 MVR 9.37
-32.79%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
$2.08 PKR 575
$11.13 MVR 172
-81.31%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.07 PKR 296
$2.47 MVR 38.09
-56.68%
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.36 PKR 652
$4.63 MVR 71.4
-49.03%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.14 PKR 593
$15.03 MVR 232
-85.76%
🚌 Getting Around
Pakistan
Maldives
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.20 PKR 55.0
$0.62 MVR 9.54
-67.74%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$10.01 PKR 2,768
$28.37 MVR 437
-64.72%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.88 PKR 243
$1.97 MVR 30.35
-55.33%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.56 PKR 155
$1.90 MVR 29.24
-70.53%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.22 PKR 614
$8.30 MVR 128
-73.25%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.29 PKR 357
$0.99 MVR 15.29
30.30%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$17.8K PKR 4.9M
$31.9K MVR 492.1K
-44.31%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.3K PKR 6.7M
$30.8K MVR 474.3K
-20.86%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Pakistan
Maldives
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$110 PKR 30.5K
$129 MVR 1,993
-14.68%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$5.41 PKR 1,496
$30.04 MVR 463
-81.99%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$15.79 PKR 4,369
$68.3 MVR 1,054
-76.89%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Pakistan
Maldives
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$18.50 PKR 5,119
$62.7 MVR 967
-70.51%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.09 PKR 3,067
$20.86 MVR 322
-46.84%
Cinema Ticket
$4.32 PKR 1,195
$8.98 MVR 139
-51.89%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Pakistan
Maldives
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$56.4 PKR 15.6K
$181 MVR 2,795
-68.91%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$1,511 PKR 418.2K
$2,834 MVR 43.7K
-46.67%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Pakistan
Maldives
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$17.56 PKR 4,859
$38.11 MVR 588
-53.92%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$23.58 PKR 6,523
$50.0 MVR 771
-52.84%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$76.7 PKR 21.2K
$86.1 MVR 1,327
-10.89%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$35.08 PKR 9,706
$52.4 MVR 808
-33.09%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Pakistan
Maldives
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$150 PKR 41.5K
$930 MVR 14.3K
-83.88%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$87.4 PKR 24.2K
$678 MVR 10.5K
-87.12%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$320 PKR 88.7K
$1,939 MVR 29.9K
-83.47%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$190 PKR 52.5K
$1,484 MVR 22.9K
-87.21%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$970 PKR 268.5K
$2,663 MVR 41.1K
-63.56%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$520 PKR 144.0K
$776 MVR 12.0K
-32.92%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Pakistan
Maldives
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$192 PKR 53.2K
$781 MVR 12.0K
-75.41%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
14.1
14
0.71%

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

Last update for Pakistan: October 25, 2026

Last update for the Maldives: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Pakistan
$131
Maldives
$228 73.1% $96
Groceries & Markets
Pakistan
$94
Maldives
$218 132% $124
Accommodation & Living
Pakistan
$87
Maldives
$678 677% $591
Clothing & Footwear
Pakistan
$69
Maldives
$102 48.2% $33
Eating Out
Pakistan
$59
Maldives
$127 113% $67
Sport & Entertainment
Pakistan
$27
Maldives
$81 197% $54
Getting Around
Pakistan
$14
Maldives
$42 192% $28

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $137 in Pakistan, $805 in the Maldives. Capital cities: $261 in Islamabad vs $939 in Male.

National salary averages: $185 in Pakistan, $736 in the Maldives. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 488% higher in the Maldives.

Dining out costs 200% more in the Maldives.

Public transport is 150% more expensive in the Maldives.

Salaries are about 4 times higher in the Maldives, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the Maldives.

Good to know
🇵🇰 Pakistan
🇲🇻 Maldives
🕒 Local time
04:33 4:33 AM
04:33 4:33 AM
Same time as Pakistan
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
223,773,700
436,330
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MVR, USD, EUR to PKR – Pakistani Rupee Converter

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 309 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.24 EUR).

Maldivian Rufiyaa exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 15.42 MVR (100 MVR = 6.49 USD). 1 EUR = 17.22 MVR (100 MVR = 5.81 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Pakistan Maldives 3,280 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Pakistan
  • Maldives

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Pakistan vs Maldives: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which country is more expensive to live in: the Maldives or Pakistan?
At $1,476 per month in the Maldives and $483 in Pakistan, Pakistan comes out about 67% cheaper. 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: the Maldives or Pakistan?
Day-to-day life is cheaper in Pakistan: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.
How do rents compare between the Maldives and Pakistan?
Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $805 in the Maldives and $137 in Pakistan. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.
How far does $1,000 go in the Maldives compared to Pakistan?
In Pakistan, $1,000 covers most cities easily; in the Maldives 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 the Maldives and in Pakistan?
It depends on what you’re after: Pakistan wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.

Pakistan vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar countries

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?