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

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

Living in Turkey is roughly 13% more expensive than in Maldives on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Turkey 19% lower, Maldives 29% 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
Turkey
Maldives
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.90 ₺420
$6.14 MVR 94.6
44.95%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$37.67 ₺1,776
$47.89 MVR 738
-21.34%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.72 ₺364
$9.55 MVR 147
-19.16%
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
$3.33 ₺157
$3.15 MVR 48.55
5.71%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.34 ₺63.1
$1.43 MVR 22.12
-6.29%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.48 ₺22.73
$0.31 MVR 4.84
54.84%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.59 ₺169
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.45 ₺210
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Turkey
Maldives
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.99 ₺46.49
$1.70 MVR 26.29
-41.76%
White Bread (500g)
$0.81 ₺38.28
$1.56 MVR 24.12
-48.08%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.18 ₺103
$1.12 MVR 17.23
94.64%
Eggs
$2.31 ₺109
$1.56 MVR 24.12
48.08%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.86 ₺465
$7.72 MVR 119
27.72%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.71 ₺269
$6.33 MVR 97.5
-9.79%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.55 ₺922
$9.79 MVR 151
99.69%
Apples (1kg)
$1.34 ₺63.1
$3.98 MVR 61.4
-66.33%
Banana (1kg)
$2.28 ₺107
$3.65 MVR 56.3
-37.53%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.23 ₺57.9
$3.85 MVR 59.4
-68.05%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.53 ₺72.1
$3.47 MVR 53.6
-55.91%
Potato (1kg)
$0.72 ₺34.00
$1.45 MVR 22.34
-50.34%
Onion (1kg)
$0.61 ₺28.94
$1.16 MVR 17.83
-47.41%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.04 ₺49.23
$2.45 MVR 37.81
-57.55%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.47 ₺22.32
$0.65 MVR 10.10
-27.69%
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)
$2.14 ₺101
$7.82 MVR 121
-72.63%
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
Turkey
Maldives
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.72 ₺33.83
$0.68 MVR 10.47
5.88%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$46.57 ₺2,196
$28.20 MVR 435
65.14%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.09 ₺51.5
$1.97 MVR 30.33
-44.67%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.66 ₺31.07
$1.93 MVR 29.71
-65.80%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.77 ₺367
$7.95 MVR 123
-2.26%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.17 ₺55.2
$0.98 MVR 15.07
19.39%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$42.5K ₺2.0M
$32.0K MVR 492.7K
32.90%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$43.2K ₺2.0M
$30.4K MVR 468.3K
42.23%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Turkey
Maldives
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$69.0 ₺3,256
$116 MVR 1,794
-40.66%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$10.86 ₺512
$40.95 MVR 632
-73.48%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$14.06 ₺663
$71.8 MVR 1,107
-80.42%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Turkey
Maldives
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$49.31 ₺2,326
$77.7 MVR 1,199
-36.56%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.14 ₺856
$35.87 MVR 553
-49.43%
Cinema Ticket
$6.47 ₺305
$9.41 MVR 145
-31.24%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Turkey
Maldives
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$637 ₺30.1K
$167 MVR 2,579
281.06%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.9K ₺607.8K
$3,325 MVR 51.3K
287.63%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Turkey
Maldives
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$54.5 ₺2,569
$42.61 MVR 657
27.83%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.31 ₺2,090
$50.5 MVR 779
-12.24%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$108 ₺5,071
$81.2 MVR 1,251
32.47%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$94.7 ₺4,468
$53.7 MVR 828
76.46%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Turkey
Maldives
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$646 ₺30.5K
$1,001 MVR 15.4K
-35.51%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$445 ₺21.0K
$674 MVR 10.4K
-33.90%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,173 ₺55.3K
$1,633 MVR 25.2K
-28.22%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$722 ₺34.0K
$1,379 MVR 21.3K
-47.67%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,740 ₺82.1K
$2,664 MVR 41.1K
-34.68%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,058 ₺49.9K
$845 MVR 13.0K
25.28%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Turkey
Maldives
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,087 ₺51.2K
$800 MVR 12.3K
35.77%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
42.38
12.4
241.77%

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

Last update for Turkey: July 14, 2026

Last update for Maldives: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

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

National salary averages: $1,041 in Turkey, $744 in Maldives. 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
Turkey vs Maldives: 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.

Turkey vs other spots: cost of living compared

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