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 $960 in Maldives.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,676 in Turkey versus $1,569 in Maldives.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,271 in Turkey versus $2,177 in Maldives.

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

Both countries sit below the global median: Turkey 19% lower, Maldives 28% lower.

Internal cost variation is higher in Maldives: monthly costs span $43.00 to $1,524, compared to $866$1,732 in Turkey. City choice carries more weight in Maldives.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Turkey
Maldives
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.92 ₺410
$5.88 MVR 90.7
51.70%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$38.84 ₺1,784
$48.78 MVR 752
-20.38%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.80 ₺358
$9.62 MVR 148
-18.92%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$4.62 MVR 71.2
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$5.90 MVR 91.0
-
Cappuccino
$3.18 ₺146
$3.13 MVR 48.25
1.60%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.26 ₺58.1
$1.46 MVR 22.53
-13.70%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ₺22.59
$0.35 MVR 5.33
40.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.63 ₺167
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.65 ₺214
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Turkey
Maldives
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.99 ₺45.66
$1.68 MVR 25.94
-41.07%
White Bread (500g)
$0.79 ₺36.44
$1.53 MVR 23.59
-48.37%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.13 ₺97.7
$1.11 MVR 17.16
91.89%
Eggs
$2.32 ₺107
$1.63 MVR 25.14
42.33%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.78 ₺449
$7.78 MVR 120
25.71%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.70 ₺262
$6.04 MVR 93.1
-5.63%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.78 ₺909
$10.08 MVR 155
96.23%
Apples (1kg)
$1.34 ₺61.6
$4.03 MVR 62.2
-66.75%
Banana (1kg)
$2.19 ₺101
$3.81 MVR 58.7
-42.52%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.18 ₺54.3
$3.91 MVR 60.3
-69.82%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.46 ₺67.1
$3.42 MVR 52.7
-57.31%
Potato (1kg)
$0.76 ₺34.86
$1.49 MVR 22.92
-48.99%
Onion (1kg)
$0.61 ₺28.15
$1.22 MVR 18.83
-50.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.00 ₺45.86
$2.42 MVR 37.33
-58.68%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 ₺23.31
$0.65 MVR 9.99
-21.54%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
-
$11.48 MVR 177
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$2.74 MVR 42.22
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$8.39 MVR 129
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.21 ₺101
$8.15 MVR 126
-72.88%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.87 ₺499
-
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.15 ₺98.6
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.82 ₺130
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Turkey
Maldives
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.70 ₺32.26
$0.64 MVR 9.80
9.37%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.97 ₺2,066
$27.75 MVR 428
62.05%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.06 ₺48.55
$1.90 MVR 29.31
-44.21%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.66 ₺30.23
$1.93 MVR 29.69
-65.80%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.61 ₺349
$8.06 MVR 124
-5.58%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.19 ₺54.5
$0.92 MVR 14.15
29.35%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$43.2K ₺2.0M
$31.8K MVR 491.0K
35.59%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$43.4K ₺2.0M
$30.4K MVR 469.4K
42.61%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Turkey
Maldives
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$69.3 ₺3,185
$115 MVR 1,772
-39.68%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$10.88 ₺500
$41.99 MVR 648
-74.09%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$14.03 ₺645
$71.5 MVR 1,103
-80.38%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Turkey
Maldives
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$49.89 ₺2,292
$77.5 MVR 1,195
-35.63%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.02 ₺828
$35.22 MVR 543
-48.84%
Cinema Ticket
$6.53 ₺300
$9.35 MVR 144
-30.16%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Turkey
Maldives
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$626 ₺28.7K
$173 MVR 2,671
261.19%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$13.0K ₺596.0K
$3,272 MVR 50.4K
296.53%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Turkey
Maldives
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.3 ₺2,448
$41.48 MVR 640
28.45%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.13 ₺1,982
$50.6 MVR 781
-14.81%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$108 ₺4,946
$82.6 MVR 1,274
30.28%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$95.7 ₺4,399
$52.6 MVR 811
82.12%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Turkey
Maldives
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$627 ₺28.8K
$1,013 MVR 15.6K
-38.08%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$454 ₺20.9K
$684 MVR 10.6K
-33.61%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,175 ₺54.0K
$1,660 MVR 25.6K
-29.23%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$726 ₺33.3K
$1,395 MVR 21.5K
-47.97%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,741 ₺80.0K
$2,603 MVR 40.1K
-33.12%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,078 ₺49.5K
$849 MVR 13.1K
26.94%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Turkey
Maldives
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,056 ₺48.5K
$801 MVR 12.4K
31.83%
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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Maldives: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $528 in Turkey, $652 in Maldives. Capital cities: $741 in Ankara vs $970 in Male.

National salary averages: $1,056 in Turkey, $749 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 41% higher in Turkey, giving Turkey stronger purchasing power.

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 $784 per month in Maldives and $1,299 in Turkey, there's a 66% 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?
Maldives is simply cheaper day-to-day: 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 beats 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 vs Turkey?
In Maldives, $2,000 covers most cities easily. In Turkey, it works in regional areas but 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 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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