Cost of Living Comparison Between United States and Maldives Cost of Living Comparison Between United States and Maldives

Name: Maldives
Address: MV

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,626 in United States versus $927 in Maldives.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,830 in United States versus $1,537 in Maldives.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,033 in United States versus $2,147 in Maldives.

Living in United States is roughly 183% more expensive than in Maldives on average.

United States (90% above) and Maldives (33% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in United States: monthly costs span $986 to $5,298, compared to $44.00–$1,488 in Maldives. City choice carries more weight in United States.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.83 $19.83

$6.40 MVR 98.7

209.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.8 $78.8

$50.6 MVR 780

55.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.19 $12.19

$9.72 MVR 150

25.41%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.83 MVR 74.5

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.62 MVR 148

Cappuccino

$5.59 $5.59

$3.25 MVR 50.2

72.00%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.51 MVR 23.30

84.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 $2.18

$0.29 MVR 4.47

651.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.86 $5.86

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.02 $8.02

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.85 MVR 28.54

-42.16%

White Bread (500g)

$3.68 $3.68

$1.50 MVR 23.15

145.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.66 $4.66

$0.98 MVR 15.14

375.51%

Eggs

$4.20 $4.20

$1.74 MVR 26.83

141.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.78 $12.78

$6.41 MVR 98.8

99.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.40 $12.40

$6.49 MVR 100

91.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.90 $16.90

$10.17 MVR 157

66.18%

Apples (1kg)

$5.23 $5.23

$4.03 MVR 62.1

29.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 $1.66

$3.00 MVR 46.32

-44.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$3.83 MVR 59.0

13.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$2.55 MVR 39.34

94.51%

Potato (1kg)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.84 MVR 28.38

53.26%

Onion (1kg)

$3.11 $3.11

$1.76 MVR 27.11

76.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 $2.19

$2.19 MVR 33.79

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$0.60 MVR 9.28

276.67%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$11.48 MVR 177

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 MVR 39.92

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 MVR 69.1

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.35 $10.35

$15.07 MVR 232

-31.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.81 $14.81

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 $2.09

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 $3.65

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 $2.38

$0.67 MVR 10.40

255.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.5 $64.5

$29.66 MVR 457

117.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 $3.54

$1.91 MVR 29.42

85.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 $1.86

$1.90 MVR 29.24

-2.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.34 $30.34

$8.16 MVR 126

271.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$0.94 MVR 14.51

6.38%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$35.5K $35.5K

$31.8K MVR 489.9K

11.84%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$25.9K $25.9K

$30.1K MVR 463.4K

-13.93%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$222 $222

$132 MVR 2,032

68.61%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$61.1 $61.1

$29.71 MVR 458

105.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.7 $74.7

$68.0 MVR 1,048

9.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.49 $44.49

$62.3 MVR 961

-28.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.35 $22.35

$20.99 MVR 324

6.48%

Cinema Ticket

$15.03 $15.03

$9.21 MVR 142

63.19%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,431 $1,431

$178 MVR 2,739

705.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.9K $25.9K

$2,923 MVR 45.1K

785.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.6 $53.6

$37.49 MVR 578

42.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.46 $43.46

$49.56 MVR 764

-12.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 $91.5

$87.4 MVR 1,348

4.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$51.5 MVR 794

120.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 $1,633

$934 MVR 14.4K

74.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,328 $1,328

$683 MVR 10.5K

94.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,606 $2,606

$1,911 MVR 29.5K

36.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,206 $2,206

$1,464 MVR 22.6K

50.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,323 $3,323

$2,598 MVR 40.1K

27.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,653 $2,653

$774 MVR 11.9K

242.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,306 $4,306

$783 MVR 12.1K

449.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.21

-55.64%

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

Last update for United States: September 7, 2026

Last update for Maldives: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,604 in United States, $596 in Maldives. Capital cities: $1,360 in Columbia, TN vs $940 in Male.

National salary averages: $4,526 in United States, $733 in Maldives. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 169% higher in United States.

Dining out costs 275% more in United States.

Public transport is 125% more expensive in United States.

Salaries are 517% higher in United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in United States.

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

United States vs Maldives: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $766 per month in Maldives and $3,142 in United States, there's a 310% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

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.

Rent in United States 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.

In Maldives, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in United States it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: Maldives wins on affordability; United States may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.