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: $2,642 in United States versus $955 in Maldives.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,857 in United States versus $1,551 in Maldives.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,072 in United States versus $2,146 in Maldives.

Living in United States is roughly 177% more expensive than in Maldives on average.

United States (98% above) and Maldives (29% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in United States: monthly costs span $1,335 to $5,182, compared to $45.00–$1,508 in Maldives. City choice carries more weight in United States.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.63 $19.63

$6.14 MVR 94.6

219.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.4 $75.4

$47.89 MVR 738

57.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.57 $11.57

$9.55 MVR 147

21.15%

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

$5.22 $5.22

$3.15 MVR 48.55

65.71%

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

$2.49 $2.49

$1.43 MVR 22.12

74.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$0.31 MVR 4.84

564.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.91 $5.91

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.13 $7.13

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.70 MVR 26.29

-35.88%

White Bread (500g)

$3.56 $3.56

$1.56 MVR 24.12

128.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.74 $4.74

$1.12 MVR 17.23

323.21%

Eggs

$4.34 $4.34

$1.56 MVR 24.12

178.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.68 $12.68

$7.72 MVR 119

64.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.28 $12.28

$6.33 MVR 97.5

94.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.60 $16.60

$9.79 MVR 151

69.56%

Apples (1kg)

$5.16 $5.16

$3.98 MVR 61.4

29.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 $1.70

$3.65 MVR 56.3

-53.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.45 $4.45

$3.85 MVR 59.4

15.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.80 $4.80

$3.47 MVR 53.6

38.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.93 $2.93

$1.45 MVR 22.34

102.07%

Onion (1kg)

$3.09 $3.09

$1.16 MVR 17.83

166.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.45 MVR 37.81

-9.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.25 $2.25

$0.65 MVR 10.10

246.15%

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)

$9.90 $9.90

$7.82 MVR 121

26.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 $15.28

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 $1.91

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 $3.58

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.46 $2.46

$0.68 MVR 10.47

261.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.6 $64.6

$28.20 MVR 435

129.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.77 $3.77

$1.97 MVR 30.33

91.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.93 MVR 29.71

-11.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.08 $30.08

$7.95 MVR 123

278.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$0.98 MVR 15.07

-2.04%

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

$29.9K $29.9K

$32.0K MVR 492.7K

-6.54%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$30.4K MVR 468.3K

-13.91%

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

$210 $210

$116 MVR 1,794

80.61%

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

$56.3 $56.3

$40.95 MVR 632

37.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.9 $72.9

$71.8 MVR 1,107

1.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.39 $45.39

$77.7 MVR 1,199

-41.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.60 $21.60

$35.87 MVR 553

-39.78%

Cinema Ticket

$14.04 $14.04

$9.41 MVR 145

49.20%

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

$1,377 $1,377

$167 MVR 2,579

723.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.4K $22.4K

$3,325 MVR 51.3K

572.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 $52.7

$42.61 MVR 657

23.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.41 $42.41

$50.5 MVR 779

-16.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.8 $91.8

$81.2 MVR 1,251

13.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$53.7 MVR 828

111.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,765 $1,765

$1,001 MVR 15.4K

76.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,462 $1,462

$674 MVR 10.4K

117.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,849 $2,849

$1,633 MVR 25.2K

74.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,369 $2,369

$1,379 MVR 21.3K

71.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,364 $3,364

$2,664 MVR 41.1K

26.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,665 $2,665

$845 MVR 13.0K

215.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,378 $4,378

$800 MVR 12.3K

447.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

12.4

-47.50%

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

Last update for United States: July 12, 2026

Last update for Maldives: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,635 in United States, $650 in Maldives. Capital cities: $1,625 in Washington, MI vs $972 in Male.

National salary averages: $4,500 in United States, $744 in Maldives. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 152% higher in United States.

Dining out costs 387% more in United States.

Public transport is 108% more expensive in United States.

Salaries are 505% 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 $777 per month in Maldives and $3,259 in United States, there's a 320% 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.