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: $2,643 in United States versus $960 in Maldives.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,857 in United States versus $1,569 in Maldives.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,070 in United States versus $2,177 in Maldives.

Living in United States is roughly 175% more expensive than Maldives on average.

United States (97% above) and Maldives (28% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in United States: monthly costs span $1,343 to $5,081, compared to $43.00–$1,524 in Maldives. City choice carries more weight in United States.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.04 $20.04

$5.88 MVR 90.7

240.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.0 $76.0

$48.78 MVR 752

55.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.42 $11.42

$9.62 MVR 148

18.71%

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

$5.39 $5.39

$3.13 MVR 48.25

72.20%

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

$2.55 $2.55

$1.46 MVR 22.53

74.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$0.35 MVR 5.33

482.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.14 $6.14

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.18 $7.18

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.68 MVR 25.94

-38.10%

White Bread (500g)

$3.65 $3.65

$1.53 MVR 23.59

138.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$1.11 MVR 17.16

326.13%

Eggs

$4.38 $4.38

$1.63 MVR 25.14

168.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.76 $12.76

$7.78 MVR 120

64.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.42 $12.42

$6.04 MVR 93.1

105.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.41 $16.41

$10.08 MVR 155

62.80%

Apples (1kg)

$5.42 $5.42

$4.03 MVR 62.2

34.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 $1.65

$3.81 MVR 58.7

-56.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.59 $4.59

$3.91 MVR 60.3

17.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.91 $4.91

$3.42 MVR 52.7

43.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.49 MVR 22.92

95.97%

Onion (1kg)

$3.13 $3.13

$1.22 MVR 18.83

156.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.42 MVR 37.33

-6.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.30 $2.30

$0.65 MVR 9.99

253.85%

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)

$9.89 $9.89

$8.15 MVR 126

21.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.10 $15.10

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 $1.91

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 $3.66

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.48 $2.48

$0.64 MVR 9.80

287.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.8 $64.8

$27.75 MVR 428

133.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 $3.84

$1.90 MVR 29.31

102.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.93 MVR 29.69

-8.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.58 $30.58

$8.06 MVR 124

279.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$0.92 MVR 14.15

4.35%

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

$30.5K $30.5K

$31.8K MVR 491.0K

-4.28%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$30.4K MVR 469.4K

-13.35%

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

$204 $204

$115 MVR 1,772

77.65%

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

$57.3 $57.3

$41.99 MVR 648

36.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$71.5 MVR 1,103

-0.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.67 $46.67

$77.5 MVR 1,195

-39.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.12 $22.12

$35.22 MVR 543

-37.19%

Cinema Ticket

$13.84 $13.84

$9.35 MVR 144

48.02%

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

$1,384 $1,384

$173 MVR 2,671

698.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.7K $22.7K

$3,272 MVR 50.4K

593.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.0 $53.0

$41.48 MVR 640

27.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.17 $43.17

$50.6 MVR 781

-14.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.6 $90.6

$82.6 MVR 1,274

9.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$52.6 MVR 811

117.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,766 $1,766

$1,013 MVR 15.6K

74.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,459 $1,459

$684 MVR 10.6K

113.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,832 $2,832

$1,660 MVR 25.6K

70.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,411 $2,411

$1,395 MVR 21.5K

72.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,287 $3,287

$2,603 MVR 40.1K

26.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

$849 MVR 13.1K

212.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,379 $4,379

$801 MVR 12.4K

446.60%

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: May 30, 2026

Last update for Maldives: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,637 in United States, $652 in Maldives. Capital cities: $2,591 in Washington, DC vs $970 in Male.

National salary averages: $4,500 in United States, $749 in Maldives. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 151% higher in United States.

Dining out costs 387% more in United States.

Public transport is 108% more expensive in United States.

Salaries are 501% higher in United States, giving United States 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

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

At $784 per month in Maldives and $3,212 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.

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.

Rent in United States 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.

In Maldives, $2,000 covers most cities easily. In United States, it works in regional areas but 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.