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Maldives Cost of Living 2026
🇲🇻 Prices in Maldives are based on Malé. Not the exchange rate — how cheap it feels on your own income, and where a price becomes a rip-off. Updated October 2026
Cities in Maldives compared
| City | Per day | Per month | Local meal | Coffee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇲🇻 MaléMid-size city | $158 | $2,919 | Rf100 | Rf50 |
Per day = one mid-range night + three meals, a coffee and two taxi rides. Open a city for item-by-item prices, rip-off thresholds and live traveler reports.
Everyday prices in Maldives
| City | Beer | 5 km taxi | Hotel night | Massage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇲🇻 Malé | Rf160 | Rf30 | Rf1,700 | Rf750 |
Maldives vs nearby countries
| Country | Per day | Per month | vs Maldives |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🇰🇿 Kazakhstan | $103 | $1,791 | -35% |
| 🇲🇳 Mongolia | $112 | $1,925 | -29% |
| 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan | $125 | $1,924 | -21% |
| 🇰🇷 South Korea | $127 | $1,948 | -19% |
| 🇹🇼 Taiwan | $136 | $1,771 | -14% |
| 🇲🇻 Maldives | $158 | $2,919 | this country |
| 🇲🇴 Macau | $173 | $4,196 | +9% |
| 🇯🇵 Japan | $177 | $2,387 | +12% |
Countries in the same region with a similar daily travel budget. Tap a country for its city-by-city prices.
Malé vs New York: item by item
| Item | Malé | New York | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local meal | Rf100≈ $6.49 | $20 | -68% |
| Coffee | Rf50≈ $3.24 | $6 | -46% |
| Beer | Rf160≈ $10.4 | $9 | +15% |
| 5 km taxi | Rf30≈ $1.95 | $23 | -92% |
| Hotel night | Rf1,700≈ $110 | $270 | -59% |
| 1-bed rent | Rf13,500≈ $875 | $3,300 | -73% |
Same purchase in both cities, converted to US dollars. Daily travel budget: Malé $158 vs New York $467 — about 66% cheaper.
Compare Maldives with other cities
Maldives travel difficulty
| City | Overall | Rip-offs | Language | Transport | Payments | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Malé | Easy 2.0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
Rip-offs, language, getting around, payments and safety, 1–5 (closer to 1 is easier). Tap a city for reasons and tips. Full difficulty ranking ›
City guides
FAQ
How much is a daily travel budget in Maldives?
In Malé, about $158 a day with a mid-range room. Hostels and local eateries cut that by 30% or more.
How much does a month in Maldives cost?
In Malé, short-term rental plus living costs come to about $2,919 a month.
Which city in Maldives is cheapest?
Malé runs about $158 a day.
Which nearby country is cheaper than Maldives?
Among countries in the same region with similar budgets, Kazakhstan runs about $103 a day — 35% less than Maldives (about $158).
Is Maldives cheaper than New York?
In Malé, a traveler's day runs about $158 versus $467 in New York — roughly 66% cheaper. The gap differs by item, so meals, coffee, taxis and hotels are listed separately above.