How Much Does It Cost to Live In Male?
The prices of everything in Malé are twice as higher than those on the surrounding islands, because – well, it’s the capital!
However, the prices change seasonally: during the tourist season – they start skyrocketing, and when the rainy weather comes – the prices get lower.
For example, during Christmas you can expect prices to be close to double.
This doesn’t mean that you can’t find anything cheap in Malé, of course you can, but in general, it’s a higher living standard there than anywhere else in the Maldives.
Maldives : Cost of Living by City
RESTAURANTS
Though you’ll save a lot of money if you eat on one of the surrounding islands, it doesn’t mean that you can’t eat cheap food in the capital: Malé still has similar cheap places but it also has places where you can spend over 7$ on coffee and a tiny piece of cake. Domestic beer can cost almost 4$ in this city.
MARKETS
Maldivian local dishes comprise of a very small amount of groceries. So, if you want to whisk up a delicious Maldivian meal, just buy some tuna, coconut milk and rice – and you’re done. Cooking at home, generally, saves up a lot of your money since groceries cost much less than meals in restaurants do, especially in the capital.
TRANSPORTATION
Malé city is the biggest in the Maldives, but it’s still very small, so you can get anywhere on foot within 10-15 minutes. Of course, you can take a bus, but they aren’t very reliable and the tickets can’t be considered cheap: a one-way ticket costs around 1.50$. If you are staying in Malé the best advice you can get is to buy yourself a motorbike.
UTILITIES (MONTHLY)
For such a world-wide popular tourist destination, the prices of necessary things such as bills and utilities aren’t high at all. For example, if you live in a larger apartment for two people, which means around 85m2, all of your basic utilities including electricity, cooling, gas, garbage services and water – will cost around 200$. Internet, however, is very, very expensive.
SPORTS & LEISURE
Indulging in sports and fitness isn’t too pricey either – taking into account where you are! Becoming a member of a gym or a fitness club will cost you roughly around 50$, which is a reasonable price, while leisure activities like going to the cinema aren’t exactly cheap, but they aren’t expensive either: a movie ticket costs around 6.5$.
CLOTHING & SHOES
Shopping for clothing in Malé – now that’s an outstanding idea! Go shopping and you won’t regret it: buying clothes in one of Malé’s shopping centers can include finding quality jeans like Levi’s for only 37$, running sneakers of brands like Nike for 60$, while lighter pieces of clothing like summer dresses cost 30$.
RENT PER MONTH
Rent can be a bit steep in Malé. But it all still depends on where you want to live. A huge part of the Maldives are just small islands filled with bungalows that can’t be called apartments, they are meant for tourists. Now, if you want to move to Malé, a one-bedroom apartment in the city center costs around 860$ approximately, while the same apartment on the outskirts of town will cost you around 650$.
Cost of Living Averages Table for Male
*Note: All prices are indicated in USD.| Average Restaurant Prices | |
|---|---|
| Meal (Inexpensive Restaurant) | $3.56 |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 Liter) | $3.23 |
| Water (0.33 Liter) | $0.26 | Average Market Prices |
| Milk (1 Liter) | $1.81 |
| Loaf Bread (500g) | $1.52 |
| Eggs (12) | $1.55 | Average Transport Prices |
| One Way Ticket | $1.62 |
| Monthly Pass | $54.98 |
| Gasoline | $0.74 | Average Utilities Prices |
| Basic (Water, Electricity, Garbage, Heating, Cooling) | $213.48 |
| 1 min. of Prepaid Mobile Tariff Local | $0.08 |
| Internet (Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | $86.66 | Average Leisure Prices |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | $52.07 |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour) | $8.09 |
| Cinema, 1 Seat, International Release | $6.50 | Average Clothing Prices |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Comparable) | $35.58 |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, etc...) | $30.17 |
| 1 Pair of Adidas Walking Shoes (Mid-Range) | $66.70 | Average Rent Prices |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Center | $844.11 |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Center | $657.61 |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Center | $1834.65 |
How Does the Average Person Spend Their Money in Male?
Like in most countries, the largest amount of money in the city of Male gets spent on food.
Right after the food and groceries, rent is the next big expense for the people of Male: it is exceptionally high, especially taking into consideration the average salary in the Maldives.
Apart from food and rent, huge expenses here are also transportation and restaurants – since a huge part of society eats in restaurants every day.
Sports and leisure are just above clothing expenses which take up the last place.
Average Costs Breakdown
Male: Average Salary, Minimum Wage & Mortgages
It is really no surprise that the average wage of an average citizen of Maldives is only around 600$, as it can be concluded right away when you see their low prices.
For this amount of money, they have enough for food and all basic necessities but there isn’t any room for savings or anything else that isn’t truly necessary.
If you’re planning on going to Malé for a period of time, bring 1000$ with you and you’ll have no problems – you can even splurge.
Male Safety Overview
READ THE FULL REPORT: Male Safety Review
Safety Index:
- OVERALL RISK: MEDIUM
- TRANSPORT & TAXIS RISK: LOW
- PICKPOCKETS RISK: MEDIUM
- NATURAL DISASTERS RISK: LOW
- MUGGING RISK: HIGH
- TERRORISM RISK: MEDIUM
- SCAMS RISK: MEDIUM
- WOMEN TRAVELERS RISK: MEDIUM
S.Hithadhoo cost of living expense