Cost of Living inMale, Maldives
Image credit: Shahee Ilyas
Purchasing Power vs. United States
Based on GDP per capita (PPP). Maldives: $23,034/capita.
How Far Your Money Goes
Prices are 51% lower than the global benchmark (New York City = 100).
Using the country-level NYC comparison for now. We do not have a defensible city-level aggregate cost index for this city yet.
Income Category
GDP per Capita
City Population
Child Education
International and private school tuition + curriculum mix for relocating families.
International & private schools
Childcare & Domestic Help
Nanny, housekeeper, and driver pricing is not yet sourced for Male. We publish this section only when we can tie it to local job-board, agency, or country fallback evidence.
Getting Around
Neighborhood mobility profiles are rolling out city by city.Male is still missing a verified walkability, transit, airport, and rideshare profile.
Healthcare
System strength, outcome signals, facility coverage, and self-pay visibility in Maldives.
Method: country metrics come from public system indicators, facility coverage reflects mapped providers we can inventory, direct pricing only reflects observed self-pay pages, and relative care cost can fall back to broad cost-of-living healthcare indices. Sparse pricing does not imply sparse healthcare availability.
Healthcare system
StrongSolid hospital-bed capacity and life expectancy is high support this rating.
Public care
GoodStrong public funding, relatively low patient cost-sharing, and country-level outcomes are comparatively strong support this rating.
Private care
LimitedThe tracked private-style network still looks thin and self-pay pricing transparency is still sparse weigh on this rating.
UHC coverage
71/100
2023
Physicians
2.23/1k
2019
Hospital beds
4.56/1k
2021
Out of pocket
18%
2023
Outcome signals
Life expectancy
81.3 yrs
2024
Maternal mortality
32/100k
2023
Neonatal mortality
3.7/1k
2024
International patient readiness
LimitedCountry-level outcomes are comparatively strong help, but price transparency is still sparse.
Pricing transparency
LimitedPublished self-pay prices are scarce weigh on this rating.
Facility coverage
Self-pay pricing visibility
No verified self-pay prices are published for the tracked facilities in Maldives yet.
This usually reflects low online price transparency rather than a lack of healthcare providers.
Notable facilities
System metrics: World Bank WDI · Updated 2026-06-01
Safety & Governance
Street Safety
Source: Numbeo where a city row is matched; otherwise World Bank WGI and country-level safety context.
Political Stability
World Bank WGI scale: -2.5 to +2.5.
Wages by Sector
| Sector | Median |
|---|---|
| Administrative & Support Services | — |
| Agriculture & Farming | — |
| Arts, Entertainment & Recreation | — |
| Construction | — |
| Education | — |
| Finance & Insurance | — |
| Healthcare & Social Work | — |
| Hospitality & Food Service | — |
| Information & Technology | — |
| Manufacturing | — |
| Mining & Quarrying | — |
| Other Services | — |
| Professional & Scientific Services | — |
| Public Administration & Defence | — |
| Retail & Wholesale Trade | — |
| Transport & Logistics | — |
| Utilities | — |
2019 annual wages in Male, Maldives · Source: ILO ILOSTAT (national)
Price Comparison vs. US
Visa Information (US passport)
Short-stay entry
US passport holders can obtain a visa on arrival.
Quick comparison FAQ
Structured from the deltas already shown on this page — no invented facts, no extra data sources.
How far does your money go in Male compared with the US?
Your money goes about 2.0x further in Male than in the US, based on the current PPP estimate. We are using the country-level cost index for Maldives here because a defensible city-level aggregate index is not available yet.
Is Male cheaper or more expensive overall than New York City?
Male is cheaper overall than New York City — overall living costs are about 51% cheaper than the global benchmark (New York City) for Male. We are using the country-level cost index for Maldives here because a defensible city-level aggregate index is not available yet.
How does rent in Male compare with New York City?
Rent in Male is about 75% cheaper than the global benchmark (New York City). We are using the country-level cost index for Maldives here because a defensible city-level aggregate index is not available yet.
How expensive are groceries and restaurants in Male?
Groceries in Male are about 47% cheaper than the global benchmark (New York City), and restaurant prices are about 57% cheaper than the same benchmark. We are using the country-level cost index for Maldives here because a defensible city-level aggregate index is not available yet.
About Male
Male is the capital and largest city of the Maldives, with about 103,693 residents on the main island of Male alone, making it one of the most densely populated cities in the world at roughly 60,000 people per square kilometer on land that is barely 2 square kilometers. The economy is overwhelmingly driven by Maldivian government, tourism administration (most resort tourism happens on outer islands rather than in Male itself), and trade. Dhivehi is the official language with English widely used in business, government, and tourism. The Maldives is the lowest-lying country in the world, with the entire island chain averaging only about 1.5 metres above sea level, and Male itself is protected by a perimeter sea wall. Climate is tropical with consistent warm temperatures and a monsoon-driven wet season.
See the full breakdown — free
No password needed. Takes ~30 seconds.