a white sandy beach surrounded by trees and water
Malé, capital of Maldives
Maldives resort
Aerial shot of a small island on a coral reef in the Maldives
Man looking at very dense clouds and the rough sea. The locatio…
A Trans Maldivian Airways (TMA) floatplane to the north of Bath…
UN MemberVisa-free · 30 daysPop. 541K
45
NestFainder ScoreAI

Worth considering

A−Cost
BSafety
AClimate
BHDI
Maldives flag

Maldives

Maldivian

Maldives

Trade your commute for turquoise waters and a 47% cost advantage—the Maldives offers island living at half Western prices, year-round warmth, and a pace that lets you actually breathe.

See how Maldives matches your profileComing soon — available in a future release
CLIMATE
30°C avg · 2800h sun/yr
CURRENCY
MVR
LANGUAGE
Maldivian
SAFETY
Moderate
#1 globally · Safety index 48/100
COST OF LIVING
Moderate
Cost index 47/100
TIME ZONE
GMT+5
UTC+5

What it's like to live in Maldives

The Maldives is a unique island nation located in the Indian Ocean, southwest of India and Sri Lanka, comprising a stunning archipelago of 26 coral atolls. Consisting of approximately 1,190 coral islands, of which only about 200 are inhabited, the co...


Cost of living
vs EU AverageSimilar cost of living
1-bed apartment, city
MVR14,500Apartment (1 bedroom) in City…
Dinner for two
MVR135Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant
Monthly groceries
MVR27.76Milk (regular), (1 liter)
Public transit (month)
MVR8.68One-way Ticket (Local Transpo…
Read the full cost-of-living guide
★ Professional

Your Maldives Roadmap

40+ page personal relocation analysis — visa path, tax strategy, neighbourhood guide, healthcare setup and more.

€29one-time report
What's included
  • Visa & residency path
  • Tax optimisation
  • Neighbourhood guide
  • Healthcare & schools
  • Cost breakdown

Healthcare

  • Maldives operates a mixed public and private healthcare system, with public services primarily funded by the government and private options offering more specialized care.
  • Expats legally working in the Maldives are typically covered by the government-sponsored Aasandha health insurance scheme, though employer-provided private insurance is highly recommended.
  • Comprehensive international health insurance, including medical evacuation, is crucial for expats due to limited specialized facilities outside the capital, Malé, and the high cost of overseas treatment.
Healthcare guide →
Entry Requirements & Visa Options

The Maldives offers a straightforward entry policy for tourists, granting a free 30-day visa on arrival to citizens of all countries except those with visa-exempt status or Israeli passport holders, who are denied entry as of April 2025 . This applies to popular nationalities including US, UK, Canada, and Australia passport holders. No advance visa application is needed; the visa is issued at Velana International Airport upon meeting entry conditions . Key entry requirements include: - Passport with Machine Readable...

Work permits available
Read full guide

Travel advisories, hazards, and conflict indicators

Cost of living, housing, income, and purchasing power overview

Income tax, corporate tax, and fiscal overview

Job market, business environment, and work permits

International schools, universities, and curricula

Pension, retirement pathways, and financial planning

Seasonal temperatures, rainfall, and sunshine hours

Population, languages, and ethnic composition

Day-to-day expat life and practical tips

Public transit, airports, and getting around

Community, cultural integration, and expat life

Air quality, green spaces, and sustainability

Political system, government structure, and key policies

Location overview, cost of living index, and purchasing power

Economic and geographic overview at a glance

Community perspectives and expat experiences

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Coming soon — available in a future release

This content was generated using artificial intelligence based on publicly available information. It is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, tax, immigration, or professional advice. Information may be incomplete or outdated. Always verify with official sources before making decisions.

Data Source: Safety, crime, and quality metrics are sourced from Numbeo, a crowd-sourced global database of reported data.

All scores are relative comparisons on a 0-100 scale, where 50 = global average. Higher scores mean better than average, lower scores mean worse than average.