Maldives
Overwater villas at any price you care to name, and guesthouse islands at a tenth of it.
Flat. The exchange rate moved 0.0%; local prices rose +3.9%.
- Lean
- $74
- Comfort
- $634
Ranked 95 of 99.
The short answerIn US dollars, as of November 12, 2026
Maldives costs US-dollar travelers about the same as a year ago in real terms (−0.4%). A mid-range day costs about $232 per person, excluding international flights. The US State Department advisory is Level 2 (increased caution), and it ranks 95 of 99 on the Trip Arbitrage Index with a score of 43 out of 100.
What your money buys there
30 monthsThe dashed line is what a currency converter shows. The solid line is the same thing after prices in both countries are taken into account. When they part, the solid one is telling the truth.
How the score is built
- Dislocation ×0.36
- 52
- Price floor ×0.30
- 0
- Safety ×0.20
- 75
- Ease ×0.14
- 70
Real price drop vs last year and vs the five-year norm
How low the daily cost is in absolute terms
From the current travel advisory
How well set up the country is for visitors
The full reading
| Real change, 3 months | −0.2% | Is the move still going, or already reversing? |
|---|---|---|
| Real change, 12 months | −0.4% | The headline: what your money buys versus a year ago. |
| Exchange rate alone, 12 months | 0.0% | What a currency converter would tell you. |
| Local inflation, 12 months | +3.9% | How much of that the destination's own prices took back. |
| Versus five-year average | +3.0% | Cheap or dear against its own recent history. |
| Advisory | Level 2 | Increased caution |
| Ease of travel | 3.8 / 5 | Well set up |
- Local-island guesthouses from $70
- Reef diving and snorkeling
- Shoulder-season resort deals
Resort islands price in dollars with heavy taxes and transfer fees. Alcohol is banned on local islands.
Tourism is priced almost entirely in US dollars; the rufiyaa barely matters.
When to go
November is shoulder season- Janpeak
- Febpeak
- Marpeak
- Aprpeak
- Mayshoulder
- Junoff
- Juloff
- Augoff
- Sepoff
- Octoff
- Novshoulder
- Decpeak
Safety and ease
- US State Department
- Level 2: Increased caution · updated October 6, 2025
- Read the full advisory ↗
- Advisories are often regional. A country-wide level can hide both safe areas and no-go zones, and other governments may judge differently.
- Tourism infrastructure
- Well set up · 3.8 / 5
Head to head
- Maldives vs Sri Lanka$61a day there
- Maldives vs India$53a day there
- Maldives vs Nepal$48a day there
Maldives, in five questions
Answers are generated from the index reading of November 12, 2026, in US dollars. To cite: “Trip Arbitrage (triparbitrage.com), reading of November 12, 2026.”
- How much does it cost per day to travel in Maldives?
- As of November 12, 2026, a day in Maldives costs about $74 on a lean budget, $232 mid-range and $634 in comfort, per person, excluding international flights. These are modeled estimates, updated daily for local inflation and the exchange rate.
- Is Maldives cheaper to visit than a year ago?
- It is about the same. Over the past 12 months the exchange rate moved 0.0% for US-dollar holders while prices in Maldives rose +3.9%, a net real change of −0.4% in purchasing power. Against its own five-year average, Maldives is 3.0% cheaper.
- Is Maldives safe to travel to right now?
- The US State Department rates Maldives at Level 2: Increased caution. Resort islands price in dollars with heavy taxes and transfer fees. Alcohol is banned on local islands. Advisories are often regional and other governments may differ, so read the full advisory before booking.
- When is the cheapest time to visit Maldives?
- The shoulder months, when the weather is workable and prices ease, are May, November. The best conditions, and the highest prices, come in December, January, February, March, April. November is shoulder season.
- How easy is Maldives to travel around?
- Maldives scores 3.8 out of 5 for ease of travel (well set up), a measure of transport, lodging, payments, wayfinding and access to healthcare. Overwater villas at any price you care to name, and guesthouse islands at a tenth of it.
Elsewhere in South Asia
Reading of November 12, 2026. In US dollars, Maldives reads −0.4% over twelve months in real terms with a mid-range day near $232. Costs are modeled, not quoted: see the method.