Short answer: On a local-island guesthouse holiday in the Maldives, plan on roughly US$60–120 (about MVR 925–1,850) per person per day, including taxes, simple meals and the odd excursion. A mid-range resort with half board runs about US$250–500 (MVR 3,850–7,700) per person per day, and an overwater villa at a luxury resort from about US$800 (MVR 12,300). A week therefore costs roughly US$420–840 on a guesthouse budget, US$1,750–3,500 at a mid-range resort and from about US$5,600 in luxury, before international flights and resort transfers.
The Maldives has two price worlds. Private resort islands, where most visitors stay, are among the most expensive beach holidays anywhere, and they add taxes, a service charge and often a seaplane ride on top of the room rate. Guesthouses on inhabited “local” islands, allowed since 2009, cost a fraction of that and use cheap public ferries and shared speedboats. This guide breaks down both, with taxes and fees from official sources, so you can build a realistic budget for your trip to the Maldives. Most prices here are quoted in US dollars, as they are in the Maldives itself; rufiyaa figures use about MVR 15.4 to the US dollar, the Maldives Monetary Authority’s managed rate in early October 2026. Use our Money exchange tool for today’s rate in your own currency.
Maldives daily costs at a glance
These example days are for one person sharing a double room, built from the typical prices further down this page. Resort figures assume half board (breakfast and dinner), which is common. They leave out international flights, the transfer from the airport, alcohol and spa treatments.
| Per person, per day | Guesthouse (budget) | Mid-range resort | Luxury resort |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bed | Half of a US$60–80 guesthouse double, plus service charge, T-GST and US$6 green tax: about US$45–60 | Half of a US$350–700 half-board double, plus service charge, T-GST and US$12 green tax: about US$240–460 | Half of an overwater villa from US$1,200, plus taxes: from about US$785 |
| Food | Three meals in local cafés at MVR 60–200 each: about US$15–25 | Breakfast and dinner included; lunch extra | Usually extra or on a meal plan |
| Getting around | Walking; ferries on travel days | Within the resort | Within the resort |
| Excursions | House reef free; a shared snorkel trip at US$30–80 every other day: US$0–40 | Snorkeling on the house reef; boat trips and dives extra | Extra |
| Total | About US$60–120 (MVR 925–1,850) | About US$250–500 (MVR 3,850–7,700) | From about US$800 (MVR 12,300) |
Room and excursion prices are the typical ranges from our Maldives travel guide, and café prices are typical October 2026 Malé prices; treat them as typical ranges, not quotes. Taxes and green tax are the official rates explained below.
What visitors actually spend in the Maldives
The Maldives does not publish an official per-visitor spending survey, but its national figures give a useful reality check. According to the Ministry of Tourism and Environment, 2,246,516 tourists visited in 2025, and the Maldives Monetary Authority recorded about 13.7 million bed nights and an average stay of 7.0 nights. Visitors spent more than US$5.4 billion in the country that year, as reported by Public Service Media. Divided out, that is roughly US$2,400 per visitor per trip, or about US$390 per guest per night, before the flight to the Maldives. Because three in four visitors stay at resorts, that average sits close to our mid-range resort day above.
In our Travel costs by country table, the Maldives’ general price level is about half of the US level (index 49, with the US at 100). We still rate it 4 out of 5 for travel costs, because resort islands, where most visitors stay, cost far more than the national average. On a guesthouse island, everyday prices for food and transport are closer to that national figure.
Accommodation costs: guesthouse or resort
This is the choice that decides your budget. Typical nightly rates, before taxes, are:
| Where you stay | Typical rate per night, before taxes |
|---|---|
| Guesthouse double on a local island | US$60–150 (about MVR 925–2,310) |
| Mid-range resort double, half board | US$350–700 (about MVR 5,400–10,800) |
| Luxury overwater villa | US$1,200 and up |
Guesthouse islands close to the airport in Kaafu Atoll, such as Maafushi, Thulusdhoo and Dhiffushi, have the most choice, and Ari Atoll has Rasdhoo, Ukulhas and Thoddoo. Local islands follow local rules: alcohol is served only at resorts and on licensed boats, and swimwear is for designated “bikini beaches.” Resorts in Baa Atoll and other outer atolls are further away, which usually means a seaplane or domestic flight.
Taxes and the green tax
Maldives room rates are often quoted before taxes, so read the small print. Three charges are usually added to the bill:
- Tourism goods and services tax (T-GST): 17% since 1 July 2025 (it was 16%), on rooms, meals and services at resorts, hotels, guesthouses and tourist vessels.
- Green tax: US$12 per person per night at resorts, resort hotels, tourist vessels and larger hotels, and US$6 per person per night at hotels and guesthouses with 50 rooms or fewer on inhabited islands, since 1 January 2025. Children under 2 are exempt.
- Service charge: most places add 10%, and the T-GST is then charged on top. Together, service charge and T-GST add about 29% to a quoted rate.
So a guesthouse double quoted at US$80 for two costs about US$115 a night with taxes, and a resort villa quoted at US$500 half board costs about US$670 for two.
Here is how that adds up over a week for a couple, using the same typical prices:
| 7 nights for two | Guesthouse in Kaafu Atoll | Mid-range resort, half board |
|---|---|---|
| Room at the quoted rate | US$80 a night: US$560 | US$500 a night: US$3,500 |
| Service charge and T-GST (about 29%) | About US$160 | About US$1,005 |
| Green tax | US$6 x 2 x 7: US$84 | US$12 x 2 x 7: US$168 |
| Transfers | Shared speedboat, round trip: about US$100–240 | Seaplane, round trip: about US$1,200–2,000 |
| Meals and excursions | Cafés plus three snorkel trips each: about US$390–830 | Lunches and activities extra |
| Total for two | About US$1,300–1,900 | About US$5,900–6,700 plus extras |
Food and drink costs
On local islands and in Malé, eating is cheap. A meal of rice and fish curry or a plate of hedhikaa (short eats) in a local café costs about MVR 60–200 (US$4–13). Numbeo’s crowd-sourced figures for Malé, updated October 2026, put a meal at an inexpensive restaurant at about US$6 and a three-course dinner for two at a mid-range restaurant at about US$39. Guesthouses often sell breakfast and dinner packages, and drinks are non-alcoholic on local islands.
At resorts, food is a major cost because there is nowhere else to eat. Half board (breakfast and dinner) is a common middle ground; full board and all-inclusive plans cost more but can save money if you drink alcohol, which is only sold on resort islands and licensed boats.
Getting around: ferries, speedboats and seaplanes
Transfers are the hidden cost of a Maldives trip, and they depend on how far your island is from Velana International Airport near Malé.
| Transfer | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Public ferry from Malé to a local island | A few US dollars; runs on set days, rarely on Fridays |
| Shared speedboat from the airport to a local island in Kaafu | US$25–60 (about MVR 385–925) each way |
| Seaplane return transfer to a resort | US$600–1,000 (about MVR 9,240–15,400) per adult |
Resorts arrange and charge for their own transfers, so ask for the price before you book; some resorts include them on longer stays. Seaplanes only fly in daylight, so a late international arrival can mean a night in Malé or Hulhumalé first. Resorts in more distant atolls also use domestic flights to airports such as Dharavandhoo (for Baa) and Maamigili (for South Ari), followed by a boat.
If your flight lands after dark or leaves early, budget for one night in a city hotel in Malé or Hulhumalé, which is next to the airport and linked to Malé by the Sinamalé Bridge. The same taxes apply there: service charge, T-GST and a green tax of US$6 per person at small hotels with 50 rooms or fewer, or US$12 at larger ones.
Excursions, diving and free things to do
The best thing in the Maldives is free: the reef. Many resorts have a house reef you can snorkel straight from the beach, and local islands have public beaches. Paid activities are where budgets stretch:
| Activity | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Snorkeling excursion from a guesthouse | US$30–80 (about MVR 460–1,230) |
| Two-tank boat dive | US$110–200 (about MVR 1,700–3,080) |
| Hanifaru Bay, Baa Atoll (manta season, snorkel only) | A visitor fee of about US$30, with an approved guide |
| Walking Malé: mosques, markets, Sultan Park | Free to wander |
Whale sharks are seen all year in South Ari, and the manta season in Baa Atoll’s Hanifaru Bay runs from about May or June to October or November. Read more on our snorkeling and diving pages, and see top places to visit in the Maldives for where to base yourself.
Entry and departure fees
The tourist visa is granted on arrival, and every traveler, children included, must fill in the online IMUGA Traveller Declaration within 96 hours before arrival; Maldives Immigration says the declaration is free. When you leave, a departure tax is charged: since 1 December 2024 it is US$50 for foreign passengers in economy class, US$120 in business and US$240 in first. Airlines normally include it in the ticket price.
Tipping in the Maldives
Because most bills already include a 10% service charge, tipping is optional. Many resort guests leave something extra for their room host, butler or dive guide at the end of a stay, in US dollars or rufiyaa. Our tip calculator helps you work out amounts in local money.
Money-saving tips for the Maldives
- Stay on a local island. A guesthouse double at US$60–150 before taxes costs a fraction of a resort, and the green tax is half (US$6 instead of US$12).
- Choose an island near the airport. Kaafu Atoll guesthouses and resorts are reached by speedboat, avoiding a seaplane fare of US$600–1,000.
- Do a resort day trip. Many resorts sell day passes to guesthouse guests, so you can try one without paying for a full stay.
- Compare meal plans. At a resort, half board or all-inclusive is often cheaper than ordering every meal.
- Go in the low season. The southwest monsoon, from May to November, brings more rain but the best resort deals, usually in June, September and October.
- Always ask for the price “with taxes.” Service charge, T-GST and green tax add about a third to many quotes.
For routes and timing, see our Maldives itinerary and the best time to visit the Maldives.
Plan your trip: our free trip planner can build a day-by-day plan for the Maldives from our guides to Kaafu, Ari and Baa atolls. Then use the Money exchange tool to turn dollars and rufiyaa into your own currency, and the Destination weather tool to pick your dates.
Frequently asked questions
How much money do I need for a week in the Maldives?
Using the example days above, seven nights cost roughly US$420–840 per person on a guesthouse budget, US$1,750–3,500 at a mid-range resort with half board, and from about US$5,600 in an overwater villa at a luxury resort, before flights. Add the transfer: about US$50–120 round trip by shared speedboat to a nearby local island, or US$600–1,000 by seaplane to a distant resort.
Is the Maldives expensive?
Resort holidays are: visitors spent about US$390 per guest per night on average in 2025. Guesthouse travel on local islands is far cheaper, with doubles from about US$60–150 a night before taxes, café meals for a few dollars, and public ferries.
Do I need cash in the Maldives?
At resorts, everything goes on your room bill and is paid by card when you leave. On local islands, carry some US dollars or rufiyaa in small notes for ferries, taxis in Malé and small cafés; guesthouses usually take cards, but check before you arrive.
What taxes are added to a Maldives hotel bill?
Usually a 10% service charge, 17% T-GST and a green tax of US$12 per person per night at resorts or US$6 at small guesthouses on inhabited islands. Together they add roughly a third to a quoted room rate.
Is the departure tax included in my plane ticket?
Normally yes. Airlines collect the Maldives departure tax, US$50 for foreign passengers in economy since 1 December 2024, with the fare.
What is the cheapest month to visit the Maldives?
The low season runs from May to November, during the wetter southwest monsoon, and the best resort deals usually come in June, September and October. Christmas, New Year and February are the most expensive weeks of the year.