The Maldives has a reputation for costing thousands of dollars with only one way to experience it. I’ve visited the Maldives twice, travelling differently each time – staying on local islands, as a diving trip and experiencing luxury resorts. Let me tell you, the costs were dramatically different. I love a good budget breakdown and cost transparency. In this guide I’ll break down exactly how much a Maldives trip costs in 2026, from budget local islands to overwater villas, using my own expenses alongside current prices so you know what to realistically budget for. Don’t worry, I always come with receipts!

If you’re still deciding on what type of holiday to go for – between staying on a local island or splurging on a private resort, I’d recommend reading my complete guide on how to plan the perfect Maldives trip first. It covers everything from choosing the right island to transport, itineraries and the biggest mistakes first-time visitors make.

Disclaimer: Some links earn me a small commission – same price for you, slightly less tragic bank balance for me.x

Maldives Trip Cost at a Glance

Prices are shown in USD because this is the currency most commonly used throughout the Maldives. Approximate GBP and EUR conversions are included where useful.

The total cost of a Maldives trip comes down to four main factors: where you stay, which islands you visit, how you travel between islands and the type of experience you’re looking for. Flights are not included in these estimates. For this guide, I’ll cover the estimated range in costs for different price points either using my personal experience or costs that I’ve researched.

Estimated cost per person per day:

• • Budget Local Island: $60 – 90 / €50 – 80 / £45 – 70
  • Upscale local island: $120 – 180 / €100 – 160 / £90 – 135
  • Dive + Stay Package: $150 – 250 / €130 – 220 / £110 – 190
  • Luxury Resort: $350 – 700++ / €300 – 600+ / £260 – 525+

My Actual Maldives Budget (Diving Focused Trip)

For my second time in the Maldives, I spent most of my time scuba diving. I did a Dive + Stay package on Dhangethi and skipped many of the excursions that most visitors usually book. For the sake of budgeting, think of this as an example of what a diving focused Maldives itinerary costs rather than an average Maldivian holiday. All the prices below are written in USD.

Curious about my time on Dhangethi or want a read more about diving with South Ari Sanctuary Dive Center, head to these links to read both of my detailed guides.

Dhangethi Maldives Travel Guide
South Ari Sanctuary Dive Centre Review

Here’s a breakdown of what I spent.

Dhangethi – Dive + Stay with South Ari Sanctuary for one adult – $1019 

• • Dive + Stay package (single supplement): $879
  • Accommodation (and breakfast) + Diving + Transfers: Included
  • Food (snacks, lunch, dinner, drinks): $106

5 Nights on Dhiffushi – USD $865 for two adults with diving | $752 for two adults without diving

• • Accommodation (breakfast included): $374
  • 2-tank Scuba Dive: $113
  • Activities: $10
  • Transfer: $120
  • Food: $240

4 Nights on Maafushi – $948 for two adults with diving | $800 for two adults without diving

• • Accommodation (breakfast included):$420
  • Green tax: $32
  • 3-tank Scuba Dive: $150
  • Transfer: $90
  • Food: $202

Total Trip Cost

I have to split the costs slightly as my mom joined me for the 10 days on Dhiffushi and Maafushi. For this part of the trip, it was $1814 for two people including diving for 10 days on the Maldives… and $1551 without diving.

Total trip cost with diving: $1814
10 Days in the Maldives including 5 dives: $907 per person

Total trip cost without diving: $1551
10 Days in the Maldives: $775 per person

Now, including my 6 days on Dhangethi as part of my Dive + Stay, my total for my 16 days in the Maldives came to $907 + $1019 = $ 1926, including 15 dives.

Trip cost with Dive + Stay and local islands – 16 Days in the Maldives including 15 dives: $1926
Cost per day: ±$120 for myself

Budget examples for your travel style

Travel Style 1: Budget Local Island Holiday

The Maldives is more affordable than its reputation suggests, especially when you’re staying at guesthouses, eating at local cafes and travelling independently. But don’t be fooled, you can still have the beautiful beaches, white sandbanks, island life and incredible marine experiences without the hefty price tag! During my first trip to the Maldives, I visited the local island of Dhigurah (a personal favourite). And for my second trip to the Maldives, I visited the local islands of Dhangethi, Maafushi and Dhiffushi.

Throughout my trips, visiting the local islands gave me the experience I was looking for: affordable accommodation, local cafés, beautiful beaches and easy access to some of the best diving in the Maldives.

Are you a scuba diver looking to stay on a local island? Maybe consider Dhangethi – I’ve written a complete Dhangethi travel guide here.

Accommodation

Even on a local island, there are different levels of guesthouses, ranging from budget to higher end full board options. Nonetheless, for this budget range, I’d recommend staying at a more affordable, budget-friendly guesthouse. You can still expect nice amenities such as:

• • Private rooms
  • Air conditioning
  • Breakfast is often included
  • Walking distance to the beach
  • Towels for the beach

Budget guesthouses typically cost $40 – 60 per night for two people.

Food

Depending on which local island you’re visiting, there may be limited food options or plenty of restaurants to pick from! Generally, most guesthouses or hotels will serve lunch or dinner. Of course, you can opt for a full board option where all meals are included but I personally prefer having a choice of restaurants to pick from so I usually go for a bed and breakfast option.

A typical day’s food budget might look like:

• • Breakfast: Included
  • Lunch: $8 – 12 +
  • Dinner: $10 – 15+
  • Coffee: $4
  • Fresh juice: $3

Estimated daily food budget: $20 – 30

Transfers

There are some local islands that are further from Male than others. Some may involve a flight to get there. In this guide, we will assume your island choice is located within a speedboat journey from Male Velana International Airport. From the airport, there are options of taking a public ferry which is often cheaper but significantly slower.

The most common option for tourists to get around is to take a public speedboat. They follow a schedule and are operated by private companies but open for anyone to book. You can find your schedule and pricing on the ODI Travel, a Maldivian company.

• • Public Ferry: $3 – 6
  • Public Speedboat (each way): $30 – 60

Islands located further from Malé typically have higher transfer costs, especially those requiring domestic flights or longer speedboat journeys. Your transport costs will also be determined by how many islands you visit during your trip. If you’re planning on island hopping, transport costs can add up quickly.

Activities

Different islands have different points of interest nearby. Excursion prices are usually determined by the distance travelled, the length of the trip and the type of experience included. It is worth comparing operators, as prices and inclusions can differ between companies. In many cases, the more people you are, the better the deal will be. Booking multiple activities through the same operator can often reduce the overall cost, especially for larger groups or multi-day packages. For scuba diving, the more dives you do, the cheaper the overall package will be.

The price ranges below are what I’ve seen throughout the various local islands I visited.

• • 2-tank Scuba Dive (including equipment):$100 – 130
  • Half Day Tour: $50
  • Full Day Tour: $70
  • Snorkelling Tour: $20 – 40
  • Nurse Shark Tour: $50 – 80
  • Whale Shark Excursion: $120
  • Sandbank excursion: $25 – 40
  • Dolphin Sunset Cruise: $40
  • Fishing Excursion: $50
  • Parasailing 15 mins: $60 – 80

Travelling on a budget doesn’t mean skipping experiences… you simply don’t need to book an excursion every day. Many travellers spend their days swimming, relaxing at Bikini Beach, exploring the island and snorkelling from shore. A realistic makeup of your activities may look like:

• • 1 snorkelling trip: $30
  • 1 sandbank trip: $35
  • 1 sunset cruise: $40

Total activities: ± $100 – 150 per person for a week

Estimated budget Travel Style Budget Local Island Holiday

Daily budget: USD $125 – 200 / €100 – 160 / £90 – 150 for two people.

Travel Style 2: Comfortable/Mid Range Local Island Holiday

Not everyone wants to travel on the cheapest possible budget. For travellers looking for more comfort without paying luxury resort prices, local islands also offer boutique hotels, better dining options and more flexibility.

Accommodation:

• • Upscale local guesthouse ranges: $ 90 – 150 per night for two people.
  • All-inclusive boutique hotel ranges: $150 – 200+ per night for two people.

Food:

This assumes eating at nicer local island restaurants, hotel restaurants or opting for buffet dining. By choosing local cafés and smaller restaurants, you can comfortably spend much less.

• • Breakfast: often included with your hotel – otherwise $10+ per day per person
  • Lunch: $15+ per day per person
  • Dinner at an Upscale restaurant or hotel buffets: $25+ per night per person

Estimated daily food budget: $45 – 55 per person per day

Transfers:

• • Public Speedboat (each way): ± $30 – 60
  • Private Speedboat: $300+ each way

Activities:

The prices for the excursions are generally the same as the above section. The only difference here is how many tours/activities you opt for. Visiting the Maldives specifically for marine life? You’ll probably need a healthier activities budget.

• • Whale shark excursion: $120
  • Manta ray snorkelling trip: ~$50
  • Dolphin cruise: $40
  • Including the snorkelling, sandbank and sunset cruise: $100

Total activities: ± $300 – 350 per person

Estimated budget Travel Style Comfortable/Mid Range Local Island Holiday

Daily budget: USD $300 – 400 / €260 – 400 / £220 – 350 for two people.

Travel Style 3: Luxury Resort Holiday

This is the Maldives most people imagine. Luxury resorts are essentially private islands owned by the resorts and everything is self contained. You often find infinity pools, beach or overwater villas, fine dining options, spas, house reefs, water sports… But as always, luxury comes at a price!

Accommodation:

There are a couple of different options and meal plans that you can opt for at a luxury resort but I’ll cover the main two: Beach Villa and Overwater Villa. Majority of the time you’ll see breakfast only options or full board (all meals) or an all-inclusive option (some activities + all meals + alcoholic drinks). Resort prices vary significantly between properties, seasons and meal plans, so these figures should be used as a realistic starting point rather than fixed prices.

Beach Villa – Best for couples wanting the resort experience while keeping costs relatively reasonable.

• • Breakfast only: $300+
  • Full Board (all meals): $ 400 – 500+

Overwater Villa – Worth paying for if your dream is waking up over the lagoon but expect to spend roughly double the price of a beach villa.

• • Breakfast only: $ 600+
  • Full Board (all meals): $ 750+

Food:

As you’re on a private island, there is no other “local restaurant” that you can go to. Everything is owned and operated by the resort. If you choose not to opt for any of the meal plans, this are usually the prices you can expect to pay at a resort. Resort dining can differ considerably but the figures below represent realistic expectations at a Maldives resort.

• • Breakfast: usually included
  • Lunch: $25 – 40+
  • Dinner: $40 – 60+
  • Cocktails: $10+

Transfers:

In my Maldives guide, I covered the difference in transportation options – speedboat and seaplane. Depending on the location of your resort, you may need to take one or the other. Further resorts only offer a seaplane option. Resort transfers are fixed by each property and are usually one of the biggest additional costs to factor into your budget.

• • Seaplane per person (one way): $190 +
  • Speedboat per person (one way): $75+

Activities:

• • 1-tank Scuba Dive (including equipment):$80+
  • Spa: $50 – $100+
  • Full Day Tour: $160
  • Snorkelling Tour: $60+
  • Nurse Shark Tour: $65+
  • Whale Shark + Manta Ray Excursion: $350+
  • Sandbank Excursion: $40 +
  • Dolphin Sunset Cruise: $60
  • Fishing Excursion: $70+
  • Parasailing 15 mins: $100+
  • Jetski 15 mins: $70+

Estimated budget for a luxurious experience

Beach Villa Experience

A beach villa is often the most affordable way to experience a Maldives resort while still having access to the private island experience, beaches, house reefs, pools and resort facilities. With full-board meals, transfers, drinks and a few activities – a realistic budget is: $570 – 720 per day for two people

Overwater Villa Experience

The iconic Maldives overwater villa experience comes with a much higher price tag. While the villa itself is the biggest expense, seaplane transfers, premium dining, cocktails and additional experiences can quickly increase the total. Assuming a full-board overwater villa stay, transfers and a few activities during your trip: USD $1000 – 1100+ per day for two people

Travel Style 4: Dive Holiday

For travellers visiting the Maldives specifically for diving, your budget will depend largely on whether you choose a Dive + Stay package or a liveaboard experience. A Dive + Stay package and Liveaboard are two quite different things. For the Dive + Stay package – not all food is included and for the most part, you will simply be diving in the surrounding atoll, staying within the local dive sites. However, with a liveaboard, think of it as an all inclusive diving hotel that moves every day. On a liveaboard, you’re able to get to further out dive sites and there’s more flexibility and diversity on what dive sites you’ll visit.

Option 1: Dive + Stay

Dive Package

I highly recommend factoring a Dive + Stay package into your budget for those of you who are avid scuba divers. During my trip, I completed 10 dives over four days with South Ari Sanctuary on Dhangethi, visiting sites including SAMPA and Maavaru Bay. I share exactly what the package included, what I saw underwater and whether I think it’s worth the money in my full review. Within the Dive and Stay Packages, the following is generally included: accommodation, breakfast, light snacks/tea + coffee on the boat, a set number of dives… Some packages will also include your transportation to/from the airport.

• • 10-dive package
  • Equipment rental: included
  • Nitrox upgrade: $5 – 15 per tank (may not be applicable in all locations)

Not all accommodation is equal in the Dive + Stay Packages. Depending on the dive center, you might be getting a local guesthouse or a boutique hotel, which is where prices may vary. I’ve looked into a couple of different Dive + Stay packages on offer on a few local islands and generally, your packages will range around:

• • At a Local Guesthouse Dive + Stay: $ 750 – 900
  • Boutique Hotel Dive + Stay: $1000 – 1300+

Food

The food costs would not be too dissimilar to the above section: Travel Style 1: Budget Local Island as that is where you’ll probably be staying when joining a Dive + Stay Package. Allow approximately $ 20 – 30 per day

Estimated budget for a Dive + Stay

For a typical 10 tank dive- diving holiday, including your Dive + Stay package, food and additional small expenses: expect to range from USD $900 – $1500+ per person for the trip depending on which package you choose.

Option 2: Liveaboard

A Maldives liveaboard is a completely different experience from a Dive + Stay package. Instead of staying on one island and travelling out to nearby dive sites each day, you live onboard a dive boat that moves between different atolls throughout your trip.

Think of it as a floating dive resort. Your accommodation and meals are onboard. With diving – you’re able to reach more remote dive sites that are often harder to reach from a local island.

Compared to a Dive + Stay package, liveaboards typically offer:

• • More dives per trip
  • Access to a wider range of dive sites
  • Remote locations and less visited reefs
  • A stronger focus on diving rather than island life

The trade off is that you spend less time exploring local islands and more time focused on being underwater. Liveaboard prices are primarily influenced by the boat category, season, itinerary, number of dives and level of accommodation onboard. Budget-friendly liveaboards exist but premium vessels with larger cabins, fewer guests and more remote routes can cost significantly more.

A typical Maldives liveaboard:

• • 5 night expedition: $1500 – 2200+ per person
  • 10 night expedition: $2500 – 3500 ++ per person

Is the Maldives Worth It?

The Maldives will probably never be the cheapest beach destination you’ll visit. But it’s a lot more attainable than its luxury reputation suggests! You definitely don’t need to be breaking the bank completely to visit the island. The biggest factor affecting your budget actually isn’t the country itself… but it’s more how you choose to experience it.  If you’re happy staying on local islands, eating at local cafés and choosing a handful of excursions, you can experience the Maldives for a fraction of what most people expect. On the other hand, if your dream is waking up in an overwater villa with unlimited cocktails and a private plunge pool, you can absolutely do that too – you’ll need to budget accordingly.

After visiting the Maldives twice, there isn’t one “correct” way to visit. Whether you’re travelling for the diving, celebrating a honeymoon/life event or simply looking for an unforgettable beach holiday… trust me, there’s a travel style to suit almost every budget.

The key is knowing what to expect before you book. Hopefully, this guide has given you a realistic starting point so you can spend less time worrying about the costs – and more time looking forward to the trip.

Continue Planning Your Maldives Trip

Planning a trip to the Maldives? These guides will help you decide where to stay, what to budget and whether diving in South Ari Atoll is worth it.

How to Plan the Perfect Maldives Trip (Local Islands + Luxury Resorts)
Everything you need to know before booking your trip, including transport, itineraries, budgeting and choosing between local islands and luxury resorts.

Dhangethi Maldives Travel Guide
A complete guide to one of my favourite local islands, including accommodation, restaurants, beaches and things to do.

South Ari Sanctuary Dive Centre Review
My honest review after completing 10 dives in South Ari Atoll, including the dive sites, marine life and whether I’d recommend booking with them.