Can you travel the Maldives on a budget? Yes you can! From accommodation and transport to food, here’s how to travel the Maldives on a budget

Could I travel the Maldives on a budget?
It was a tough question to ask myself as I was planning my first trip to the Maldives.
I was dreading the dent it was going to put in my travel budget. I’m used to $5 a night hostels and guesthouses and the Maldives is marketed as a luxury travel destination – could I travel the Maldives on a budget?
Was I about to totally screw up my travel funds and land in Australia totally broke?!
To be honest finding information online about how to travel the Maldives on a budget is pretty difficult, there’s not much out there about staying on local islands and day to day costs – it’s all about resort islands and over water bungalows, which seem to cost more per night than my entire monthly budget!
Luckily though I took the risk – roped in some awesome local guidance from my Maldivian buddy Ni and decided to check it out for myself.
And as always I noted down every little bit of my spend – from accommodation and transport to food and drink so I could pass on that info to you guys!
So here’s my guide to how to travel the Maldives on a Budget…
(also FYI all costs in this post are in $USD as the Maldives also uses this alongside their own currency)
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You Can Travel The Maldives On A Budget!
How To Find Cheap Accommodation In The Maldives

Until pretty recently the only real way to stay in the Maldives was through a private island resort – which was never going to be budget friendly!
But recently the government changed the laws so that the locals could open and run guesthouses – which is great news for the local tourism industry (with money going into the local communities rather than corporate business accounts!) but more importantly this is epic for those wanting travel the Maldives on a budget!
Surf tourism is starting to become a big industry in the Maldives (it has some world class waves) and islands like Thulusdhoo have a range of surf camp options available and Himmafushi offers an epic budget surf camp package from $65 for two people per night!
The other huge draw of the Maldives is also the incredible scuba diving on offer, and islands like Fulidhoo are the perfect place to get into the big blue without breaking your budget!

If surfing isn’t your thing or you want something a bit more local then your best option at the moment is actually Air B n B and there is a growing range of properties to choose from.
In fact you can grab a double room from $50USD per night – including breakfast! That’s incredible value for a country where you’d used to have to fork over nearly ten times that!
And if you’re new to Air B n B sign up using this link to save $35 on your first booking!
[Tweet “”your best option at the moment is actually Air B n B””]With the rise of local guest houses bringing competition to the market its also meant hotels are becoming more affordable too – so if you want to splash out you can still treat yourself without having to be a millionaire!
With this is mind check out Booking.com and you’ll find a whole heap of mid range hotels in the $50-100USD (£38-75) price range too, so there’s a lot of options to choose from depending on what you want and most importantly how much you have to spend.
I stayed at Kinan Retreat on Fulidhoo for around $60USD (approx £45) per night for a double room right on the beachfront!
For comparison I also indulged in an overwater bungalow at Cinnamon Dhonveli (which comes with it’s own private surf break!) which set me back $600 (£450) per night for the room for two people, all inclusive and with that of also came unlimited booze too. Not bad if you do want to treat yourself! Check out my full review of Cinnamon Dhonveli here.
How Much Does It Cost To Travel In The Maldives On A Budget?
On my first trip to the Maldives I split my time in two sections – one week of budget travel in the Maldives and one week of luxury travel in the Maldives.

My budget travel week in the Maldives included the following;
- Ferry from the airport to Male = $0.60 (49p)
- Taxi to Male ferry terminal (I use the phrase ferry terminal loosely!) = $0.80 (59p)
- Ferry from Male to Thulusdhoo = $1.40 (£1)
- Accommodation = $40 (£33) per night
- Food (as it was Ramadan we shopped at the local stores and cooked all our meals, split between 2) = $4.5 (£3.48) per day
That’s a total of just $340 (£257)!
If you weren’t cooking all your meals though expect to pay between $5-10 per meal, which would bring your total to $396 (£302)
Sure this isn’t as budget friendly as Thailand or Cambodia – but that’s only $56 (£43) per day FOR THE MALDIVES!
That’s still less than how much you’d need to budget for Australia – where you’d be staying in hostel dorms not a private double!
Just as a comparison my luxury week in the Maldives included;
- $130 (£100 speedboat) (from Thulusdhoo > Dhonveli and then Dhonveli > Airport)
- 7 nights accommodation in an over water bungalow, all inclusive = $1800 (£1400) (that’s my half, splitting the room with my girlfriend)
MUCH more pricey at $1960 (£1500) for the week!
…but $260 (£200) a day, fully inclusive in an over water bungalow still isn’t as crazy as I thought it would be! And of course you don’t HAVE to go for the over water bungalow option – you can stay in mid range resorts in beach bungalow options (which are still stunning) for much less!
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Basic Costs In The Maldives
To help give a better breakdown of budget travel costs in the Maldives here are some of the main non accommodation expenses you’ll be dealing with when travelling to local islands;
-
Grab A Local Sim Card For Your Insta Shots! Local meal – $5 (£3.80)
- Western style meal – $10 (£7.50)
- Bottle of Water – $0.30 (22p)
- Ice Cream – $2 (£1.50)
- Chocolate bar – $1 (75p)
- Packet of crisps – $1 (75p)
- SIM Card with 15GB of Data – $32 (£24)
- Half day shark snorkel and sand bank trip (we even swam with heaps of Manta Rays!) – $50 (£38)
- Day of scuba diving (2 dives certified) – $136 (£103)
- Day of scuba diving (PADI discover scuba dive) – $95 (£72)
- PADI Open Water Dive Course – $575 (£438)
- Trip to a luxury resort (including all food, drink and alcohol) – $120+ (£90) depending on resort
- Surf lesson on Thulushdoo – $75 (£57)
- Week long surf camp on Himmafushi (Jailbreaks surf spot) – $445 (£339)
- 7 night Maldives local island package on Meedhoo (inc accom, return speedboat, meals and day trips for 2 people) – $1200 (£915)
- Speed boat to Maafushi – $25 (£19)
- Speed boat to Fulidhoo – $40 (£30)
- Speed boat to Thulushdhoo – $30 (£22)
- Local ferry to Maafushi – $3.5 (£2.60)
- Local ferry to Fulidhoo – $3.5 (£2.60)
- Local ferry to Thulushdhoo – $1.5 (£1.20)
Popular Islands For Budget Travel In The Maldives
Admittedly I haven’t explored a huge chunk of the Maldives – there are over 20 Atolls and in excess of 1,000 islands to cover – however these are a few of the local island options I’ve checked out and been recommended by other travellers;

Maafushi (South Male Atoll) – out of all the local island options this is certainly the most popular and easy option. It’s only a quick 30 minute speed boat from Male Airport and there’s a huge range of accommodation and food options for all budgets. It’s a great option of you want to smash in a lot of day trips (including a trip to a luxury resort) and want to have the best budget option for you trip. Check out some budget Maafushi maldives package deals here.
Fulidhoo (Vaavu Atoll) – I headed here for a week of scuba diving with Fulidhoo Dive and absolutely loved it! Not only was the scuba diving incredible (we saw sharks, manta rays, turtles and more!) but the island itself was beautiful too. Only about 200 people live here and it’s a super sleepy and quiet spot to relax. We managed to grab a room at the beachfront Kinan Retreat for just $60 (£45) a night.
Check out my Complete Guide To Fulidhoo Island here
Thulusdhoo (North Male Atoll) – my personal favourite just because of the amazing surf it offers up and there are some awesome surf and stay packages on Thulusdhoo! For non surfers there are still plenty of accommodation options, snorkelling and good beaches to enjoy. The lagoon section is also full of baby shark swimming around which are super cute to watch!
Ukulhas (North Ari Atoll) – this island is noted for its green island credentials and eco ethics, so kudos to them! This is also a great location for snorkelling with manta rays and they even have hammerhead shark diving here in the right season.
Himmasfushi (North Male Atoll) – another epic little surf island just 20 mins by speedboat from Male and home to famous surf spot Jailbreaks. It’s also one of the best budget surf destinations in the Maldives, with rates from around $65USD per room per night including breakfast and daily surf transfers (click here for more info)! For non surfers it offers much the same as Thulusdhoo – including snorkelling, resort trips and beaches.
Basically you want to head to any of the islands which are in the Atolls within a short speed boat/local ferry of Male Airport to keep the cost down!
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Things To Do In The Maldives

When you think about travelling in the Maldives you probably just imagine grabbing a cocktail by the ocean and watching the world pass you by – and to be honest you should certainly indulge in that whilst there, but for those who fancy something a bit more active the Maldives has some more items for your bucket list and there are heaps of things to do in the Maldives…
Surfing
Think the Maldives is just clear, blue, flat ocean? Think again! Some of the island are blessed with incredible surf! From spots like Cokes (off Thulusdhoo) to Chickens, Sultans and of course Pasta Point (the private break off Cinnamon Dhonveli) there’s waves for all levels of surfer.
Check out this surf and stay package on Thulusdhoo or this budget Maldives surf camp on Himmafishi for more details.

Scuba Diving
With so many stunning island it should come as no surprise that the Maldives also has some amazing scuba diving too. So whether you want to try it for the first time or you’re an experienced diver there’s a solid range of dive sites to check out.
Areas such as the South Ari Atoll (all-year, and whale sharks too!) or Hanifaru Bay in Baa Atoll ( May-November) are famed for the annual Manta Ray migration so it’s the perfect location to tick diving with these gentle giants off your bucket list!
On my most recent trip the the Maldives I spent time diving at Cinnamon Ellaidhoo (a mid range resort) and on the local island of Fulidhoo and had an amazing time. In fact we saw sharks on EVERY dive (which for me was awesome!), swam with manta rays and just had an all round amazing time!
It’d actually pretty reasonable to complete your open water dive course or even divemaster training out there too! Find out more info on the cost of diving in the Maldives here
Day Trips
As well as lazing around on the beaches there are also a range of day trips you can do in the Maldives. These vary from island to island but day trips include;
- Snorkel tours
- Local island excursions
- Dolphin watching
- Manta ray snorkelling
- Whale shark snorkelling
- Sand bank picnic trips
Basically there are heaps of awesome ways to fill your time in paradise. And of course you can always hire a kayak or SUP and explore the lagoons around the islands too.
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Ok admittedly the Maldives isn’t going to be your cheapest stop off in Asia, but if you’re wanting to tick off one of the most beautiful destinations in the world it’s actually not as pricey as you might think – the trick is to stick to the local…islands, food, accommodation and day trips.
Obviously accomodation is going to be your major cost (as with any country) but there’s much more of a range to choose from than you might first think – so it’s easy to tailor your trip to suit your personal budget.
However you decide to travel the Maldives though you’ll leave with a camera packed full of amazing photos and a strong desire to return – trust me, I’m already planning my next visit!
Travelling to the Maldives soon? Check out these other posts;
- How Much Does The Maldives Cost – From Local Islands To Luxury Resorts
- Helpful Tips For Travelling The Maldives On A Budget
- Fulidhoo – The Complete Guide To The Maldives Diving Paradise
- Thulusdhoo – The Complete guide To The Maldives Surfing Paradise
Have you travelled the Maldives on a budget?
Any awesome tips you want to share or islands you’d recommend?
Thanks for sharing this post, it is very informative and helpful for those who are on the verge of entering this Island. The amazing places and beautiful places need to explore as they are the fine creation of nature.
Wonderful and informative article this is a great post to them who are looking for a budget and cheap accommodation in the Maldives.
Maldives is beautiful destination to enjoy beauty of islands. Its looking so good to enjoy and good things you shared to plan a budget trip to maldives.
An amazing destination to enjoy beauty of beaches or islands.Its looking so awesome and amazing guide you shared to plan a trip here.
Thanks so much for sharing this! I’m tossing around the idea of going to the Maldives in a couple weeks to start off a year of travel, and I never knew it could be done on a budget. Will definitely consider it now.
Definitely hit it up Lindsay – it’s well worth it!
Hi
Was wondering, when u went to local beaches, was there a dress code, especially for ur girlfruend? I gave read, unless u r in the resort beach, u cannot wear regular swim clothes on local beaches bec of Muslim religious believes there, u have to wear T-shirt, for man and especially woman. Is it tre?
Hey Julie – indeed you do need to be respectful and cover up (both guys and girls) but most local islands also have a designated “bikini beach” where you can sunbathe and swim. When it comes to luxury resorts there doesnt really tend to be a dress code
HI! NICE INFO ON MALDIVES, USEFUL TO ONE AND ALL
Seriously what a great info.
Thanks Eric – heading that way anytime soon?
Thanks for the information about Maldives, mostly useful writings.
Exploring numerous of things in Maldives could be out of budget but if you want to spend time then you must try some new things as Maldives have lots of new things which are good to visit and makes your time memorable.
Amazing article! I went to Maldives without planning much, I supposed to stay there for 2 weeks and ended up staying for 4 weeks, such an amazing place and people =)
this post is really amazing, thanks for sharing it
Very informative post. I was they just for 2 days, layover on returning from Sri Lanka. This place is beautiful but I would be bored to stay there for 2 weeks
Good spot for a layover for sure! I guess it depends what you’re heading to the Maldives for and if you’re hopping around the different islands. As a surfer and scuba diver I always find plenty of things to keep me busy!
My husband and I stayed and Vilamendoo so he could dive and because they had great rates. It;s also a great place to see whale sharks as they are predominant in the South Ari Atoll.
The best budget place we found was obviously a local island, Fulidhoo. Wonderful experience. The whole 7 day trip including flights cost me under US $700. I would totally do it all again.
Ooooo that’s a new one for my bucket list Melinda, thanks for the tip! I absolutely loved Fulidhoo too, was beautiful!
whaaaaat?? you just mentioned the great whites sharks and the entire trip costing you less that 700usds, am quirious how can i make that possible
Thank you for all of this great information. It has always felt like this trip would be out of reach, but it totally doesn’t have to be. We will definitely revisit this trip idea, hopefully we can by later this year!
Fingers crossed! The Maldives is still open and the local islands are a great spot to head right now!
This is such a great resource, thank you very much.
Just recently I thought if the Maledives can be done on a budget (because I saw a cool promo for over water bungalows) and am glad I found this now.
Even though you are right, the prices are not comparable to South East Asia, all the prices you mentioned in the post seem reasonable to me, especially transport, food and drinks. If just the accommodation part could be cut down to 30 USD, this would be awesome …
Keep up the great work,
Chris
Maldives is litearally a one best travel destination.
Maldives is one of dream places to visit even aftet visiting you still wana go there on and on again.