Moving to Maldives from Sweden
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Sweden to Maldives — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Sweden to Maldives, you would find that Maldives is 17.1% cheaper than Sweden overall. A SEK740,000 salary in Sweden would need to be roughly MVR955,000 in Maldives to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Maldivian. You’ll also switch from driving on the right to the left.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is Maldives cheaper than Sweden?
Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 48.3% less
Groceries
pay 18.3% less
Transportation
pay 36.1% less
Housing
pay 12.4% more
Childcare
pay 30.1% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 4.7% less
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
What salary do you need in Maldives?
What does your salary buy?
SEK740,000 → MVR955,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Maldives
Calculate with your salary →Get free moving quotes to Maldives
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from Sweden to Maldives, based on official data.
Who's moving to Maldives?
Top countries of origin for Maldives's foreign-born residents.
- 40,390
- 14,596
- 7,383
- 991
- 329
- 325
- · · ·
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19.37
Sweden
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Sweden to Maldives.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Maldives performs significantly better than Sweden across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Sweden generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Maldives leads in healthcare spending per person.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Sweden performs better than Maldives across all environment metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
share of households with internet
Sweden performs better than Maldives across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
share of people below the poverty line
Maldives generally does better on employment & economy, though Sweden leads in gdp per capita.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
Sweden performs better than Maldives across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2019–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Can you move from Sweden to Maldives?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Sweden and Maldives. To live, work, or study long-term in Maldives, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Maldives's immigration authority.
Sweden passport holder visiting Maldives
Visa on Arrival
Maldives passport holder visiting Sweden
Visa RequiredData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Maldives than Sweden?
Yes — Maldives is on average about 17% cheaper than Sweden. City-level variation can be significant.
How much money do I need to move to Maldives?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly MVR238,750 in Maldives on a SEK740,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Maldives?
Internet is rarely the blocker — Maldives has 19.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people. The real questions are legal: digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
Is Maldives safe for expats?
Maldives performs significantly better than Sweden across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Maldives is 0.6 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.1 in Sweden.
How is healthcare in Maldives compared to Sweden?
Sweden generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Maldives leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 22.4 doctors per 10,000 people in Maldives, compared to 44.1 in Sweden. Maldives scores 61 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Sweden: 85).
What language do they speak in Maldives?
The official language in Maldives is Maldivian. In Sweden, the official language is Swedish.
