Moving to Maldives from Zimbabwe

moving to

What to Expect

Considering a move from Zimbabwe to Maldives? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.

If you moved from Zimbabwe to Maldives, you would find that Maldives is 61.4% more expensive than Zimbabwe overall. A ZWL24,000,000 salary in Zimbabwe would need to be roughly MVR1,860,000 in Maldives to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Maldivian.

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Is Maldives cheaper than Zimbabwe?

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 17.6% more

Groceries

pay 29.5% more

Transportation

pay 18.1% less

Housing

pay 2.9 times more

Childcare

pay 47.3% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 94.3% more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 ZWL = 0.048 MVR (October 2026)

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?

ZWL24,000,000 → MVR1,860,000

To maintain the same standard of living in Maldives

Calculate with your salary →

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Key Indicator Comparison

The numbers behind daily life in Maldives compared to Zimbabwe.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2022

per 100,000 people per year

ZW
6.8
MV
0.6
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

ZW
29.9
MV
1.3

Maldives performs significantly better than Zimbabwe across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

ZW
$103
MV
$2,288
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2023

affects wait times and access to care

ZW
1.4
MV
22.4

Maldives generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Zimbabwe leads in healthcare spending per person.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

ZW
56.0
MV
29.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

ZW
0.8t
MV
3.6t

Zimbabwe generally does better on environment, though Maldives leads in air pollution deaths.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people World Bank, 2024

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

ZW
1.9
MV
19.6
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

ZW
46.1%
MV
15.7%

Maldives performs significantly better than Zimbabwe across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

ZW
9.3%
MV
4.5%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

ZW
$3,021
MV
$14,615

Maldives performs significantly better than Zimbabwe across all employment & economy metrics.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

ZW
63.1 yrs
MV
81.3 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

ZW
62.4
MV
4.7

Maldives performs significantly better than Zimbabwe across all family life metrics.

Can you move from Zimbabwe to Maldives?

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Zimbabwe 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.

Zimbabwe passport

Zimbabwe passport holder visiting Maldives

Visa on Arrival
Zimbabwe passport holders can obtain a visa on arrival in Maldives.
Maldives passport

Maldives passport holder visiting Zimbabwe

Visa Free
Maldives passport holders can enter Zimbabwe without a visa.

Data: 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 Zimbabwe?

On average Maldives is around 61% pricier than Zimbabwe, with notable variation by city.

How much money do I need to move to Maldives?

Budget about MVR465,000 for 3 months in Maldives (based on a ZWL24,000,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Maldives?

Connectivity is usually fine (Maldives: 19.6 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Maldives offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?

Is Maldives safe for expats?

Maldives performs significantly better than Zimbabwe across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Maldives is 0.6 per 100,000 people, compared to 6.8 in Zimbabwe.

How is healthcare in Maldives compared to Zimbabwe?

Maldives generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Zimbabwe leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 22.4 doctors per 10,000 people in Maldives, compared to 1.4 in Zimbabwe. Maldives scores 61 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Zimbabwe: 55).

What language do they speak in Maldives?

The official language in Maldives is Maldivian. In Zimbabwe, the official languages are Chewa, Chibarwe, English, Kalanga, Khoisan, Ndau, Northern Ndebele, Shona, Sotho, Tonga, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa and Zimbabwean Sign Language.

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At a Glance

ZW MV
Population 16,950,795 529,676
Currency Zimbabwean Dollar (ZWL) Maldivian Rufiyaa (MVR)
Languages Chewa, Chibarwe, English, Kalanga, Khoisan, Ndau, Northern Ndebele, Shona, Sotho, Tonga, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zimbabwean Sign Language Maldivian
Driving side Left Left
Calling code +263 +960
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 999 —