The Maldives has a reputation as a purely five-star destination, and for decades that reputation was accurate — but it's about fifteen years out of date. There are now two genuinely different ways to budget a trip, and they lead to very different-looking itineraries.
The resort route
An all-private-island resort remains the highest-cost way to experience the Maldives, and the price isn't just the room: nightly rates typically exclude several add-on charges that show up at checkout. See our green tax and resort taxes explainer for the current numbers, but as a summary, every tourist stay is subject to a per-person, per-night green tax, plus Tourism GST and a service charge applied to the whole bill — food, drinks, spa and excursions included.
The local-island route
Since guesthouses on inhabited local islands were permitted to host tourists from 2009 onward, islands like Maafushi, Ukulhas and Thulusdhoo have built an entirely separate, much cheaper style of Maldives travel: guesthouse rooms, public ferries, and day-trip excursions bought individually rather than bundled into a resort package. Green tax on these smaller properties is lower too. See our guesthouse guide.
What tends to blow a budget either way
- Alcohol — only available on resort islands and liveaboards, not on local islands, and priced accordingly.
- Optional excursions (diving, sandbank trips, sunset cruises) — often the best value per experience, but they add up.
- Seaplane transfers, which are usually the single biggest line item after accommodation.
- Speciality dining at resorts, billed separately from any half-board or full-board rate.