Maldives Trip Cost: What to Expect for a 7-Day Holiday

Some people think the Maldives are just for millionaires and Instagram models, but the real story is a bit more interesting. Yes, the water is as shockingly blue as adverts show, and the island resorts are beyond dreamy—but the price tag? That depends on how you play your cards. From $30 guesthouses to £15,000 underwater suites, the Maldives has a wider price range than most realize. I’ve spent hours combing through booking sites, chatting with travelers at Bristol’s Temple Meads over coffee, and grilling tour reps to sort the truth from brochure fluff.

Flights to the Maldives: The Price for Paradise

Let’s start at the beginning. Unless you happen to own a yacht in the Indian Ocean, flights are step one. If you’re flying from the UK (Heathrow or Manchester), direct flights to Malé, the main airport, average around £700 to £950 per person in July. There are cheaper fares if you’re willing to throw in a layover—think Turkish Airlines or Qatar Airways—with some folks nabbing return tickets for just £560 if they book early and don’t mind a 5-7 hour stopover. The catch is the time commitment; your 11-hour journey suddenly turns into a 16-hour slog.

You’ll probably see deals for “cheap” Maldives flights at £400. Read the fine print: these often involve 27-hour layovers, weird airports, or luggage fees that nudge the total back up. Flight prices climb higher for school holidays, Christmas, or New Year’s Eve. If you want to splurge on business class, you’ll pay at least £2,200 return, possibly three times that if you wait until the last minute. The British backpacker crowd usually lands in Malé for between £600 and £800, especially when booking 4-5 months out and being flexible on midweek departures.

Where You Sleep: Resorts, Guesthouses, and What You Actually Get

Resorts are the heart of the Maldives legend. There are 170+ resort islands, each like its own private galaxy. Entry-level options (think: nice but not decadent) start at about $200 a night for a beach villa, with breakfast only. Mid-range resorts rate closer to $400–$700 a night, often including half board or all-inclusive deals. If you want the iconic overwater villas—those that look like floating spaceships—that’s where the numbers get cheeky. Even the basic overwater bungalows at a solid 4-star resort command £750 per night (sometimes double), and true 5-star legends like Soneva Fushi or the underwater villa at Conrad Rangali Island can reach £3,000–£15,000 per night in high season.

Not feeling like selling a kidney? Enter the Maldivian guesthouse scene. Local islands—places like Maafushi, Thulusdhoo, or Dhigurah—offer perfectly comfy B&Bs and boutique hotels for £30 to £80 per night, some including breakfast and transfer. You’ll miss the seaplane arrival and private infinity pool, but you’ll still get the classic turquoise water, powder-soft beaches, and reef snorkeling. Plus, restaurants and shops on local islands charge ‘normal person’ prices. The big difference: alcoholic drinks are only served at resorts due to Maldivian law, so expect coffee, juice, or mocktails on most local islands.

And don’t forget transfers. Resorts often aren’t reachable by public ferry—expect speedboat rides from £70–£200 per person return, or seaplane flights from £250–£450 return. Staying on a local island? Public ferries cost £2–£5 each way, but are infrequent, so double-check schedules.

Food, Transport, and Daily Costs: Where the Money Goes

Meal costs swing wildly depending on your setup. Resorts typically charge $40–$70 per person for a basic buffet meal, while a la carte options run even higher. All-inclusive deals can ease the shock, but check exactly what’s included—some only cover basic drinks, others skip the premium spirits. On local islands, street food like mas huni (tuna salad with coconut and roshi flatbread) is £2, while a proper dinner might be £6–£12 in a family-run café. Bottled water is cheap (50p to £1), but at resorts, prepare for a mark-up: £4 for a bottle isn’t unusual.

Getting around: Unless you’re visiting more than one island, you won’t need taxis or buses, but islands like Maafushi or Malé city have them if you need. Inter-island travel is where you need to budget wisely. Resort transfers, as mentioned, aren’t cheap. Island-hopping tours (snorkeling, visiting sandbanks, or dolphin cruises) add £30–£80 per person per excursion for resort guests, while the same adventures on a local island might be half the price—or even cheaper if you book with a group and haggle directly at the harbor.

Spa treatments are the ultimate splurge: a standard massage at a mid-range resort easily hits £120–£180 for 60 minutes, with premium spa menus at luxury resorts running over £300 for specialty options.

Smart Budgeting: How to Save (or Splurge) in the Maldives

Here’s the place to separate hype from reality. If you want the absolute cheapest Maldives week, opt for a local island guesthouse. You could (genuinely) do a 7-night trip with flights, accommodation, food, and local transport for just under £1,400 per person—sometimes less if you nail a flight deal or travel outside the busy months (October—April is high season).

On the luxury end, sky’s the limit. If you book a mid-range resort, factor £3,000–£5,000 for a couple for the full week (with meals), plus flights and transfers. Go for five-star, all-overwater, and gourmet dining? £7,000–£20,000 for two. Most honeymooners and families aim for the "affordable splurge" bracket: £4,000–£6,000 for flights, a decent villa, some excursions, and all food. Yes, it’s a lot. But if a bucket-list paradise is your dream, it’s possible to swing a deal by booking in shoulder season (May, June, or September), signing up for flash sales (direct resort websites or sites like Luxury Escapes), or grabbing last-minute deals if you’re flexible.

Let’s check out a quick summary of real costs for a Maldives week:

One money-saving trick: split your stay between a local island and a couple of nights at a “wow” resort. Start basic, finish with a bang. If you’re planning your honeymoon, ask resorts for “Romance Deals”—there’s a ton of unadvertised add-ons from floating breakfasts to sunset beach dinners for booking direct. And always, always read the fine print—some resorts add sneaky taxes or mandatory dinners, especially around holidays.

The Maldives can be a wallet-thinning, once-in-a-lifetime blowout or a surprisingly affordable dream, depending on your choices. Plan ahead, pick your style, and you’ll find paradise doesn’t always have to cost more than your car.