How to use the normaliser
Start with your group: adults, children's ages, rooms, the nights you want and the exchange rate. Then choose how to estimate missing items, from a local island guesthouse to an ultra-luxury resort.
For each quote, enter the price exactly as written, its currency and basis: per person twin share, per room, or total for the group. Tick "Price is per night" if it is, and enter the nights the quote covers. If a per person quote gives a child price, add it.
Finally, set what each quote says about flights, transfers, meal plan, GST and service charge, Green Tax and excursions. Choose Included, Not included or Not stated for each.
The results show each quote converted to your group, the estimated full cost as a range, the cost per adult and how many items are not stated. The lowest estimated full cost is highlighted, and a note appears when the cheapest headline price is not the cheapest once missing items are added. You can copy or print the comparison.
How the conversion and estimates work
The conversion is simple arithmetic. A per person twin share price is multiplied by the number of adults, plus the child price for each child aged 2 and over. A per room price is multiplied by the rooms, and a total is used as it is.
Missing items are then estimated as a low to high range from our planning presets, researched on 11 October 2026:
| Item | How the range is set |
|---|---|
| Flights | RM1,200 to RM3,000 per person aged 2+, return |
| Transfers | The transfer range for your chosen stay style, per person |
| Meals | Daily meal allowance for the style, reduced for BB, HB or FB |
| GST and service | 17% to 28.7% of the quote, flights excluded |
| Green Tax | USD 12 (resorts) or USD 6 (small guesthouses) per guest per night |
| Excursions | Half to one and a half times the style's activity allowance |
The GST range runs from 17% to 28.7% because a quote that says "excluding tax" may or may not already include the 10% service charge. The full calculation is on the Green Tax and GST calculator.
Worked example 1: the default comparison
Two adults, one room, three nights, estimated as a mid-range resort. Quote A is RM2,899 per person, twin share, flights not included, everything else not stated. Quote B is RM3,499 per person, full board, with transfers, taxes, Green Tax and excursions included, flights not included.
| Quote A | Quote B | |
|---|---|---|
| Converted for two | RM5,798 | RM6,998 |
| Flights (not included) | +RM2,400 to RM6,000 | +RM2,400 to RM6,000 |
| Transfers | +RM818 to RM2,454 (not stated) | Included |
| Meals | +RM840 to RM1,560 (not stated) | +RM168 to RM312 (rest of meals) |
| GST and service | +RM986 to RM1,664 (not stated) | Included |
| Green Tax | +RM294 (not stated) | Included |
| Excursions | +RM300 to RM900 (not stated) | Included |
| Estimated full cost | RM11,436 to RM18,670 | RM9,566 to RM13,310 |
Quote A has the lower headline price but five items not stated. Once they are estimated, Quote B is lower across most of the range, and the tool says so.
Worked example 2: a per room quote in US dollars
A family of two adults and a child aged 6 compares a resort's direct rate of USD 520 per room per night, room only, with taxes stated as not included, against a package priced as a total.
Enter USD, per room, tick "per night" and set four nights. The tool converts USD 520 × 4 nights × RM4.09 to about RM8,507, then adds ranges for flights for three people, transfers, meals for two adults and a half-portion child, taxes and Green Tax for three guests. The total-priced package needs only its inclusions set.
The child counts for Green Tax because they are over two. A child under two would be left out of Green Tax and flights would be charged at 10% of the adult fare.
When to use it, and what to do next
Use the normaliser when quotes arrive on different bases or with vague inclusions. Results are estimates, not prices, so the next step is to ask each provider to confirm every "Not stated" item in writing.
For a single trip budget without quotes, use the trip cost calculator. To understand how quotations are prepared, read how package research differs from a bookable quotation, and browse the packages and quotations hub.
Questions travellers ask
What does "twin share" mean on a Maldives quote?
Why is a "Not stated" item shown in orange instead of zero?
What if the quotes are for different numbers of nights?
Can I use it for a local island guesthouse package?
Sources and checks
Last reviewed: · Prices researched:
- MIRA, Goods and Services Tax · mira.gov.mv · Checked 11 October 2026
- MIRA, circular on changes to the TGST rate · mira.gov.mv · Checked 11 October 2026
- MIRA, circular on Green Tax rates from 1 January 2025 · mira.gov.mv · Checked 11 October 2026
- immaldives.com, Maldives transfer costs · immaldives.com · Checked 11 October 2026
Paste the normalised comparison into your trip brief and we reply with options priced on one basis for your group, with every inclusion stated, so the next comparison is easy.
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