How to use the calculator
Pick the stay style closest to what you have in mind. The calculator fills in planning figures for that style, which you can then change one by one.
If you already have a quote or a listing open in another tab, type its numbers straight in. The total updates as you type, so you can see which line moves the result most.
The result shows three figures. The total is for the whole group. The per-adult figure divides the total by the number of adults, which is how most Malaysian packages are priced (per person, twin sharing). The per-traveller figure divides by everyone, children included.
What each line means
| Line | How it is worked out | What usually changes it |
|---|---|---|
| Return flights | Fare per person × travellers aged 2+ | Travel dates, school holidays, baggage |
| Accommodation | Rate per night × nights × rooms | Room category, season, resort |
| Service charge | 10% of the room cost | Already included in many packages |
| Tourism GST | 17% of room cost plus service charge | Already included in many packages |
| Green Tax | USD 6 or 12 × guests aged 2+ × nights | Type of property you stay at |
| Transfers | Return price per person × guests aged 2+ | Speedboat, seaplane or domestic flight |
| Meals and drinks | Daily allowance × adults, children at half | Meal plan, alcohol, resort restaurants |
| Excursions | Your allowance per adult | Snorkel trips, sandbanks, diving |
| Buffer | Your allowance per adult | SIM card, tips, snacks, souvenirs |
How Maldives taxes stack up
Taxes are the line people most often miss when they compare a resort's room rate with a package. When a rate is quoted before taxes, a 10% service charge is added first, then 17% tourism GST is charged on the room plus service charge.
That adds about 28.7% to the room price. A USD 450 beach villa becomes about USD 579 a night before Green Tax.
Green Tax is separate and is not subject to GST. It is charged per guest per night, so it grows with both group size and trip length. For two adults spending four nights at a resort, it comes to USD 96, or roughly RM390.
If a package says taxes are included, tick the boxes and the calculator leaves them out. If you are not sure, ask the seller to confirm in writing whether the price includes service charge, GST and Green Tax.
Worked examples for two adults, four nights
These examples use the same method as the calculator, with an exchange rate of USD 1 to RM4.0855. They are planning examples built to show the arithmetic, not quotes for a particular property.
| Example trip | Flights | Room with taxes | Transfers | Green Tax | Meals, trips, buffer | Per adult |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Simple guesthouse on Maafushi | RM1,500 | RM894 | RM204 | RM98 | RM970 | RM3,666 |
| Comfortable local island hotel | RM2,200 | RM1,525 | RM347 | RM98 | RM1,590 | RM5,760 |
| Mid-range resort, beach villa | RM1,800 | RM4,732 | RM735 | RM196 | RM1,500 | RM8,963 |
| Five-star water villa by seaplane | RM2,100 | RM9,990 | RM2,533 | RM196 | RM2,400 | RM17,219 |
| Ultra-luxury pool villa | RM3,500 | RM29,445 | RM3,350 | RM196 | RM5,200 | RM41,691 |
The jump from a beach villa to a water villa is rarely just the room. Water villa resorts are more often reached by seaplane, and their restaurants cost more, so three lines rise together.
Comparing the result with a Malaysian package
Malaysian agencies usually advertise 4D3N land packages: three nights in the Maldives, priced per person on twin sharing, with flights excluded. In October 2026 we saw local-island packages around Maafushi from about RM2,000 to RM2,320 per person, and resort packages with transfers and meals from about RM3,700 to RM8,700 per person.
To compare one of these with the calculator, set nights to 3, tick the boxes for whatever the package includes, and enter the flight fare separately. You can read more on how to compare a package with booking it yourself and on the full cost of a Maldives trip from Malaysia.
What moves the total most
For local island trips, flights are usually the biggest single line, so travel dates matter more than the guesthouse you pick. Avoid Malaysian school holidays and festive weeks if you can be flexible.
For resort trips, the room and the transfer dominate. A seaplane resort can add over RM2,500 per person in transfers alone, while a speedboat resort near Male often costs a few hundred ringgit. If the budget feels tight, a resort within speedboat range of the airport is often the quickest saving.
Meals are the third lever. If a resort's restaurants are the only option, a half-board or all-inclusive plan can cost less than paying per meal. Our guide to Maldives transfers explains the trade-offs between boat, seaplane and domestic flight.
Questions travellers ask
Does the calculator include flights?
Why are room rates in US dollars?
How do I enter a package price that already includes everything?
Is Green Tax charged on children?
Can I share my result?
Sources and checks
Last reviewed: · Prices researched:
- MIRA, Goods and Services Tax (tourism GST rate) · mira.gov.mv · Checked 11 October 2026
- MIRA, What is Green Tax · mira.gov.mv · Checked 11 October 2026
- Traveloka, Kuala Lumpur to Male flights · traveloka.com · Checked 11 October 2026
- Maafushi.com, airport boat transfers · maafushi.com · Checked 11 October 2026
- Holiday.com.mv, Maldives vacation cost benchmarks · holiday.com.mv · Checked 11 October 2026
Once you have a number you are comfortable with, the next question is which islands and resorts actually deliver it on your dates. A short trip brief with your result is enough for us to come back with real options.
Want options that fit your dates and budget?
Share a short trip brief: when you want to go, who is travelling and the budget you have in mind. We reply with suitable island and resort options and an itemised view of costs.