Wise Best exchange rate
Wise debit card
45k0.43%-0.65% conversion fee
The best travel card for the Maldives
Cards, cash and FX fees for Australian travellers.
Cards, cash and FX fees for Australian travellers. Resorts price everything in US dollars and bill to your room, so most visitors never handle rufiyaa at all. You need it only on local islands and in Malé.
Mostly - cards work in cities and tourist areas in Maldives, but you still need cash outside them.
5 travel card options for Maldives, compared
Revolut No weekday FX fee
Revolut Standard
30k0% FX fee
Compare only
ING Orange Everyday
Orange Everyday
22k0% with monthly criteria
ubank Spend
Spend account
9k0% international fee
Macquarie Transaction Account
Transaction account
6k0% international fee
Prices are indicative, shown in AUD and refreshed from provider APIs where available. Always confirm the final price on the provider's site - it is the price that applies. We may earn a commission if you buy through our links, which never changes what you pay. Partners are listed before providers who pay us nothing, as our terms set out; sorting by price ignores all of that and orders on the number alone. How we make money.
Compared side by side
| Card | FX fee | ATM | Annual fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wise Partner | 0.43%-0.65% conversion fee | 2 free withdrawals/month up to $350, then 1.75% | $0 |
| Revolut | 0% on weekdays, up to 1% on weekends | $350/month fee-free, then 2% | $0 |
| ING Orange Everyday | Rebated if you meet the monthly criteria | International ATM fees rebated with criteria met | $0 |
| ubank Spend | 0% international transaction fee | $0 from ubank, ATM operator fees may apply | $0 |
| Macquarie Transaction Account | 0% foreign transaction fee | $0 from Macquarie | $0 |
Paying for things in Maldives
Can you pay by card in Maldives?
Universal at resorts, which run on room accounts settled by card at checkout. Local islands and Male are more mixed.
Cash and ATMs in Maldives
ATMs are in Male and on larger local islands only. There are none on resort islands.
Almost none if you are resort-based. Carry USD $100-$200 in small notes for tips and for local island guesthouses.
Do you tip in Maldives?
Resorts add a 10% service charge plus 16% GST. Beyond that, USD $5-$10 a day for a butler or dive guide is normal and appreciated.
Worth knowing about paying in Maldives
Resort bills carry a 10% service charge, 16% GST and a green tax per person per night. The headline room rate is well short of what you actually pay.
Before you pay for anything in Maldives
Pay in Maldivian rufiyaa or Australian dollars?
The terminal will offer you both. One of them is materially more expensive.
How much cash to take overseas
What Maldives needs in cash, next to 35 other destinations.
How to avoid ATM fees overseas
Three fees stack on a withdrawal. Two of them are avoidable outright.
What one Australian dollar buys in Maldives
Rf10.7 MVR per AUD
Last recorded rate
These are mid-market rates - the rate banks trade at, published by the European Central Bank. It is not what you will be offered. Expect a card or exchange service to take 0.5% to 5% off it, which is exactly what our travel money comparison is for. Past movement doesn't predict future rates, and none of this is financial advice.
View the numbers as a table
More Maldives essentials
Maldives visa and entry rules
Passport, visa, arrival cards and customs rules for Australian passport holders.
Flights to Maldives
Search fares from Australia, then sort the rest of the trip.
Maldives eSIM plans
Instant data, no physical SIM required.
Maldives travel insurance
Medical, cancellation and luggage cover for Australian travellers.
Maldives airport transfers
Trains, buses, private transfers and taxis compared.
Driving in Maldives
International Driving Permit rules and car hire for Australians.
Maldives travel essentials
Adapters, plugs, tap water, tipping and health basics.
Things to do in Maldives
Attractions, tours and passes worth booking ahead.
Further reading: Travel money for Australians: cards, cash and the fees nobody mentions
How these comparisons are made
Cards are compared on the three fees that actually cost travellers money - the FX margin, ATM fees and account fees - using each issuer's published rates. Jamie has personally spent on travel cards recommended here while overseas. Cash-versus-card guidance is researched per destination rather than copied between pages, because a card strategy that works in Stockholm fails in Osaka. Read the full editorial policy.
Planning Maldives?
We will send you the Maldives guide as it grows - what to book before you go, which eSIM and travel card are worth it there, and what things actually cost in Australian dollars.