Living conditions

Nivigi, I see quiet a few Indian doctors here. $3000 plus accommodation is an OK salary for an Indian as otherwise only the rentals cost around $1000-2000 in decent areas so I guess your monthly grocery would be around $1000-1500 and you should still be saving money.

Hindi is widely understood but not everyone can speak it. You will find the country heavily populated with Bangladeshi labor force and infact I would say it may be more then 30% of the total population or may be more then 50% in some parts.

Let me know if you need to know anything else atleast can advise you for as long as I am here.

Thanks shurjeel for the input.

By 1000-1500 usd you mean only for groceries or total expenditure....for eg, electricity,water ,mobile bills. I am getting a two bedroom fully furnished house so that is not an issue

Check with your landlord or employer. Usually for foreigners the arrangements are like - everything included i.e. utilities etc. As otherwise you may have to pay like MVR1000-1500 for electricity. MVR 500 for water, MVR 750 for the airtel cable, MVR 1000 for internet (pathetic speed). Flour is difficult to get in the indian way. Rice is comonly available and good basmati rice will be MVR 175 per 5 KG. Calls to India cost MVR 3-4 per min etc.

The current exchange rate it 1 USD = MVR 16.00

So in short I assume still your total spendings should not be over $1500. I am going out for dinner and can get you more details for the prices of different items if you can list them here (if you want) so you can do some calculations yourself. Also will ask my landlord about the precise utility bills and will reply you in next few hours.

Thanks again for the inputs.

here are some of the costs:

- Electricity monthly bill MVR 1000-1200 (with 1 air conditioner) add 350 for every additional one that you will use
- Water bill MVR 1500 - 2000
- Internet - MVR 650 per month
- Cable - 1850 setup cost + 450 per month subscription

- Eggs - MVR 24 per dozen
- Large bread - MVR 25
- Butter - MVR 25 for 100 gm
- Milk - MVR 35 per liter (MVR 125 for 1 kg dry milk like nido etc)

- Vegetables - MVR 300-400 per week
- Daal - MVR 40-60 per kg
- Rice - MVR 175 for 5 kg basmati
- Coke can (300 ml) - MVR 12-15 depending on the shop
- Biscuits - vary from MVR 5 - 25
- Fish - MVR 80 per kg (frozen one)

Taxi - fixed MVR 25 per ride i.e. irrespective of where you go on the island. The whole male island is almost 1.5 km in distance from one end to another so you can even walk if you can.

Local holidays are fridays and saturdays.
If you need to send money outside maldives you need to have US$ as the western union do not accept MVR so you will have to purchase $ from market.
Money changers are not common but it is common to get your $ changed from any good grocery/store. They may not give you a better rate but atleast you can buy/sell $ there.

Hope this helps. Rest if you need pricing for any specific items or any other info, let me know and i will get it for you.

Thanks a ton. Really appreciate it. But just wondering isn't water bill too high, I mean even more than electricity?

lol yes. Though they have water everywhere but still its v v high. Unlike our home country i.e. Pakistan where I pay hardly $50 for the whole year. Here you need to be cautious as they got meters on water as well. I hope you dont take too much time in shower

I am sure you will adjust your shower habbits after you get the 1st month bill .... lol

when are you planning to travel?

Second week April.do you have any idea about the working conditions of doctors in igmh, male? I was reading few blogs, very disturbing. Now I am having second thoughts.

well I am not a doctor but honestly here there are no specialists. all or most are medical officers. for anything above their head they recommend a travel to sri lanka or india. i fell sick a few days ago and went to see a doctor ar hospital and it took me 1 hour just to get the payment done and get a perscription paper before I could see a doctor. being diabatic i requested them to get my diabatese checked as i was feeling it disturbed and the glucometer had no battery, no sterlized pins for prick and infact very very poor. Dont wish to share any further as it may scare you more about this sector here but this place is in need for good doctors - if you are one and believe in serving the humanity. Be sincere to yourself and your profession and forget what others say, come here and do the job what you are hired for and this will be it.

That is so sad, no sterilised needles? Shocking....did you go to IGMH?

Hi Nivigi,

I created a new thread with your posts on the Maldives forum for more visibility.

Thank you,

Priscilla 

I am doctor working in Addu city not in malé at a health centre.. Here conditions are not that much pathetic as described by sharjeel but reason could be th limitted population of island 5000.
Actually half of the population of maldives and 90% of the foreigners live in malé being catagerised as second most populated capital and with only once hospital IGMH...
But as far ADK is concerned i think conditions will be good there because most of the foreigners preffer not to go IGMH being over crowded abd most of the critical emergencies from resorts are also reffered ti IGMH...

Are you moving as a specialist because $3000 is not the salary some doctor can get at resort????

Can anyone help me to know the cell number of Moh(DMS) for vacancy for doctors and email id to contact. mail me at sehgalparam@gmail. com.  Thanx

Please email me the contact s of MOH(DMS) for doctor s vacancy in Maldives. Thanks

salam..
hope u r doing good. am a doctor from karachi. i have been offered a job in ungoofaaru regional hospital. so can u plz guide me how r the living conditions in ungoofaaru? how is the food like n what is the mode of transport? i have been offered around 23000 maldivian rufiya.. would i be able to save some? plz help
JazakAllah

Pay will be more than 27000 thousand.. Living is same in whole Maldives, better in Male and comparitively better in addu..
Ongufaaru is i think 8-10 hours with normal boat and 4 hours with speed boat... Better most of the time you are not posted on your centres given on employement approval.. This depends upon availbility of vacancy on island... Best of luck..,

how are the living conditions like? and can i come to my country pakistan in between to give the exam usmle? i mean do we get a leave in between if we wish to go back n give exam n come back?

Yup once you can go for 15days on emergency leave latter you will get at the end of year annual leave...

bro can u give me ur email id so that i can ask u a few lil things?

all that am worried of is the living conditions and the usmle exam am preparing for. they just let me go back n give the exam.. i heard the ministry keeps the passport with them n they trouble doctors in getting leave etc.. need some guidance in this regard...

Waqar Ahmad tawari
Fb pe aa ja yaar tujhay sub bta deta hun