The archipelago is a tropical paradise that is so close to blissful isolation, but is it worth buying property there? The Maldives is unique among all regions of the planet. It is considered one of the best places to holiday, especially luxury. However, despite the many attractive options of holiday villas overlooking the beautiful waters and sandy beaches, as a foreigner you cannot own land in the Maldives. Like many other resorts, direct foreign ownership of land in the Maldives is limited, which means you can own a house with land through renting. If you are a non-citizen, you can lease a property and type of property in the Maldives for a maximum of 99 years. At the end of the lease period, the foreign buyer or their descendants can extend the lease at market value. There are only a few exceptions for large foreign investors dealing in commercial land. However, this requires specific relief from the government, which is very rarely granted in practice. However, if you can buy property in the Maldives as a local or want a long-term lease, prices in Male range between US$5,000 to US$10,000 per sqm. Such figures are much higher than property prices in the rest of the country, as most of the population is concentrated there. The most desirable and expensive houses in Malé cost much more. If you are willing to deal with renting, you can expect 5% of the value of property in the Maldives per year if the current trend continues.
