Great pics of Maldives. Yes there is a lot of Maldives outside the luxury resorts. I would guess that Maafushi is popular because it is reasonable distance by speed boat and do not have to cross a major channel. Difushi is another island that has guts houses. Most of the other islands are in different atolls and though they have speed boat transfers they would have to cross major channels and could get rough sometimes.
I always think the resorts in Maldives are ridiculously priced but I guess if most people pay then it is the right price. But the way there is no alcohol at these local islands. But the beaches are as good as if not better than some luxury resorts.