Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Almaty and Chisinau

For one person, living is cheaper in Chisinau: $1,285 a month against $1,372 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $1,000 less a year. The total is higher in Almaty despite lower rent and utilities.

67

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
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Almaty Living Index
63

Cost of Living Index in Chisinau
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Chisinau Living Index

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Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,372

/mo nomad

Chisinau

🇲🇩 Moldova

$1,285

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Almaty and in Chisinau

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Almaty and in Chisinau actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,372 per month in Almaty vs $1,285 in Chisinau, rent included.

Almaty $1,372
Chisinau $1,285

A couple spends around $2,142 per month in Almaty vs $1,984 in Chisinau, rent included.

Almaty $2,142
Chisinau $1,984

A family of three spends $2,913 per month in Almaty vs $2,684 in Chisinau, rent included.

Almaty $2,913
Chisinau $2,684

Almaty costs about 7% more than Chisinau, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Almaty sits 2% above the global median, while Chisinau is 5% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.16 ₸5,949

$11.32 MDL 201

16.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.86 ₸20.3K

$51.0 MDL 906

-12.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ₸4,022

$8.85 MDL 157

0.56%

Cappuccino

$3.25 ₸1,469

$2.11 MDL 37.43

54.03%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 ₸639

$1.19 MDL 21.13

18.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 ₸399

$0.93 MDL 16.53

-5.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₸1,513

$2.25 MDL 40.03

48.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.04 ₸1,827

$1.95 MDL 34.61

107.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 ₸762

$1.27 MDL 22.56

33.07%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 ₸390

$0.73 MDL 12.88

17.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.03 ₸917

$1.39 MDL 24.71

46.04%

Eggs

$2.43 ₸1,100

$2.82 MDL 50.1

-13.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.46 ₸5,632

$9.49 MDL 169

31.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.71 ₸3,033

$5.07 MDL 90.1

32.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.85 ₸4,905

$8.65 MDL 154

25.43%

Apples (1kg)

$1.80 ₸813

$0.94 MDL 16.72

91.49%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 ₸1,018

$1.91 MDL 33.83

17.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 ₸1,314

$2.11 MDL 37.42

37.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 ₸1,243

$2.16 MDL 38.28

27.31%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 ₸337

$0.68 MDL 12.07

10.29%

Onion (1kg)

$0.55 ₸248

$0.56 MDL 10.00

-1.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 ₸732

$1.29 MDL 22.95

25.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 ₸474

$0.83 MDL 14.76

26.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.58 ₸1,167

$3.39 MDL 60.2

-23.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.15 ₸5,042

$4.67 MDL 83.0

138.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 ₸547

$1.26 MDL 22.44

-3.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 ₸1,104

$1.96 MDL 34.83

24.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₸117

$0.40 MDL 7.16

-35.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.03 ₸9,957

$13.50 MDL 240

63.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₸611

$2.29 MDL 40.61

-41.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₸288

$0.33 MDL 5.83

93.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.16 ₸5,044

$5.11 MDL 90.8

118.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.72 ₸324

$1.64 MDL 29.20

-56.10%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$22.5K ₸10.2M

$29.5K MDL 524.6K

-23.76%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$30.3K ₸13.7M

$29.7K MDL 527.0K

2.00%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$91.8 ₸41.5K

$239 MDL 4,245

-61.59%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$10.66 ₸4,820

$9.40 MDL 167

13.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.86 ₸8,072

$10.43 MDL 185

71.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.3 ₸31.8K

$42.21 MDL 750

66.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.60 ₸12.5K

$20.30 MDL 361

35.96%

Cinema Ticket

$6.78 ₸3,064

$8.55 MDL 152

-20.70%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$449 ₸202.9K

$425 MDL 7,543

5.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K ₸5.5M

$5,785 MDL 102.7K

109.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.9 ₸40.7K

$80.8 MDL 1,434

11.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.02 ₸21.3K

$47.59 MDL 845

-1.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$142 ₸64.1K

$116 MDL 2,056

22.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ₸60.0K

$113 MDL 2,011

17.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 ₸363.7K

$676 MDL 12.0K

19.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₸225.9K

$431 MDL 7,651

16.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,429 ₸645.9K

$1,258 MDL 22.3K

13.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$904 ₸408.8K

$846 MDL 15.0K

6.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,503 ₸1.1M

$2,680 MDL 47.6K

-6.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,559 ₸704.7K

$1,937 MDL 34.4K

-19.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$870 ₸393.3K

$866 MDL 15.4K

0.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.65

9.1

126.92%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Almaty: October 10, 2026

Last update for Chisinau: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Almaty

$500 36.4%

Chisinau

$431 33.5% 13.8% $69

Groceries & Markets

Almaty

$250 18.3%

Chisinau

$190 14.8% 24.2% $61

Eating Out

Almaty

$205 14.9%

Chisinau

$166 12.9% 19% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Almaty

$185 13.5%

Chisinau

$161 12.5% 13.2% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Almaty

$120 8.8%

Chisinau

$259 20.2% 115% $139

Sport & Entertainment

Almaty

$84 6.1%

Chisinau

$59 4.6% 29.3% $25

Getting Around

Almaty

$28 2%

Chisinau

$19 1.5% 31% $8.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $805 in Almaty versus $676 in Chisinau. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 0% higher in Almaty, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Almaty versus $51.0 in Chisinau. Groceries tell a different story – $250 in Almaty vs $190 in Chisinau – so Chisinau wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Almaty

🇲🇩 Chisinau

🕒 Local time

21:15 9:15 PM

18:15 6:15 PM

3 h behind Almaty

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,475,400

750,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

Moldovan Leu MDL L

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

100 MDL = 5.63 USD

100 MDL = 5.01 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MDL, USD, EUR to KZT – Kazakhstani Tenge Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇿 Kazakhstani Tenge (₸)

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 452 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 508 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

Moldovan Leu exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 17.76 MDL (100 MDL = 5.63 USD). 1 EUR = 19.97 MDL (100 MDL = 5.01 EUR).

USD to KZT in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Almaty Chisinau 3,740 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Almaty
Chisinau

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Almaty vs Chisinau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 7%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,058 per month in Almaty and $1,927 in Chisinau. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chisinau, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Almaty and $51.0 in Chisinau. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,372 in Almaty and $1,285 in Chisinau. That's a gap of about 7%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Chisinau, where all-in costs run around $1,285, than in Almaty at $1,372. In Chisinau it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Chisinau – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Chisinau. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Almaty makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.