Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Moldova Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Moldova

Name: Moldova
Address: MD

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,184 per month in Australia vs $714 in Moldova, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,221 per month in Australia vs $1,114 in Moldova, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,257 per month in Australia vs $1,513 in Moldova, rent included.

The cost of living in Australia is about 206% higher than in Moldova on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Australia sits 64% above the global median, while Moldova is 46% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Cost ranges are similar: Australia spans $1,608–$2,789, Moldova $6.00–$1,199. City choice affects budget similarly in either country.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.24 A$23.14

$8.99 MDL 155

80.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.5 A$113

$34.97 MDL 604

127.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.88 A$14.08

$7.70 MDL 133

28.31%

Cappuccino

$3.57 A$5.09

$1.71 MDL 29.52

108.77%

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

$2.59 A$3.70

$0.92 MDL 15.82

181.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 A$3.05

$0.59 MDL 10.24

262.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.44 A$9.18

$1.71 MDL 29.57

276.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.99 A$9.96

$2.36 MDL 40.75

196.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 A$2.16

$1.29 MDL 22.30

17.83%

White Bread (500g)

$2.48 A$3.53

$0.52 MDL 8.96

376.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.10 A$2.99

$1.43 MDL 24.72

46.85%

Eggs

$4.25 A$6.06

$2.46 MDL 42.59

72.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.04 A$12.89

$9.98 MDL 172

-9.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.64 A$12.31

$5.20 MDL 89.9

66.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.06 A$20.04

$8.53 MDL 147

64.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 A$4.69

$0.88 MDL 15.26

273.86%

Banana (1kg)

$2.80 A$4.00

$1.84 MDL 31.77

52.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.84 A$4.05

$1.71 MDL 29.61

66.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.42 A$6.30

$2.01 MDL 34.74

119.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.48 A$3.53

$0.76 MDL 13.17

226.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 A$3.08

$0.58 MDL 10.09

272.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 A$3.24

$1.32 MDL 22.72

71.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 A$2.14

$0.90 MDL 15.49

66.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$30.89 A$44.04

$3.25 MDL 56.1

850.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.98 A$19.93

$4.49 MDL 77.6

211.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.42 A$6.31

$1.19 MDL 20.54

271.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 A$6.91

$1.99 MDL 34.35

143.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 A$4.15

$0.34 MDL 5.83

755.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.7 A$138

$13.53 MDL 234

614.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.68 A$5.25

$2.07 MDL 35.70

77.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 A$2.50

$0.26 MDL 4.48

573.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.19 A$54.4

$5.12 MDL 88.5

645.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 A$1.64

$1.43 MDL 24.73

-19.58%

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

$29.2K A$41.6K

$31.9K MDL 551.5K

-8.46%

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

$22.4K A$31.9K

$31.8K MDL 548.9K

-29.51%

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

$178 A$254

$173 MDL 2,993

2.70%

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

$26.86 A$38.29

$7.99 MDL 138

236.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.7 A$75.1

$10.99 MDL 190

379.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.75 A$66.6

$41.40 MDL 715

12.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.54 A$23.57

$19.34 MDL 334

-14.48%

Cinema Ticket

$13.61 A$19.40

$6.92 MDL 120

96.68%

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

$1,612 A$2,298

$385 MDL 6,659

318.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K A$17.8K

$7,276 MDL 125.7K

71.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.5 A$101

$62.2 MDL 1,075

13.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 A$73.0

$49.22 MDL 851

3.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 A$147

$108 MDL 1,861

-4.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 A$156

$122 MDL 2,104

-10.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,394 A$1,988

$621 MDL 10.7K

124.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,080 A$1,540

$436 MDL 7,536

147.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,268 A$3,233

$1,202 MDL 20.8K

88.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,739 A$2,479

$767 MDL 13.3K

126.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,445 A$10.6K

$2,514 MDL 43.4K

196.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,628 A$8,023

$1,821 MDL 31.5K

209.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,996 A$5,696

$750 MDL 13.0K

432.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.35

9.18

-30.83%

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

Last update for Australia: June 14, 2026

Last update for Moldova: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,232 in Australia vs $208 in Moldova. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,583 in Canberra and $669 in Chisinau.

Average salary: $3,853 in Australia vs $538 in Moldova. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 492% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 166% more in Australia.

Public transport is 2133% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 616% higher in Australia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Australia.

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

Australia vs Moldova: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Moldova is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 265% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Australia, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Australia consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Moldova, contributing to the overall 265% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Moldova, but in Australia it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Moldova is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.