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 $2,181 per month in Australia vs $716 in Moldova, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,218 per month in Australia vs $1,116 in Moldova, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,254 per month in Australia vs $1,515 in Moldova, rent included.

The cost of living in Australia is about 205% 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 $1,595–$2,799, Moldova $5.00–$1,231. City choice affects budget similarly in either country.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.97 A$22.66

$8.72 MDL 152

83.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.0 A$112

$35.41 MDL 615

123.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 A$13.74

$7.38 MDL 128

31.17%

Cappuccino

$3.58 A$5.08

$1.70 MDL 29.55

110.59%

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

$2.56 A$3.64

$0.91 MDL 15.75

181.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 A$3.15

$0.60 MDL 10.41

270.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.34 A$8.99

$1.72 MDL 29.85

268.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.95 A$9.86

$2.28 MDL 39.62

204.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 A$2.22

$1.25 MDL 21.64

24.80%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 A$3.59

$0.56 MDL 9.81

351.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.00 A$2.83

$1.48 MDL 25.73

35.14%

Eggs

$4.26 A$6.05

$2.44 MDL 42.37

74.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.75 A$12.42

$10.00 MDL 174

-12.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.23 A$11.68

$5.42 MDL 94.3

51.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.15 A$20.08

$8.87 MDL 154

59.53%

Apples (1kg)

$3.26 A$4.63

$0.84 MDL 14.58

288.10%

Banana (1kg)

$2.81 A$3.99

$1.83 MDL 31.89

53.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 A$4.26

$1.73 MDL 29.98

73.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.31 A$6.12

$2.07 MDL 35.94

108.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 A$3.62

$0.80 MDL 13.97

218.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 A$3.07

$0.60 MDL 10.38

260.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 A$3.15

$1.31 MDL 22.77

69.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 A$2.17

$0.82 MDL 14.22

86.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$31.28 A$44.38

$3.20 MDL 55.5

877.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.09 A$20.00

$4.43 MDL 76.9

218.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.44 A$6.30

$1.20 MDL 20.87

270.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.90 A$6.96

$1.99 MDL 34.65

146.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 A$4.19

$0.36 MDL 6.33

719.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.9 A$136

$13.47 MDL 234

611.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 A$4.95

$2.08 MDL 36.16

67.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 A$2.61

$0.28 MDL 4.91

557.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.26 A$52.9

$5.40 MDL 93.8

590.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 A$1.66

$1.36 MDL 23.66

-13.97%

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

$28.7K A$40.8K

$32.6K MDL 565.8K

-11.73%

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

$22.5K A$31.9K

$32.0K MDL 556.0K

-29.78%

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

$173 A$246

$175 MDL 3,049

-1.17%

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

$26.62 A$37.77

$8.11 MDL 141

228.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 A$75.3

$11.15 MDL 194

376.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.82 A$66.4

$41.34 MDL 718

13.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.38 A$23.25

$19.15 MDL 333

-14.46%

Cinema Ticket

$13.56 A$19.24

$7.12 MDL 124

90.45%

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

$1,571 A$2,229

$375 MDL 6,509

319.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K A$17.9K

$7,276 MDL 126.4K

73.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.1 A$102

$62.6 MDL 1,088

15.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.6 A$73.2

$47.70 MDL 829

8.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 A$144

$106 MDL 1,847

-4.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 A$153

$121 MDL 2,108

-10.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,398 A$1,984

$616 MDL 10.7K

126.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 A$1,541

$439 MDL 7,626

147.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,272 A$3,223

$1,180 MDL 20.5K

92.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,751 A$2,485

$790 MDL 13.7K

121.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,955 A$11.3K

$2,571 MDL 44.7K

209.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,978 A$8,483

$1,832 MDL 31.8K

226.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,053 A$5,751

$757 MDL 13.2K

435.52%

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: July 28, 2026

Last update for Moldova: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,230 in Australia vs $208 in Moldova. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,557 in Canberra and $678 in Chisinau.

Average salary: $3,808 in Australia vs $552 in Moldova. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 491% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 166% more in Australia.

Public transport is 2133% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 590% 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 256% 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 256% 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.