Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Balikesir and Chisinau

For one person, living is cheaper in Balikesir: $942 a month against $1,326 in Chisinau, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Balikesir
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Balikesir Living Index
63

Cost of Living Index in Chisinau
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Chisinau Living Index

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Balikesir

🇹🇷 Turkey

$942

/mo nomad

Chisinau

🇲🇩 Moldova

$1,326

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Balikesir 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 Balikesir and in Chisinau actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $942 per month in Balikesir vs $1,326 in Chisinau, rent included.

Balikesir $942
Chisinau $1,326

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Balikesir vs $1,992 in Chisinau, rent included.

Balikesir $1,467
Chisinau $1,992

A family of three spends $1,991 per month in Balikesir vs $2,658 in Chisinau, rent included.

Balikesir $1,991
Chisinau $2,658

Balikesir is about 29% cheaper than Chisinau, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Balikesir and Chisinau are more affordable than the global median – Balikesir 30% lower, Chisinau 2% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.88 ₺345

$11.24 MDL 199

-38.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.55 ₺1,379

$55.0 MDL 970

-49.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.93 ₺397

$8.11 MDL 143

-2.22%

Cappuccino

$3.50 ₺175

$2.19 MDL 38.61

59.82%

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

$1.32 ₺66.3

$1.24 MDL 21.96

6.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ₺17.07

$0.87 MDL 15.33

-60.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.94 ₺147

$2.23 MDL 39.41

31.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.99 ₺200

$1.98 MDL 34.93

101.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.93 ₺46.46

$1.18 MDL 20.90

-21.19%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 ₺47.48

$0.71 MDL 12.60

33.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 ₺107

$1.42 MDL 25.03

50.00%

Eggs

$1.88 ₺93.9

$2.80 MDL 49.38

-32.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.80 ₺390

$9.81 MDL 173

-20.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.45 ₺173

$5.17 MDL 91.4

-33.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.60 ₺931

$8.74 MDL 154

112.81%

Apples (1kg)

$1.85 ₺92.7

$1.00 MDL 17.67

85.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₺82.3

$1.88 MDL 33.28

-12.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.99 ₺49.35

$2.08 MDL 36.81

-52.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.98 ₺49.11

$2.13 MDL 37.67

-53.99%

Potato (1kg)

$0.45 ₺22.48

$0.69 MDL 12.27

-34.78%

Onion (1kg)

$0.30 ₺15.22

$0.56 MDL 9.92

-46.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ₺36.27

$1.30 MDL 23.03

-44.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 ₺37.37

$0.89 MDL 15.70

-15.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 ₺112

$3.46 MDL 61.0

-35.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.32 ₺567

$4.82 MDL 85.2

134.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 ₺100

$1.22 MDL 21.58

64.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 ₺152

$1.96 MDL 34.56

54.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 ₺35.54

$0.41 MDL 7.22

73.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.40 ₺1,971

$13.69 MDL 242

187.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.12 ₺56.1

$2.18 MDL 38.52

-48.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.13 ₺56.5

$0.32 MDL 5.64

253.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.00 ₺200

$4.88 MDL 86.2

-18.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₺65.6

$1.74 MDL 30.80

-24.71%

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

$39.8K ₺2.0M

$28.8K MDL 509.4K

37.85%

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

$40.4K ₺2.0M

$28.3K MDL 499.6K

42.66%

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

$44.52 ₺2,228

$238 MDL 4,203

-81.29%

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

$12.10 ₺605

$8.63 MDL 152

40.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.95 ₺748

$10.24 MDL 181

46.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.2 ₺2,961

$43.67 MDL 771

35.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.92 ₺1,497

$20.40 MDL 360

46.67%

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 ₺202

$8.37 MDL 148

-51.73%

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

$589 ₺29.5K

$437 MDL 7,723

34.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K ₺599.3K

$8,501 MDL 150.1K

40.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.59 ₺1,180

$80.1 MDL 1,414

-70.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.28 ₺815

$47.44 MDL 838

-65.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.8 ₺3,544

$115 MDL 2,027

-38.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.30 ₺2,017

$113 MDL 1,994

-64.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$401 ₺20.1K

$700 MDL 12.4K

-42.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$325 ₺16.2K

$474 MDL 8,369

-31.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$827 ₺41.4K

$1,260 MDL 22.3K

-34.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$574 ₺28.7K

$803 MDL 14.2K

-28.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,006 ₺50.4K

$2,550 MDL 45.0K

-60.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$806 ₺40.3K

$1,850 MDL 32.7K

-56.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,297 ₺64.9K

$839 MDL 14.8K

54.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

39.8

9.17

334.02%

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

Last update for Balikesir: November 1, 2026

Last update for Chisinau: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Balikesir

$325 34.4%

Chisinau

$474 35.7% 46% $149

Groceries & Markets

Balikesir

$212 22.5%

Chisinau

$191 14.4% 9.6% $20

Eating Out

Balikesir

$150 15.9%

Chisinau

$164 12.4% 9.3% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Balikesir

$72 7.6%

Chisinau

$257 19.4% 259% $185

Clothing & Footwear

Balikesir

$68 7.2%

Chisinau

$160 12.1% 135% $92

Sport & Entertainment

Balikesir

$67 7.1%

Chisinau

$60 4.6% 10.2% $6.8

Getting Around

Balikesir

$49 5.2%

Chisinau

$19 1.4% 61% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $401 in Balikesir versus $700 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 55% higher in Balikesir, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $28 in Balikesir versus $55 in Chisinau. Groceries tell a different story – $212 in Balikesir vs $191 in Chisinau – so Chisinau wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Balikesir

🇲🇩 Chisinau

🕒 Local time

00:15 12:15 AM

23:15 11:15 PM

1 h behind Balikesir

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,196,170

750,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Moldovan Leu MDL L

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 EUR

100 MDL = 5.66 USD

100 MDL = 5.04 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MDL, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 50.04 TRY (100 TRY = 2 USD). 1 EUR = 56.18 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

Moldovan Leu exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 17.66 MDL (100 MDL = 5.66 USD). 1 EUR = 19.82 MDL (100 MDL = 5.04 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Balikesir Chisinau 820 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Balikesir
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

Balikesir vs Chisinau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chisinau costs about 41% more than Balikesir, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,413 per month in Balikesir and $1,988 in Chisinau. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Balikesir, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $401 there versus $700 in Chisinau.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $942 in Balikesir and $1,326 in Chisinau. That makes Balikesir about 29% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 65% less in Chisinau. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $942 in Balikesir and $1,326 in Chisinau. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chisinau has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $942 in Balikesir to $1,326 in Chisinau. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.