Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Balti and Cahul

For one person, living is cheaper in Cahul: $627 a month against $974 in Balti, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

47

Cost of Living Index in Balti
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Balti Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in Cahul
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Cahul Living Index

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Balti

🇲🇩 Moldova

$974

/mo nomad

Cahul

🇲🇩 Moldova

$627

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Balti and in Cahul

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

A single person spends $974 per month in Balti vs $627 in Cahul, rent included.

Balti $974
Cahul $627

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Balti vs $917 in Cahul, rent included.

Balti $1,414
Cahul $917

A family of three spends $1,854 per month in Balti vs $1,207 in Cahul, rent included.

Balti $1,854
Cahul $1,207

Balti costs about 55% more than Cahul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Balti and Cahul are more affordable than the global median – Balti 28% lower, Cahul 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.51 MDL 152

$8.19 MDL 146

3.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.53 MDL 402

$23.41 MDL 417

-3.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MDL 184

$10.36 MDL 185

-0.10%

Cappuccino

$1.74 MDL 31.05

$1.69 MDL 30.11

2.96%

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

$1.06 MDL 18.95

$1.11 MDL 19.82

-4.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 MDL 11.67

$0.53 MDL 9.53

22.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.12 MDL 20.04

$2.01 MDL 35.81

-44.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 MDL 24.54

$1.76 MDL 31.45

-21.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 MDL 21.48

$1.20 MDL 21.36

White Bread (500g)

$0.45 MDL 8.01

$0.49 MDL 8.72

-8.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 MDL 27.40

$1.60 MDL 28.45

-3.75%

Eggs

$2.15 MDL 38.38

$2.24 MDL 39.89

-4.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.78 MDL 121

$6.51 MDL 116

4.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.70 MDL 83.9

$4.54 MDL 80.9

3.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.18 MDL 110

$6.17 MDL 110

0.16%

Apples (1kg)

$0.99 MDL 17.63

$0.98 MDL 17.39

1.02%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 MDL 40.91

$2.19 MDL 39.09

4.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.88 MDL 33.56

$1.81 MDL 32.25

3.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 MDL 40.75

$2.37 MDL 42.33

-3.38%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 MDL 12.73

$0.76 MDL 13.54

-6.58%

Onion (1kg)

$0.52 MDL 9.19

$0.52 MDL 9.22

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.43 MDL 7.69

$0.43 MDL 7.74

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 MDL 9.70

$0.53 MDL 9.50

1.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.27 MDL 58.4

$3.39 MDL 60.5

-3.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.34 MDL 77.4

$4.38 MDL 78.1

-0.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 MDL 24.14

$1.41 MDL 25.19

-4.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 MDL 35.57

$1.97 MDL 35.06

1.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MDL 6.13

$0.27 MDL 4.81

25.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.78 MDL 299

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.76 MDL 49.28

$2.87 MDL 51.1

-3.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 MDL 4.24

$0.24 MDL 4.27

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MDL 97.2

$5.44 MDL 97.0

0.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 MDL 28.92

$1.56 MDL 27.74

3.85%

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

$33.4K MDL 595.4K

$33.3K MDL 593.4K

0.33%

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

$24.1K MDL 429.3K

$24.4K MDL 435.5K

-1.43%

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

$220 MDL 3,931

$221 MDL 3,948

-0.43%

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

$7.74 MDL 138

$7.65 MDL 136

1.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.03 MDL 197

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.85 MDL 657

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.34 MDL 274

Cinema Ticket

$7.61 MDL 136

$7.62 MDL 136

-0.13%

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

$113 MDL 2,007

$110 MDL 1,964

2.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,113 MDL 91.2K

$5,249 MDL 93.6K

-2.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.39 MDL 791

$45.08 MDL 804

-1.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.84 MDL 603

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$55.6 MDL 991

$56.4 MDL 1,005

-1.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$50.9 MDL 908

$51.0 MDL 909

-0.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$397 MDL 7,074

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$280 MDL 4,990

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$657 MDL 11.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$495 MDL 8,834

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,399 MDL 24.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$992 MDL 17.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$606 MDL 10.8K

$507 MDL 9,048

19.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Balti: October 26, 2026

Last update for Cahul: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Balti

$280 28.7%

Cahul

- * 0% 100%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Balti

$239 24.6%

Cahul

$240 38.3% 0.4% $0.9

Groceries & Markets

Balti

$162 16.7%

Cahul

$161 25.7% 0.6% $1

Eating Out

Balti

$135 13.9%

Cahul

$137 21.8% 1.3% $1.7

Clothing & Footwear

Balti

$83 8.5%

Cahul

$69 * 10.9% 17.5% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Balti

$52 5.4%

Cahul

$15 * 2.4% 70.7% $37

Getting Around

Balti

$22 2.3%

Cahul

$5.1 * 0.8% 76.8% $17

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 19% higher in Balti, 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 $23 in Balti versus $23 in Cahul. Groceries tell a different story – $162 in Balti vs $161 in Cahul – so Cahul wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇩 Balti

🇲🇩 Cahul

🕒 Local time

02:54 2:54 AM

Same time as Balti

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

144,800

39,500

💱 Currency

Moldovan Leu MDL L

📈 Exchange rate

100 MDL = 5.61 USD

100 MDL = 5.02 EUR

100 MDL = 5.61 USD

100 MDL = 5.02 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Balti Cahul 210 km

From you

Balti
Cahul

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

Balti vs Cahul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $974 in Balti, $627 in Cahul – Cahul comes out roughly 36% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,461 per month in Balti and $941 in Cahul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $974 in Balti and $627 in Cahul. That makes Cahul about 36% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $113 per month in Balti and $110 in Cahul. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Cahul, where all-in costs run around $627, than in Balti at $974. In Cahul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Balti it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Balti has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $627 in Cahul to $974 in Balti. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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