Cost of Living Comparison Between Balti and Dubasari Cost of Living Comparison Between Balti and Dubasari

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $998 per month in Balti vs $689 in Dubasari, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,261 per month in Balti vs $1,096 in Dubasari, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,523 per month in Balti vs $1,504 in Dubasari, rent included.

Balti costs about 45% more than Dubasari, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both Balti and Dubasari are more affordable than the global median – Balti 25% lower, Dubasari 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.23 MDL 143

$8.65 MDL 150

-4.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.65 MDL 637

$36.42 MDL 633

0.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.71 MDL 134

$7.41 MDL 129

4.05%

Cappuccino

$1.58 MDL 27.44

$1.80 MDL 31.26

-12.22%

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

$0.91 MDL 15.81

$0.97 MDL 16.92

-6.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 MDL 11.38

$0.70 MDL 12.17

-7.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.76 MDL 30.65

$1.71 MDL 29.65

2.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 MDL 38.97

$2.31 MDL 40.08

-3.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 MDL 22.23

$1.25 MDL 21.69

2.40%

White Bread (500g)

$0.42 MDL 7.32

$0.56 MDL 9.66

-25.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MDL 25.47

$1.52 MDL 26.45

-3.29%

Eggs

$1.56 MDL 27.15

$2.55 MDL 44.26

-38.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.23 MDL 160

$10.45 MDL 182

-11.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.55 MDL 79.0

$5.41 MDL 94.0

-15.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.88 MDL 154

$9.12 MDL 159

-2.63%

Apples (1kg)

$0.90 MDL 15.69

$0.86 MDL 14.91

4.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MDL 30.48

$1.77 MDL 30.71

-1.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 MDL 25.96

$1.70 MDL 29.47

-12.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 MDL 36.00

$2.09 MDL 36.34

-0.96%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 MDL 13.07

$0.84 MDL 14.54

-10.71%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 MDL 10.29

$0.56 MDL 9.66

5.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 MDL 22.45

$1.31 MDL 22.73

-1.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 MDL 15.64

$0.82 MDL 14.25

9.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.24 MDL 56.4

$3.29 MDL 57.3

-1.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.45 MDL 77.4

$4.51 MDL 78.4

-1.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MDL 20.91

$1.21 MDL 21.09

-0.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 MDL 34.69

$1.97 MDL 34.23

1.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 MDL 6.33

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.02 MDL 35.19

$1.99 MDL 34.57

1.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.25 MDL 4.33

$0.27 MDL 4.71

-7.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.15 MDL 89.5

$5.37 MDL 93.3

-4.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MDL 23.01

$1.42 MDL 24.70

-7.04%

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

$32.6K MDL 567.2K

$31.6K MDL 549.1K

3.28%

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

$31.4K MDL 545.8K

$30.8K MDL 534.6K

2.10%

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

$176 MDL 3,051

$174 MDL 3,030

0.71%

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

$4.76 MDL 82.8

$7.61 MDL 132

-37.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.59 MDL 184

$10.71 MDL 186

-1.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.33 MDL 718

Cinema Ticket

$4.78 MDL 83.1

$7.76 MDL 135

-38.40%

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

$119 MDL 2,070

$391 MDL 6,803

-69.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,474 MDL 95.1K

$7,618 MDL 132.4K

-28.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.9 MDL 1,145

$65.0 MDL 1,130

1.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.4 MDL 928

$53.8 MDL 935

-0.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 MDL 1,981

$111 MDL 1,937

2.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MDL 2,094

$125 MDL 2,173

-3.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$405 MDL 7,036

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 MDL 5,164

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,431 MDL 24.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$992 MDL 17.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$618 MDL 10.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.24

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

Last update for Balti: July 28, 2026

Last update for Dubasari: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37.00 in Balti versus $36.00 in Dubasari. Groceries tell a different story – $176 in Balti vs $190 in Dubasari – so Balti wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Dubasari: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $998 in Balti, $689 in Dubasari – roughly 45% apart. Balti costs more across the board, with Sport & Entertainment showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,497 per month in Balti and $1,034 in Dubasari. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37.00 in Balti and $36.00 in Dubasari. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 8% cheaper in Balti – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $998 in Balti and $689 in Dubasari, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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