Cost of Living Comparison Between Balti and Leova Cost of Living Comparison Between Balti and Leova

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $998 per month in Balti vs $1,171 in Leova, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,261 per month in Balti vs $1,958 in Leova, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,523 per month in Balti vs $2,745 in Leova, rent included.

Balti is about 15% cheaper than Leova, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Balti and Leova are more affordable than the global median – Balti 25% lower, Leova 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.23 MDL 143

$10.80 MDL 188

-23.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.65 MDL 637

$34.77 MDL 604

5.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.71 MDL 134

$9.85 MDL 171

-21.73%

Cappuccino

$1.58 MDL 27.44

$0.84 MDL 14.68

88.10%

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

$0.91 MDL 15.81

$0.52 MDL 8.96

75.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 MDL 11.38

$0.42 MDL 7.38

54.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.76 MDL 30.65

$2.62 MDL 45.55

-32.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 MDL 38.97

$2.89 MDL 50.3

-22.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 MDL 22.23

$1.74 MDL 30.19

-26.44%

White Bread (500g)

$0.42 MDL 7.32

$0.57 MDL 9.82

-26.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MDL 25.47

$1.38 MDL 23.95

6.52%

Eggs

$1.56 MDL 27.15

$1.37 MDL 23.87

13.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.23 MDL 160

$14.54 MDL 253

-36.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.55 MDL 79.0

$2.36 MDL 41.04

92.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.88 MDL 154

$4.10 MDL 71.2

116.59%

Apples (1kg)

$0.90 MDL 15.69

$1.39 MDL 24.12

-35.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MDL 30.48

$0.89 MDL 15.47

96.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 MDL 25.96

$1.01 MDL 17.56

47.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 MDL 36.00

$1.16 MDL 20.11

78.45%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 MDL 13.07

$1.62 MDL 28.19

-53.70%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 MDL 10.29

$0.57 MDL 9.87

3.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 MDL 22.45

$0.45 MDL 7.91

186.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 MDL 15.64

$1.04 MDL 17.99

-13.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.24 MDL 56.4

$4.68 MDL 81.3

-30.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.45 MDL 77.4

$15.27 MDL 265

-70.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MDL 20.91

$1.18 MDL 20.51

1.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 MDL 34.69

$2.81 MDL 48.80

-28.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 MDL 6.33

$0.40 MDL 6.89

-10.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.04 MDL 505

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.02 MDL 35.19

$2.98 MDL 51.9

-32.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.25 MDL 4.33

$0.53 MDL 9.21

-52.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.15 MDL 89.5

$3.50 MDL 60.8

47.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MDL 23.01

$1.50 MDL 26.06

-12.00%

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

$32.6K MDL 567.2K

$34.8K MDL 605.6K

-6.35%

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

$31.4K MDL 545.8K

$35.9K MDL 624.6K

-12.61%

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

$176 MDL 3,051

$197 MDL 3,416

-10.67%

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

$4.76 MDL 82.8

$5.72 MDL 99.4

-16.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.59 MDL 184

$21.71 MDL 377

-51.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.33 MDL 718

$35.74 MDL 621

15.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.73 MDL 204

Cinema Ticket

$4.78 MDL 83.1

$4.56 MDL 79.2

4.82%

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

$119 MDL 2,070

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,474 MDL 95.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.9 MDL 1,145

$86.9 MDL 1,511

-24.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.4 MDL 928

$59.3 MDL 1,031

-9.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 MDL 1,981

$100 MDL 1,739

13.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MDL 2,094

$119 MDL 2,061

1.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$405 MDL 7,036

$876 MDL 15.2K

-53.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 MDL 5,164

$360 MDL 6,259

-17.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,548 MDL 26.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,138 MDL 19.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,431 MDL 24.9K

$2,554 MDL 44.4K

-43.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$992 MDL 17.2K

$1,972 MDL 34.3K

-49.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$618 MDL 10.7K

$667 MDL 11.6K

-7.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.24

7.19

28.51%

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

Last update for Balti: July 28, 2026

Last update for Leova: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $405 in Balti versus $876 in Leova. 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 8% higher in Leova, 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 $37.00 in Balti versus $35.00 in Leova. Groceries tell a different story – $176 in Balti vs $186 in Leova – 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 Leova: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $998 in Balti, $1,171 in Leova – roughly 17% apart. Leova costs more across the board, with Getting Around showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,497 per month in Balti and $1,757 in Leova. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Balti, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37.00 in Balti and $35.00 in Leova. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $998 in Balti and $1,171 in Leova. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Balti, where all-in costs run around $998, than in Leova at $1,171. In Balti it covers expenses comfortably, while in Leova it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Balti – 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 Balti. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Leova makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.