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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $989 per month in Balti vs $1,192 in Leova, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,243 per month in Balti vs $1,993 in Leova, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,496 per month in Balti vs $2,793 in Leova, rent included.

Balti is about 17% cheaper than Leova, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Balti and Leova are more affordable than the global median – Balti 26% lower, Leova 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.11 MDL 140

$10.60 MDL 183

-23.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.95 MDL 621

$35.15 MDL 607

2.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.49 MDL 129

$9.48 MDL 164

-20.99%

Cappuccino

$1.65 MDL 28.47

$0.85 MDL 14.67

94.12%

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

$0.96 MDL 16.63

$0.55 MDL 9.41

74.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 MDL 11.88

$0.43 MDL 7.35

60.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.79 MDL 30.90

$2.60 MDL 44.80

-31.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 MDL 39.09

$2.80 MDL 48.24

-19.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 MDL 22.29

$1.73 MDL 29.87

-25.43%

White Bread (500g)

$0.43 MDL 7.41

$0.61 MDL 10.47

-29.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 MDL 25.94

$1.37 MDL 23.68

9.49%

Eggs

$1.59 MDL 27.36

$1.43 MDL 24.63

11.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.54 MDL 165

$14.39 MDL 248

-33.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.58 MDL 79.0

$2.38 MDL 41.16

92.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.88 MDL 153

$4.16 MDL 71.9

113.46%

Apples (1kg)

$0.83 MDL 14.28

$1.38 MDL 23.84

-39.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MDL 31.23

$0.87 MDL 14.98

108.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.54 MDL 26.62

$0.95 MDL 16.35

62.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MDL 36.96

$1.19 MDL 20.48

79.83%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 MDL 12.23

$1.61 MDL 27.87

-55.90%

Onion (1kg)

$0.55 MDL 9.53

$0.56 MDL 9.64

-1.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 MDL 23.16

$0.48 MDL 8.30

179.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 MDL 15.13

$1.02 MDL 17.63

-13.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.28 MDL 56.7

$4.90 MDL 84.6

-33.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.52 MDL 78.0

$15.68 MDL 271

-71.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MDL 21.93

$1.15 MDL 19.78

10.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 MDL 34.02

$2.68 MDL 46.24

-26.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MDL 5.83

$0.42 MDL 7.28

-19.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.59 MDL 511

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.09 MDL 36.14

$2.88 MDL 49.72

-27.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.25 MDL 4.28

$0.55 MDL 9.58

-54.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.23 MDL 90.3

$3.45 MDL 59.6

51.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MDL 22.48

$1.43 MDL 24.66

-9.09%

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

$32.6K MDL 562.3K

$35.5K MDL 612.2K

-8.15%

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

$30.9K MDL 533.5K

$36.2K MDL 624.9K

-14.63%

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

$171 MDL 2,947

$194 MDL 3,356

-12.19%

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

$4.81 MDL 83.0

$5.95 MDL 103

-19.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.40 MDL 180

$21.22 MDL 366

-50.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.98 MDL 707

$35.05 MDL 605

16.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.80 MDL 204

Cinema Ticket

$4.72 MDL 81.5

$4.65 MDL 80.3

1.51%

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

$119 MDL 2,051

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,496 MDL 94.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.7 MDL 1,134

$87.1 MDL 1,504

-24.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.9 MDL 914

$58.0 MDL 1,002

-8.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 MDL 1,959

$99.4 MDL 1,716

14.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MDL 2,106

$115 MDL 1,993

5.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$411 MDL 7,102

$872 MDL 15.0K

-52.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$295 MDL 5,095

$361 MDL 6,223

-18.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,592 MDL 27.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,128 MDL 19.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,472 MDL 25.4K

$2,538 MDL 43.8K

-42.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,025 MDL 17.7K

$1,999 MDL 34.5K

-48.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$427 MDL 7,367

$673 MDL 11.6K

-36.55%

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: June 15, 2026

Last update for Leova: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $411 in Balti versus $872 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 58% 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 $36.00 in Balti versus $35.00 in Leova. Groceries tell a different story – $178 in Balti vs $187 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: $989 in Balti, $1,192 in Leova – roughly 21% apart. Leova costs more across the board, with Getting Around showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,483 per month in Balti and $1,788 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 $36.00 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 $989 in Balti and $1,192 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 $989, than in Leova at $1,192. 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.