Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Balti and Orhei

For one person, living is cheaper in Orhei: $356 a month against $974 in Balti, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Balti
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Balti Living Index

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Balti

🇲🇩 Moldova

$974

/mo nomad

Orhei

🇲🇩 Moldova

$356

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Balti and in Orhei

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 Orhei actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $974 per month in Balti vs $356 in Orhei, rent included.

Balti $974
Orhei $356

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Balti vs $580 in Orhei, rent included.

Balti $1,414
Orhei $580

A family of three spends $1,854 per month in Balti vs $805 in Orhei, rent included.

Balti $1,854
Orhei $805

Balti costs about 173% more than Orhei, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Balti and Orhei are more affordable than the global median – Balti 28% lower, Orhei 74% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.51 MDL 152

$11.28 MDL 202

-24.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.53 MDL 403

$21.89 MDL 391

2.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MDL 185

$6.92 MDL 124

49.57%

Cappuccino

$1.74 MDL 31.14

$1.36 MDL 24.30

27.94%

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

$1.06 MDL 19.00

$0.79 MDL 14.17

34.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 MDL 11.70

$0.47 MDL 8.37

38.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.12 MDL 20.09

$1.13 MDL 20.24

-0.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 MDL 24.61

$1.35 MDL 24.21

2.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 MDL 21.54

$0.97 MDL 17.35

23.71%

White Bread (500g)

$0.45 MDL 8.03

$0.32 MDL 5.72

40.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 MDL 27.47

Eggs

$2.15 MDL 38.48

$1.89 MDL 33.77

13.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.78 MDL 121

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.70 MDL 84.1

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.18 MDL 111

Apples (1kg)

$0.99 MDL 17.68

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 MDL 41.03

$1.89 MDL 33.83

21.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.88 MDL 33.65

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 MDL 40.87

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 MDL 12.77

$0.62 MDL 11.00

14.52%

Onion (1kg)

$0.52 MDL 9.21

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.43 MDL 7.71

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 MDL 9.73

$0.51 MDL 9.18

5.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.27 MDL 58.5

Wine (Bottle)

$4.34 MDL 77.6

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 MDL 24.21

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 MDL 35.67

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MDL 6.15

$0.16 MDL 2.85

112.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.78 MDL 300

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.76 MDL 49.41

$1.14 MDL 20.36

142.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 MDL 4.25

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MDL 97.4

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 MDL 29.00

$1.71 MDL 30.50

-5.26%

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

$33.4K MDL 597.1K

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

$24.1K MDL 430.5K

$19.9K MDL 356.3K

20.82%

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

$220 MDL 3,942

$58.7 MDL 1,050

275.54%

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

$7.74 MDL 138

$6.68 MDL 119

15.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.03 MDL 197

$9.96 MDL 178

10.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.85 MDL 659

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.34 MDL 274

Cinema Ticket

$7.61 MDL 136

$3.28 MDL 58.6

132.01%

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

$113 MDL 2,012

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,113 MDL 91.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.39 MDL 794

$33.31 MDL 596

33.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.84 MDL 605

$32.83 MDL 587

3.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$55.6 MDL 994

$105 MDL 1,881

-47.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$50.9 MDL 910

$32.97 MDL 590

54.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$397 MDL 7,093

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$280 MDL 5,004

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$657 MDL 11.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$495 MDL 8,859

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,399 MDL 25.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$992 MDL 17.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$606 MDL 10.8K

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 Orhei: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Balti

$280 28.7%

Orhei

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Balti

$239 24.6%

Orhei

–

Groceries & Markets

Balti

$162 16.7%

Orhei

–

Eating Out

Balti

$135 13.9%

Orhei

–

Clothing & Footwear

Balti

$83 8.5%

Orhei

–

Sport & Entertainment

Balti

$52 5.4%

Orhei

–

Getting Around

Balti

$22 2.3%

Orhei

–

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23 in Balti versus $22 in Orhei. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $162 vs $40 – making Orhei the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇩 Balti

🇲🇩 Orhei

🕒 Local time

22:22 10:22 PM

Same time as Balti

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

144,800

24,918

💱 Currency

Moldovan Leu MDL L

📈 Exchange rate

100 MDL = 5.59 USD

100 MDL = 5.02 EUR

100 MDL = 5.59 USD

100 MDL = 5.02 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Balti Orhei 80 km

From you

Balti
Orhei

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 Orhei: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $974 in Balti, $356 in Orhei – Orhei comes out roughly 63% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,461 per month in Balti and $534 in Orhei. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23 in Balti and $22 in Orhei. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $974 in Balti and $356 in Orhei. That makes Orhei about 63% cheaper.

It depends on your priorities. Balti has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $356 in Orhei 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.