Cost of Living Comparison Between Balti and Ungheni Cost of Living Comparison Between Balti and Ungheni

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $986 per month in Balti vs $928 in Ungheni, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,259 per month in Balti vs $1,683 in Ungheni, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,532 per month in Balti vs $2,439 in Ungheni, rent included.

Balti costs about 6% more than Ungheni, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Balti and Ungheni are more affordable than the global median – Balti 26% lower, Ungheni 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.29 MDL 144

$7.39 MDL 129

12.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.13 MDL 629

$30.66 MDL 534

17.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.67 MDL 133

$5.99 MDL 104

28.05%

Cappuccino

$1.61 MDL 28.01

$1.50 MDL 26.12

7.33%

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

$0.99 MDL 17.30

$0.70 MDL 12.20

41.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 MDL 12.01

$0.43 MDL 7.41

60.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.73 MDL 30.13

$1.42 MDL 24.70

21.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 MDL 38.05

$1.49 MDL 26.00

46.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 MDL 21.34

$1.25 MDL 21.72

-1.60%

White Bread (500g)

$0.39 MDL 6.85

$0.45 MDL 7.88

-13.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 MDL 26.22

$1.00 MDL 17.39

51.00%

Eggs

$1.60 MDL 27.82

$2.28 MDL 39.64

-29.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.22 MDL 161

$7.70 MDL 134

19.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.49 MDL 78.2

$4.03 MDL 70.2

11.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.60 MDL 150

$6.84 MDL 119

25.73%

Apples (1kg)

$0.89 MDL 15.44

$0.55 MDL 9.51

61.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 MDL 31.39

$1.49 MDL 25.91

20.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.54 MDL 26.86

$1.68 MDL 29.28

-8.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 MDL 36.08

$1.28 MDL 22.31

61.72%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 MDL 11.97

$0.55 MDL 9.55

25.45%

Onion (1kg)

$0.56 MDL 9.68

$0.34 MDL 5.87

64.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 MDL 23.37

$1.35 MDL 23.58

-0.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 MDL 14.78

$0.52 MDL 9.03

63.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 MDL 57.4

$3.05 MDL 53.1

7.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.43 MDL 77.2

$4.34 MDL 75.6

2.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 MDL 21.32

$1.19 MDL 20.69

2.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 MDL 34.30

$1.29 MDL 22.39

52.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 MDL 6.35

$0.37 MDL 6.39

-2.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.03 MDL 35.38

$1.73 MDL 30.14

17.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.25 MDL 4.31

$0.27 MDL 4.74

-7.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.12 MDL 89.1

$4.45 MDL 77.5

15.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 MDL 23.97

$1.28 MDL 22.20

7.81%

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

$32.2K MDL 559.9K

$32.2K MDL 560.2K

-0.05%

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

$31.1K MDL 541.6K

$31.0K MDL 539.2K

0.44%

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

$175 MDL 3,054

$162 MDL 2,827

8.05%

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

$4.75 MDL 82.7

$7.51 MDL 131

-36.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.62 MDL 185

$10.77 MDL 188

-1.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.57 MDL 706

$20.57 MDL 358

97.23%

Cinema Ticket

$4.65 MDL 80.9

$4.15 MDL 72.3

12.05%

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

$116 MDL 2,013

$397 MDL 6,921

-70.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,455 MDL 95.0K

$7,518 MDL 130.9K

-27.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.8 MDL 1,129

$44.37 MDL 773

46.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.6 MDL 933

$21.61 MDL 376

147.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 MDL 1,991

$40.25 MDL 701

184.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 MDL 2,159

$110 MDL 1,913

12.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$402 MDL 6,994

$963 MDL 16.8K

-58.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$293 MDL 5,102

$365 MDL 6,351

-19.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,508 MDL 26.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,280 MDL 22.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,406 MDL 24.5K

$2,307 MDL 40.2K

-39.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$997 MDL 17.4K

$1,693 MDL 29.5K

-41.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$633 MDL 11.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.24

15.50%

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

Last update for Balti: July 12, 2026

Last update for Ungheni: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $402 in Balti versus $963 in Ungheni. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $36.00 in Balti versus $31.00 in Ungheni. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $174 vs $150 – making Ungheni the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Ungheni: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $986 in Balti, $928 in Ungheni – roughly 6% apart. Balti costs more across the board, with Clothing & Footwear showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,479 per month in Balti and $1,392 in Ungheni. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ungheni, 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 $31.00 in Ungheni. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 16% more in Balti, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Ungheni, where all-in costs run around $928, than in Balti at $986. In Ungheni it covers expenses comfortably, while in Balti it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ungheni – 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 Ungheni. 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.