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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $983 per month in Balti vs $923 in Ungheni, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,240 per month in Balti vs $1,666 in Ungheni, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,497 per month in Balti vs $2,409 in Ungheni, rent included.

Balti costs about 7% more than Ungheni, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Balti and Ungheni are more affordable than the global median – Balti 27% lower, Ungheni 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.08 MDL 139

$7.16 MDL 123

12.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.20 MDL 639

$30.56 MDL 525

21.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.78 MDL 134

$5.76 MDL 98.9

35.07%

Cappuccino

$1.64 MDL 28.12

$1.47 MDL 25.29

11.56%

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

$0.91 MDL 15.63

$0.71 MDL 12.19

28.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 MDL 11.30

$0.39 MDL 6.77

69.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.77 MDL 30.32

$1.44 MDL 24.66

22.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 MDL 39.06

$1.43 MDL 24.54

59.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 MDL 22.13

White Bread (500g)

$0.42 MDL 7.28

$0.45 MDL 7.68

-6.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 MDL 24.65

$1.00 MDL 17.18

44.00%

Eggs

$1.59 MDL 27.32

$2.16 MDL 37.16

-26.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.25 MDL 159

$7.55 MDL 130

22.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.57 MDL 78.5

$3.98 MDL 68.3

14.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.95 MDL 154

$6.76 MDL 116

32.40%

Apples (1kg)

$0.89 MDL 15.30

$0.56 MDL 9.53

58.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 MDL 30.18

$1.50 MDL 25.81

17.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 MDL 25.23

$1.73 MDL 29.78

-15.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MDL 35.33

$1.36 MDL 23.28

51.47%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 MDL 12.07

$0.54 MDL 9.35

29.63%

Onion (1kg)

$0.60 MDL 10.25

$0.33 MDL 5.74

81.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 MDL 23.48

$1.36 MDL 23.28

0.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 MDL 15.13

$0.48 MDL 8.18

83.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.20 MDL 55.0

$3.15 MDL 54.1

1.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.69 MDL 80.5

$4.38 MDL 75.3

7.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MDL 20.70

$1.14 MDL 19.65

6.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 MDL 33.70

$1.35 MDL 23.21

45.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MDL 5.77

$0.34 MDL 5.76

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.09 MDL 35.90

$1.71 MDL 29.44

22.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.25 MDL 4.29

$0.25 MDL 4.27

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.19 MDL 89.2

$4.49 MDL 77.2

15.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MDL 22.72

$1.24 MDL 21.24

6.45%

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

$31.9K MDL 547.1K

$32.6K MDL 559.1K

-2.15%

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

$31.1K MDL 533.2K

$30.9K MDL 531.0K

0.42%

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

$171 MDL 2,929

$167 MDL 2,861

2.35%

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

$4.77 MDL 81.8

$7.73 MDL 133

-38.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.57 MDL 182

$10.66 MDL 183

-0.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.41 MDL 711

$20.83 MDL 358

98.80%

Cinema Ticket

$4.62 MDL 79.4

$4.03 MDL 69.2

14.64%

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

$119 MDL 2,039

$395 MDL 6,778

-69.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,566 MDL 95.6K

$7,623 MDL 130.9K

-26.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.1 MDL 1,118

$43.67 MDL 750

49.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.7 MDL 922

$21.84 MDL 375

145.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MDL 1,923

$39.71 MDL 682

182.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 MDL 2,145

$110 MDL 1,885

13.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$406 MDL 6,972

$940 MDL 16.1K

-56.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$294 MDL 5,043

$367 MDL 6,294

-19.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,488 MDL 25.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,247 MDL 21.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,471 MDL 25.3K

$2,361 MDL 40.5K

-37.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,017 MDL 17.5K

$1,752 MDL 30.1K

-41.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$431 MDL 7,406

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Ungheni: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $406 in Balti versus $940 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 $37.00 in Balti versus $31.00 in Ungheni. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $177 vs $149 – 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: $983 in Balti, $923 in Ungheni – roughly 7% apart. Balti costs more across the board, with Clothing & Footwear showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,475 per month in Balti and $1,384 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 $37.00 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 18% 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 $923, than in Balti at $983. 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.