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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $995 per month in Balti vs $688 in Ungheni, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,473 per month in Balti vs $1,075 in Ungheni, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,951 per month in Balti vs $1,462 in Ungheni, rent included.

Balti costs about 45% more than Ungheni, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both Balti and Ungheni are more affordable than the global median – Balti 28% lower, Ungheni 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.92 MDL 153

$7.79 MDL 134

14.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.46 MDL 403

$23.12 MDL 397

1.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.10 MDL 190

$7.03 MDL 121

57.89%

Cappuccino

$1.83 MDL 31.37

$1.49 MDL 25.56

22.82%

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

$1.13 MDL 19.42

$0.74 MDL 12.75

52.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 MDL 11.67

$0.45 MDL 7.74

51.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.14 MDL 19.49

$1.02 MDL 17.59

11.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 MDL 25.28

$1.42 MDL 24.36

3.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 MDL 21.52

$1.70 MDL 29.20

-26.47%

White Bread (500g)

$0.51 MDL 8.80

$0.34 MDL 5.79

50.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MDL 28.15

$0.87 MDL 14.93

88.51%

Eggs

$2.32 MDL 39.81

$2.05 MDL 35.21

13.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.03 MDL 121

$10.31 MDL 177

-31.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.91 MDL 84.3

$4.12 MDL 70.7

19.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.55 MDL 112

$9.01 MDL 155

-27.30%

Apples (1kg)

$1.01 MDL 17.33

$0.48 MDL 8.32

110.42%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 MDL 39.34

$1.30 MDL 22.31

76.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MDL 33.71

$1.09 MDL 18.76

79.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.48 MDL 42.49

$1.20 MDL 20.56

106.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 MDL 13.49

$0.48 MDL 8.25

64.58%

Onion (1kg)

$0.54 MDL 9.22

$0.37 MDL 6.28

45.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.48 MDL 8.22

$2.38 MDL 40.90

-79.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 MDL 9.62

$0.79 MDL 13.58

-29.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.33 MDL 57.1

$3.55 MDL 60.9

-6.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.70 MDL 80.6

$4.34 MDL 74.4

8.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 MDL 25.12

$1.48 MDL 25.40

-1.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 MDL 35.13

$1.79 MDL 30.66

14.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 MDL 5.74

$0.34 MDL 5.82

-2.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.12 MDL 294

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.88 MDL 49.46

$1.80 MDL 30.89

60.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.25 MDL 4.24

$0.39 MDL 6.77

-35.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MDL 99.1

$3.69 MDL 63.4

56.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MDL 26.37

$1.47 MDL 25.25

4.76%

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

$34.4K MDL 589.9K

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

$24.8K MDL 425.4K

$21.5K MDL 369.4K

15.14%

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

$234 MDL 4,023

$141 MDL 2,424

65.95%

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

$7.97 MDL 137

$11.58 MDL 199

-31.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.82 MDL 203

$16.53 MDL 284

-28.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.25 MDL 639

$14.73 MDL 253

152.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.09 MDL 276

Cinema Ticket

$7.70 MDL 132

$4.03 MDL 69.1

91.07%

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

$115 MDL 1,981

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,508 MDL 94.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.71 MDL 784

$49.14 MDL 843

-6.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.11 MDL 603

$17.49 MDL 300

100.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$57.3 MDL 984

$35.46 MDL 609

61.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$51.6 MDL 886

$68.8 MDL 1,181

-24.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$411 MDL 7,053

$259 MDL 4,452

58.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$291 MDL 4,992

$118 MDL 2,029

146.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$700 MDL 12.0K

$349 MDL 5,982

100.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$531 MDL 9,114

$295 MDL 5,064

79.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,462 MDL 25.1K

$2,379 MDL 40.8K

-38.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,026 MDL 17.6K

$1,738 MDL 29.8K

-40.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$627 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: September 5, 2026

Last update for Ungheni: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $411 in Balti versus $259 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 $23.00 in Balti versus $23.00 in Ungheni. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $171 vs $172 – making Balti 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: $995 in Balti, $688 in Ungheni – roughly 45% apart. Balti costs more across the board, with Sport & Entertainment showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,493 per month in Balti and $1,033 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 $23.00 in Balti and $23.00 in Ungheni. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $995 in Balti and $688 in Ungheni. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $995 in Balti and $688 in Ungheni, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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.