Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Batumi, Ajara and Chisinau

For one person, living is cheaper in Batumi, Ajara: $1,140 a month against $1,285 in Chisinau, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Chisinau outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

56

Cost of Living Index in Batumi, Ajara
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Batumi, Ajara Living Index
63

Cost of Living Index in Chisinau
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Chisinau Living Index

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Batumi, Ajara

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,140

/mo nomad

Chisinau

🇲🇩 Moldova

$1,285

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Batumi, Ajara and in Chisinau

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Batumi, Ajara and in Chisinau actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,140 per month in Batumi, Ajara vs $1,285 in Chisinau, rent included.

Batumi, Ajara $1,140
Chisinau $1,285

A couple spends around $1,771 per month in Batumi, Ajara vs $1,984 in Chisinau, rent included.

Batumi, Ajara $1,771
Chisinau $1,984

A family of three spends $2,402 per month in Batumi, Ajara vs $2,684 in Chisinau, rent included.

Batumi, Ajara $2,402
Chisinau $2,684

Batumi, Ajara is about 11% cheaper than Chisinau, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Batumi, Ajara and Chisinau are more affordable than the global median – Batumi, Ajara 16% lower, Chisinau 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.56 ₾29.91

$11.32 MDL 201

2.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.94 ₾82.7

$51.0 MDL 906

-37.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 ₾28.71

$8.85 MDL 157

25.31%

Cappuccino

$3.67 ₾9.49

$2.11 MDL 37.43

73.93%

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

$1.01 ₾2.62

$1.19 MDL 21.13

-15.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₾1.53

$0.93 MDL 16.53

-36.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.86 ₾4.81

$2.25 MDL 40.03

-17.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ₾5.84

$1.95 MDL 34.61

15.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.08 ₾5.38

$1.27 MDL 22.56

63.78%

White Bread (500g)

$0.74 ₾1.91

$0.73 MDL 12.88

1.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 ₾4.16

$1.39 MDL 24.71

15.83%

Eggs

$2.71 ₾7.01

$2.82 MDL 50.1

-3.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 ₾24.80

$9.49 MDL 169

0.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.93 ₾15.36

$5.07 MDL 90.1

16.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.87 ₾25.55

$8.65 MDL 154

14.10%

Apples (1kg)

$1.53 ₾3.95

$0.94 MDL 16.72

62.77%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 ₾5.32

$1.91 MDL 33.83

7.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.31 ₾3.39

$2.11 MDL 37.42

-37.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.20 ₾5.70

$2.16 MDL 38.28

1.85%

Potato (1kg)

$0.89 ₾2.32

$0.68 MDL 12.07

30.88%

Onion (1kg)

$0.63 ₾1.64

$0.56 MDL 10.00

12.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 ₾3.84

$1.29 MDL 22.95

14.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 ₾1.96

$0.83 MDL 14.76

-8.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.06 ₾7.93

$3.39 MDL 60.2

-9.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.82 ₾15.06

$4.67 MDL 83.0

24.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 ₾3.91

$1.26 MDL 22.44

19.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 ₾5.20

$1.96 MDL 34.83

2.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 ₾0.73

$0.40 MDL 7.16

-30.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.65 ₾30.17

$13.50 MDL 240

-13.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.13 ₾2.91

$2.29 MDL 40.61

-50.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.68 ₾1.77

$0.33 MDL 5.83

106.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.96 ₾30.96

$5.11 MDL 90.8

134.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ₾3.69

$1.64 MDL 29.20

-12.80%

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

$16.0K ₾41.5K

$29.5K MDL 524.6K

-45.78%

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

$21.1K ₾54.6K

$29.7K MDL 527.0K

-28.95%

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

$79.9 ₾207

$239 MDL 4,245

-66.56%

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

$9.34 ₾24.18

$9.40 MDL 167

-0.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.77 ₾40.81

$10.43 MDL 185

51.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.6 ₾149

$42.21 MDL 750

36.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.75 ₾40.76

$20.30 MDL 361

-22.41%

Cinema Ticket

$6.83 ₾17.69

$8.55 MDL 152

-20.12%

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

$302 ₾781

$425 MDL 7,543

-28.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,155 ₾8,167

$5,785 MDL 102.7K

-45.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.1 ₾238

$80.8 MDL 1,434

14.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.55 ₾99.8

$47.59 MDL 845

-19.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 ₾350

$116 MDL 2,056

16.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 ₾298

$113 MDL 2,011

1.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$510 ₾1,321

$676 MDL 12.0K

-24.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 ₾966

$431 MDL 7,651

-13.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$962 ₾2,491

$1,258 MDL 22.3K

-23.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$675 ₾1,748

$846 MDL 15.0K

-20.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,758 ₾4,552

$2,680 MDL 47.6K

-34.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,225 ₾3,170

$1,937 MDL 34.4K

-36.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$582 ₾1,507

$866 MDL 15.4K

-32.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.55

9.1

37.91%

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

Last update for Batumi, Ajara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Chisinau: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Batumi, Ajara

$373 32.8%

Chisinau

$431 33.5% 15.4% $58

Groceries & Markets

Batumi, Ajara

$212 18.6%

Chisinau

$190 14.8% 10.4% $22

Eating Out

Batumi, Ajara

$190 16.7%

Chisinau

$166 12.9% 12.6% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Batumi, Ajara

$171 15%

Chisinau

$161 12.5% 6.2% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Batumi, Ajara

$105 9.2%

Chisinau

$259 20.2% 146% $154

Sport & Entertainment

Batumi, Ajara

$71 6.3%

Chisinau

$59 4.6% 16.7% $12

Getting Around

Batumi, Ajara

$17 1.5%

Chisinau

$19 1.5% 10% $1.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $510 in Batumi, Ajara versus $676 in Chisinau. 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 49% higher in Chisinau, 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 $32.00 in Batumi, Ajara versus $51.0 in Chisinau. Groceries tell a different story – $212 in Batumi, Ajara vs $190 in Chisinau – so Chisinau wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Batumi, Ajara

🇲🇩 Chisinau

🕒 Local time

15:17 3:17 PM

14:17 2:17 PM

1 h behind Batumi, Ajara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

186,949

750,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

Moldovan Leu MDL L

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.386 USD

1 GEL = 0.344 EUR

100 MDL = 5.63 USD

100 MDL = 5.01 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MDL, USD, EUR to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇪 Georgian Lari (₾)

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.386 USD). 1 EUR = 2.91 GEL (1 GEL = 0.344 EUR).

Moldovan Leu exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 17.76 MDL (100 MDL = 5.63 USD). 1 EUR = 19.97 MDL (100 MDL = 5.01 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Batumi, Ajara Chisinau 1,180 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Batumi, Ajara
Chisinau

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

Batumi, Ajara vs Chisinau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,140 in Batumi, Ajara, $1,285 in Chisinau – roughly 13% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,710 per month in Batumi, Ajara and $1,927 in Chisinau. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Batumi, Ajara, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,140 in Batumi, Ajara and $1,285 in Chisinau. That's a gap of about 13%.

Public transport costs about 16% less in Batumi, Ajara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Batumi, Ajara, where all-in costs run around $1,140, than in Chisinau at $1,285. In Batumi, Ajara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chisinau it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Batumi, Ajara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,140 in Batumi, Ajara to $1,285 in Chisinau. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Batumi, Ajara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chisinau makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.