Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bender and Cahul

For one person, living is cheaper in Cahul: $627 a month against $663 in Bender, rent and utilities included – about $430 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

32

Cost of Living Index in Bender
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Bender Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in Cahul
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Cahul Living Index

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Bender

🇲🇩 Moldova

$663

/mo nomad

Cahul

🇲🇩 Moldova

$627

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bender and in Cahul

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

A single person spends $663 per month in Bender vs $627 in Cahul, rent included.

Bender $663
Cahul $627

A couple spends around $960 per month in Bender vs $917 in Cahul, rent included.

Bender $960
Cahul $917

A family of three spends $1,256 per month in Bender vs $1,207 in Cahul, rent included.

Bender $1,256
Cahul $1,207

Bender costs about 6% more than Cahul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Bender and Cahul are more affordable than the global median – Bender 51% lower, Cahul 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.36 MDL 113

$8.19 MDL 146

-22.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.87 MDL 319

$23.41 MDL 417

-23.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 MDL 98.9

$10.36 MDL 185

-46.43%

Cappuccino

$1.23 MDL 21.86

$1.69 MDL 30.11

-27.22%

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

$0.98 MDL 17.56

$1.11 MDL 19.82

-11.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.51 MDL 9.11

$0.53 MDL 9.53

-3.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.88 MDL 15.64

$2.01 MDL 35.81

-56.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 MDL 30.15

$1.76 MDL 31.45

-3.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.91 MDL 16.23

$1.20 MDL 21.36

-24.17%

White Bread (500g)

$0.45 MDL 8.01

$0.49 MDL 8.72

-8.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MDL 25.31

$1.60 MDL 28.45

-11.25%

Eggs

$1.96 MDL 34.89

$2.24 MDL 39.89

-12.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.94 MDL 70.2

$6.51 MDL 116

-39.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.26 MDL 75.9

$4.54 MDL 80.9

-6.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.19 MDL 92.5

$6.17 MDL 110

-15.88%

Apples (1kg)

$0.81 MDL 14.49

$0.98 MDL 17.39

-17.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 MDL 31.91

$2.19 MDL 39.09

-18.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 MDL 33.21

$1.81 MDL 32.25

2.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.85 MDL 32.97

$2.37 MDL 42.33

-21.94%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 MDL 12.49

$0.76 MDL 13.54

-7.89%

Onion (1kg)

$0.56 MDL 9.93

$0.52 MDL 9.22

7.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.55 MDL 9.75

$0.43 MDL 7.74

27.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 MDL 13.52

$0.53 MDL 9.50

43.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.77 MDL 49.39

$3.39 MDL 60.5

-18.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$2.49 MDL 44.33

$4.38 MDL 78.1

-43.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 MDL 9.80

$1.41 MDL 25.19

-60.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 MDL 33.86

$1.97 MDL 35.06

-3.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MDL 6.62

$0.27 MDL 4.81

37.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.25 MDL 40.07

$2.87 MDL 51.1

-21.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.27 MDL 4.77

$0.24 MDL 4.27

12.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.16 MDL 92.0

$5.44 MDL 97.0

-5.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MDL 24.21

$1.56 MDL 27.74

-12.82%

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

$29.3K MDL 522.3K

$33.3K MDL 593.4K

-12.00%

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

$28.3K MDL 504.3K

$24.4K MDL 435.5K

15.78%

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

$235 MDL 4,191

$221 MDL 3,948

6.14%

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

$9.45 MDL 169

$7.65 MDL 136

23.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.15 MDL 181

$11.03 MDL 197

-7.98%

Cinema Ticket

$8.35 MDL 149

$7.62 MDL 136

9.58%

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

$437 MDL 7,792

$110 MDL 1,964

296.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,822 MDL 103.8K

$5,249 MDL 93.6K

10.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.0 MDL 1,390

$45.08 MDL 804

72.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.04 MDL 839

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 MDL 1,983

$56.4 MDL 1,005

97.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 MDL 2,028

$51.0 MDL 909

123.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$306 MDL 5,456

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$311 MDL 5,538

$507 MDL 9,048

-38.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.17

14.63%

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

Last update for Bender: October 27, 2026

Last update for Cahul: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bender

$255 38.4%

Cahul

$240 38.3% 5.7% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Bender

$157 23.8%

Cahul

$69 * 10.9% 56.4% $89

Groceries & Markets

Bender

$133 20.1%

Cahul

$161 25.7% 21% $28

Eating Out

Bender

$96 14.5%

Cahul

$137 21.8% 42.8% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Bender

$17 * 2.5%

Cahul

$15 * 2.4% 8.7% $1.5

Getting Around

Bender

$5.1 * 0.8%

Cahul

$5.1 * 0.8% 1.4% $0.1

Accommodation & Living

Bender

- * 0%

Cahul

- * 0%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 63% higher in Cahul, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18 in Bender versus $23 in Cahul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $133 vs $161 – making Bender the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇩 Bender

🇲🇩 Cahul

🕒 Local time

08:27 8:27 AM

Same time as Bender

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

97,027

39,500

💱 Currency

Moldovan Leu MDL L

📈 Exchange rate

100 MDL = 5.61 USD

100 MDL = 5.04 EUR

100 MDL = 5.61 USD

100 MDL = 5.04 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bender Cahul 140 km

From you

Bender
Cahul

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

Bender vs Cahul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Bender is pricier by about 6%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $995 per month in Bender and $941 in Cahul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18 in Bender and $23 in Cahul. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 17% cheaper in Bender – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $663 in Bender and $627 in Cahul, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Cahul has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $627 in Cahul to $663 in Bender. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.