Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bender and Ialoveni

For one person, living is cheaper in Bender: $670 a month against $804 in Ialoveni, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 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
38

Cost of Living Index in Ialoveni
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Ialoveni Living Index

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Bender

🇲🇩 Moldova

$670

/mo nomad

Ialoveni

🇲🇩 Moldova

$804

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bender and in Ialoveni

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 Ialoveni actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $670 per month in Bender vs $804 in Ialoveni, rent included.

Bender $670
Ialoveni $804

A couple spends around $969 per month in Bender vs $1,296 in Ialoveni, rent included.

Bender $969
Ialoveni $1,296

A family of three spends $1,268 per month in Bender vs $1,789 in Ialoveni, rent included.

Bender $1,268
Ialoveni $1,789

Bender is about 17% cheaper than Ialoveni, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Bender and Ialoveni are more affordable than the global median – Bender 50% lower, Ialoveni 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.27 MDL 112

$8.46 MDL 152

-25.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.28 MDL 327

$29.37 MDL 526

-37.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.58 MDL 100

$10.47 MDL 188

-46.70%

Cappuccino

$1.22 MDL 21.85

$2.24 MDL 40.10

-45.54%

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

$0.98 MDL 17.62

$1.25 MDL 22.41

-21.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 MDL 8.66

$0.80 MDL 14.36

-40.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.93 MDL 16.73

$2.17 MDL 38.85

-57.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 MDL 30.09

$2.26 MDL 40.53

-25.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.91 MDL 16.38

$1.26 MDL 22.62

-27.78%

White Bread (500g)

$0.49 MDL 8.73

$0.69 MDL 12.30

-28.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.41 MDL 25.31

$0.69 MDL 12.32

104.35%

Eggs

$1.92 MDL 34.38

$2.74 MDL 49.10

-29.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.80 MDL 68.0

$6.75 MDL 121

-43.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.23 MDL 75.7

$4.97 MDL 89.0

-14.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.34 MDL 95.6

$4.72 MDL 84.5

13.14%

Apples (1kg)

$0.83 MDL 14.81

$0.97 MDL 17.43

-14.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 MDL 32.83

$1.93 MDL 34.58

-5.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 MDL 32.78

$2.04 MDL 36.59

-10.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.79 MDL 32.09

$2.38 MDL 42.58

-24.79%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 MDL 12.77

$0.77 MDL 13.77

-7.79%

Onion (1kg)

$0.56 MDL 10.10

$0.53 MDL 9.40

5.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.53 MDL 9.57

$1.36 MDL 24.28

-61.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 MDL 14.20

$0.83 MDL 14.78

-4.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.73 MDL 48.87

$3.44 MDL 61.7

-20.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$2.44 MDL 43.65

$4.94 MDL 88.4

-50.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 MDL 9.77

$1.28 MDL 22.85

-57.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 MDL 35.22

$1.94 MDL 34.82

1.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MDL 6.15

$0.32 MDL 5.69

6.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.61 MDL 118

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.27 MDL 40.69

$2.26 MDL 40.54

0.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 MDL 5.23

$0.26 MDL 4.67

11.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.16 MDL 92.4

$5.00 MDL 89.6

3.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MDL 24.42

$1.62 MDL 28.96

-16.05%

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

$29.1K MDL 520.9K

$29.1K MDL 520.4K

0.10%

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

$28.3K MDL 506.3K

$24.3K MDL 435.1K

16.35%

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

$240 MDL 4,293

$188 MDL 3,366

27.56%

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

$9.03 MDL 162

$9.34 MDL 167

-3.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.54 MDL 189

$11.10 MDL 199

-5.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.30 MDL 507

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.21 MDL 201

Cinema Ticket

$8.16 MDL 146

$7.32 MDL 131

11.48%

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

$427 MDL 7,649

$112 MDL 2,011

280.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,859 MDL 104.9K

$5,209 MDL 93.3K

12.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.7 MDL 1,392

$43.96 MDL 787

76.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.63 MDL 853

$28.03 MDL 502

69.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MDL 2,064

$84.9 MDL 1,520

35.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 MDL 2,072

$93.6 MDL 1,676

23.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$302 MDL 5,408

$168 MDL 3,004

80.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$111 MDL 1,996

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$362 MDL 6,475

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$367 MDL 6,580

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$310 MDL 5,551

$585 MDL 10.5K

-47.00%

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: November 3, 2026

Last update for Ialoveni: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bender

$259 38.7%

Ialoveni

$208 25.9% 19.6% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Bender

$160 23.9%

Ialoveni

$113 14% 29.7% $48

Groceries & Markets

Bender

$134 20%

Ialoveni

$168 20.9% 25.4% $34

Eating Out

Bender

$95 14.2%

Ialoveni

$150 18.6% 56.8% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Bender

$16 * 2.4%

Ialoveni

$43 5.3% 163% $27

Getting Around

Bender

$5.1 * 0.8%

Ialoveni

$11 1.4% 125% $6.4

Accommodation & Living

Bender

- * 0%

Ialoveni

$111 13.9%

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $302 in Bender versus $168 in Ialoveni. 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 89% higher in Ialoveni. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18 in Bender versus $29 in Ialoveni. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $134 vs $168 – making Bender the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇩 Bender

🇲🇩 Ialoveni

🕒 Local time

22:56 10:56 PM

Same time as Bender

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

97,027

15,300

💱 Currency

Moldovan Leu MDL L

📈 Exchange rate

100 MDL = 5.58 USD

100 MDL = 4.96 EUR

100 MDL = 5.58 USD

100 MDL = 4.96 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bender Ialoveni 55 km

From you

Bender
Ialoveni

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 Ialoveni: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Ialoveni is pricier by about 20%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,005 per month in Bender and $1,206 in Ialoveni. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ialoveni, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $168 there versus $302 in Bender.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18 in Bender and $29 in Ialoveni. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 25% more in Ialoveni, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $670 in Bender and $804 in Ialoveni, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Ialoveni has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $670 in Bender to $804 in Ialoveni. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Bender. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ialoveni makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.