Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bender and Orhei

For one person, living is cheaper in Orhei: $359 a month against $674 in Bender, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

33

Cost of Living Index in Bender
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Bender Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in Orhei
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Orhei Living Index

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Bender

🇲🇩 Moldova

$674

/mo nomad

Orhei

🇲🇩 Moldova

$359

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bender and in Orhei

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

A single person spends $674 per month in Bender vs $359 in Orhei, rent included.

Bender $674
Orhei $359

A couple spends around $973 per month in Bender vs $586 in Orhei, rent included.

Bender $973
Orhei $586

A family of three spends $1,271 per month in Bender vs $814 in Orhei, rent included.

Bender $1,271
Orhei $814

Bender costs about 88% more than Orhei, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Bender and Orhei are more affordable than the global median – Bender 50% lower, Orhei 74% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.41 MDL 114

$11.24 MDL 200

-42.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.10 MDL 322

$22.75 MDL 404

-20.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.44 MDL 96.6

$6.90 MDL 123

-21.16%

Cappuccino

$1.18 MDL 21.03

$1.41 MDL 25.07

-16.31%

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

$1.03 MDL 18.29

$0.77 MDL 13.72

33.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 MDL 8.47

$0.46 MDL 8.25

4.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.88 MDL 15.62

$1.14 MDL 20.22

-22.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 MDL 30.21

$1.41 MDL 25.12

20.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 MDL 15.98

$0.98 MDL 17.47

-8.16%

White Bread (500g)

$0.46 MDL 8.15

$0.35 MDL 6.23

31.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 MDL 25.53

Eggs

$1.91 MDL 33.88

$1.86 MDL 33.08

2.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.92 MDL 69.6

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 MDL 78.0

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.42 MDL 96.2

Apples (1kg)

$0.81 MDL 14.35

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 MDL 31.79

$1.92 MDL 34.04

-6.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 MDL 32.56

Tomato (1kg)

$1.87 MDL 33.17

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 MDL 12.63

$0.67 MDL 11.82

5.97%

Onion (1kg)

$0.52 MDL 9.22

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 MDL 10.41

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 MDL 14.40

$0.51 MDL 9.14

58.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.74 MDL 48.68

Wine (Bottle)

$2.58 MDL 45.85

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 MDL 10.19

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 MDL 33.80

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MDL 6.58

$0.16 MDL 2.83

131.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.21 MDL 39.25

$1.15 MDL 20.49

92.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.27 MDL 4.76

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.96 MDL 88.0

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 MDL 25.30

$1.72 MDL 30.62

-17.44%

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

$29.0K MDL 514.2K

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

$30.3K MDL 538.2K

$20.2K MDL 359.6K

49.66%

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

$243 MDL 4,313

$58.9 MDL 1,046

312.34%

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

$9.26 MDL 164

$6.85 MDL 122

35.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.64 MDL 189

$10.21 MDL 181

4.21%

Cinema Ticket

$8.29 MDL 147

$3.34 MDL 59.3

148.20%

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

$425 MDL 7,548

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,717 MDL 101.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.8 MDL 1,400

$33.87 MDL 601

132.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.96 MDL 834

$33.43 MDL 594

40.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 MDL 2,006

$105 MDL 1,858

7.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 MDL 2,027

$33.98 MDL 604

235.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$295 MDL 5,247

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$310 MDL 5,506

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.1

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

Last update for Bender: October 18, 2026

Last update for Orhei: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bender

$263 39%

Orhei

$76 21.2% 71.1% $187

Clothing & Footwear

Bender

$159 23.6%

Orhei

$93 25.8% 41.6% $66

Groceries & Markets

Bender

$135 20.1%

Orhei

$40 * 11.3% 70.1% $95

Eating Out

Bender

$96 14.2%

Orhei

$141 39.3% 47.6% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Bender

$17 * 2.5%

Orhei

$6.7 * 1.9% 59.7% $9.9

Getting Around

Bender

$5 * 0.8%

Orhei

$1.8 * 0.5% 64.4% $3.2

Accommodation & Living

Bender

- * 0%

Orhei

- * 0%

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18.00 in Bender versus $23.00 in Orhei. Groceries tell a different story – $135 in Bender vs $40.00 in Orhei – so Orhei wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇩 Bender

🇲🇩 Orhei

🕒 Local time

23:03 11:03 PM

Same time as Bender

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

97,027

24,918

💱 Currency

Moldovan Leu MDL L

📈 Exchange rate

100 MDL = 5.63 USD

100 MDL = 5.01 EUR

100 MDL = 5.63 USD

100 MDL = 5.01 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bender Orhei 78 km

From you

Bender
Orhei

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 Orhei: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Bender is pricier by about 88%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,011 per month in Bender and $538 in Orhei. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Groceries cost about 235% more in Bender, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18.00 in Bender and $23.00 in Orhei. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $674 in Bender and $359 in Orhei, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Orhei – 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 Orhei. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Bender makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.