Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bender and Soroca

For one person, living is cheaper in Soroca: $391 a month against $663 in Bender, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Bender
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Bender Living Index

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Bender

🇲🇩 Moldova

$663

/mo nomad

Soroca

🇲🇩 Moldova

$391

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bender and in Soroca

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

A single person spends $663 per month in Bender vs $391 in Soroca, rent included.

Bender $663
Soroca $391

A couple spends around $960 per month in Bender vs $634 in Soroca, rent included.

Bender $960
Soroca $634

A family of three spends $1,256 per month in Bender vs $876 in Soroca, rent included.

Bender $1,256
Soroca $876

Bender costs about 70% more than Soroca, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Bender and Soroca are more affordable than the global median – Bender 51% lower, Soroca 71% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.36 MDL 113

$11.11 MDL 198

-42.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.87 MDL 319

$22.66 MDL 404

-21.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 MDL 98.9

$4.62 MDL 82.4

20.13%

Cappuccino

$1.23 MDL 21.86

$1.44 MDL 25.60

-14.58%

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

$0.98 MDL 17.56

$0.76 MDL 13.52

28.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.51 MDL 9.11

$0.43 MDL 7.73

18.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.88 MDL 15.64

$1.15 MDL 20.53

-23.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 MDL 30.15

$1.42 MDL 25.29

19.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.91 MDL 16.23

$1.03 MDL 18.42

-11.65%

White Bread (500g)

$0.45 MDL 8.01

$0.36 MDL 6.35

25.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MDL 25.31

$1.15 MDL 20.45

23.48%

Eggs

$1.96 MDL 34.89

$1.89 MDL 33.68

3.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.94 MDL 70.2

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.26 MDL 75.9

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.19 MDL 92.5

Apples (1kg)

$0.81 MDL 14.49

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 MDL 31.91

$2.00 MDL 35.62

-10.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 MDL 33.21

Tomato (1kg)

$1.85 MDL 32.97

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 MDL 12.49

$0.62 MDL 11.05

12.90%

Onion (1kg)

$0.56 MDL 9.93

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.55 MDL 9.75

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 MDL 13.52

$0.51 MDL 9.05

49.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.77 MDL 49.39

Wine (Bottle)

$2.49 MDL 44.33

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 MDL 9.80

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 MDL 33.86

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MDL 6.62

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.25 MDL 40.07

$1.13 MDL 20.21

99.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.27 MDL 4.77

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.16 MDL 92.0

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MDL 24.21

$1.75 MDL 31.14

-22.29%

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

$29.3K MDL 522.3K

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

$28.3K MDL 504.3K

$20.8K MDL 371.7K

35.67%

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

$235 MDL 4,191

$59.5 MDL 1,061

294.83%

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

$9.45 MDL 169

$8.27 MDL 147

14.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.15 MDL 181

$13.10 MDL 234

-22.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.54 MDL 509

Cinema Ticket

$8.35 MDL 149

$3.44 MDL 61.3

142.73%

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

$437 MDL 7,792

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,822 MDL 103.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.0 MDL 1,390

$33.45 MDL 596

133.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.04 MDL 839

$33.93 MDL 605

38.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 MDL 1,983

$108 MDL 1,923

3.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 MDL 2,028

$33.93 MDL 605

235.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$306 MDL 5,456

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$311 MDL 5,538

$507 MDL 9,048

-38.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.17

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

Last update for Bender: October 27, 2026

Last update for Soroca: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bender

$255 38.4%

Soroca

–

Clothing & Footwear

Bender

$157 23.8%

Soroca

–

Groceries & Markets

Bender

$133 20.1%

Soroca

–

Eating Out

Bender

$96 14.5%

Soroca

–

Sport & Entertainment

Bender

$17 * 2.5%

Soroca

–

Getting Around

Bender

$5.1 * 0.8%

Soroca

–

Accommodation & Living

Bender

- * 0%

Soroca

–

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 63% higher in Soroca, 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 Soroca. Groceries tell a different story – $133 in Bender vs $46 in Soroca – so Soroca wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇩 Bender

🇲🇩 Soroca

🕒 Local time

05:07 5:07 AM

Same time as Bender

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

97,027

37,400

💱 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 Soroca 170 km

From you

Bender
Soroca

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 Soroca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Bender is pricier by about 70%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $995 per month in Bender and $586 in Soroca. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Groceries cost about 190% more in Bender, though the gap depends on what you buy.

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

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $663 in Bender and $391 in Soroca, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.