Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cahul and Balti

For one person, living is cheaper in Cahul: $627 a month against $974 in Balti, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

30

Cost of Living Index in Cahul
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Cahul Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Balti
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Balti Living Index

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Cahul

🇲🇩 Moldova

$627

/mo nomad

Balti

🇲🇩 Moldova

$974

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cahul and in Balti

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

A single person spends $627 per month in Cahul vs $974 in Balti, rent included.

Cahul $627
Balti $974

A couple spends around $917 per month in Cahul vs $1,414 in Balti, rent included.

Cahul $917
Balti $1,414

A family of three spends $1,207 per month in Cahul vs $1,854 in Balti, rent included.

Cahul $1,207
Balti $1,854

Cahul is about 36% cheaper than Balti, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Cahul and Balti are more affordable than the global median – Cahul 54% lower, Balti 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.19 MDL 146

$8.51 MDL 152

-3.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.41 MDL 417

$22.53 MDL 402

3.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.36 MDL 185

$10.35 MDL 184

0.10%

Cappuccino

$1.69 MDL 30.11

$1.74 MDL 31.05

-2.87%

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

$1.11 MDL 19.82

$1.06 MDL 18.95

4.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 MDL 9.53

$0.65 MDL 11.67

-18.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.01 MDL 35.81

$1.12 MDL 20.04

79.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 MDL 31.45

$1.38 MDL 24.54

27.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 MDL 21.36

$1.20 MDL 21.48

White Bread (500g)

$0.49 MDL 8.72

$0.45 MDL 8.01

8.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.60 MDL 28.45

$1.54 MDL 27.40

3.90%

Eggs

$2.24 MDL 39.89

$2.15 MDL 38.38

4.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.51 MDL 116

$6.78 MDL 121

-3.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.54 MDL 80.9

$4.70 MDL 83.9

-3.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.17 MDL 110

$6.18 MDL 110

-0.16%

Apples (1kg)

$0.98 MDL 17.39

$0.99 MDL 17.63

-1.01%

Banana (1kg)

$2.19 MDL 39.09

$2.29 MDL 40.91

-4.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.81 MDL 32.25

$1.88 MDL 33.56

-3.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.37 MDL 42.33

$2.29 MDL 40.75

3.49%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 MDL 13.54

$0.71 MDL 12.73

7.04%

Onion (1kg)

$0.52 MDL 9.22

$0.52 MDL 9.19

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.43 MDL 7.74

$0.43 MDL 7.69

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 MDL 9.50

$0.54 MDL 9.70

-1.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.39 MDL 60.5

$3.27 MDL 58.4

3.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.38 MDL 78.1

$4.34 MDL 77.4

0.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 MDL 25.19

$1.35 MDL 24.14

4.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 MDL 35.06

$1.99 MDL 35.57

-1.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 MDL 4.81

$0.34 MDL 6.13

-20.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.78 MDL 299

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.87 MDL 51.1

$2.76 MDL 49.28

3.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 MDL 4.27

$0.24 MDL 4.24

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.44 MDL 97.0

$5.45 MDL 97.2

-0.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 MDL 27.74

$1.62 MDL 28.92

-3.70%

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

$33.3K MDL 593.4K

$33.4K MDL 595.4K

-0.33%

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

$24.4K MDL 435.5K

$24.1K MDL 429.3K

1.45%

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

$221 MDL 3,948

$220 MDL 3,931

0.44%

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

$7.65 MDL 136

$7.74 MDL 138

-1.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.03 MDL 197

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.85 MDL 657

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.34 MDL 274

Cinema Ticket

$7.62 MDL 136

$7.61 MDL 136

0.13%

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

$110 MDL 1,964

$113 MDL 2,007

-2.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,249 MDL 93.6K

$5,113 MDL 91.2K

2.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.08 MDL 804

$44.39 MDL 791

1.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.84 MDL 603

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$56.4 MDL 1,005

$55.6 MDL 991

1.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$51.0 MDL 909

$50.9 MDL 908

0.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$397 MDL 7,074

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$280 MDL 4,990

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$657 MDL 11.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$495 MDL 8,834

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,399 MDL 24.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$992 MDL 17.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 MDL 9,048

$606 MDL 10.8K

-16.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Cahul: October 26, 2026

Last update for Balti: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cahul

$240 38.3%

Balti

$239 24.6% 0.4% $0.9

Groceries & Markets

Cahul

$161 25.7%

Balti

$162 16.7% 0.6% $1

Eating Out

Cahul

$137 21.8%

Balti

$135 13.9% 1.3% $1.7

Clothing & Footwear

Cahul

$69 * 10.9%

Balti

$83 8.5% 21.2% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Cahul

$15 * 2.4%

Balti

$52 5.4% 242% $37

Getting Around

Cahul

$5.1 * 0.8%

Balti

$22 2.3% 330% $17

Accommodation & Living

Cahul

- * 0%

Balti

$280 28.7%

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 19% higher in Balti, 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 $23 in Cahul versus $23 in Balti. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $161 vs $162 – making Cahul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇩 Cahul

🇲🇩 Balti

🕒 Local time

10:07 10:07 AM

Same time as Cahul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

39,500

144,800

💱 Currency

Moldovan Leu MDL L

📈 Exchange rate

100 MDL = 5.61 USD

100 MDL = 5.02 EUR

100 MDL = 5.61 USD

100 MDL = 5.02 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cahul Balti 210 km

From you

Cahul
Balti

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

Cahul vs Balti: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $627 in Cahul, $974 in Balti – Cahul comes out roughly 36% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $941 per month in Cahul and $1,461 in Balti. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $627 in Cahul and $974 in Balti. That makes Cahul about 36% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $110 per month in Cahul and $113 in Balti. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Cahul, where all-in costs run around $627, than in Balti at $974. In Cahul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Balti it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Balti has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $627 in Cahul to $974 in Balti. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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