Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cahul and Bender

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.

30

Cost of Living Index in Cahul
Learn more

Cahul Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Bender
Learn more

Bender Living Index

Jump to prices

Cahul

🇲🇩 Moldova

$627

/mo nomad

Bender

🇲🇩 Moldova

$663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cahul and in Bender

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

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

Cahul $627
Bender $663

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

Cahul $917
Bender $960

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

Cahul $1,207
Bender $1,256

Cahul is about 5% cheaper than Bender, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.19 MDL 146

$6.36 MDL 113

28.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.41 MDL 417

$17.87 MDL 319

31.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.36 MDL 185

$5.55 MDL 98.9

86.67%

Cappuccino

$1.69 MDL 30.11

$1.23 MDL 21.86

37.40%

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

$1.11 MDL 19.82

$0.98 MDL 17.56

13.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 MDL 9.53

$0.51 MDL 9.11

3.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.01 MDL 35.81

$0.88 MDL 15.64

128.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 MDL 31.45

$1.69 MDL 30.15

4.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 MDL 21.36

$0.91 MDL 16.23

31.87%

White Bread (500g)

$0.49 MDL 8.72

$0.45 MDL 8.01

8.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.60 MDL 28.45

$1.42 MDL 25.31

12.68%

Eggs

$2.24 MDL 39.89

$1.96 MDL 34.89

14.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.51 MDL 116

$3.94 MDL 70.2

65.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.54 MDL 80.9

$4.26 MDL 75.9

6.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.17 MDL 110

$5.19 MDL 92.5

18.88%

Apples (1kg)

$0.98 MDL 17.39

$0.81 MDL 14.49

20.99%

Banana (1kg)

$2.19 MDL 39.09

$1.79 MDL 31.91

22.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.81 MDL 32.25

$1.86 MDL 33.21

-2.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.37 MDL 42.33

$1.85 MDL 32.97

28.11%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 MDL 13.54

$0.70 MDL 12.49

8.57%

Onion (1kg)

$0.52 MDL 9.22

$0.56 MDL 9.93

-7.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.43 MDL 7.74

$0.55 MDL 9.75

-21.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 MDL 9.50

$0.76 MDL 13.52

-30.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.39 MDL 60.5

$2.77 MDL 49.39

22.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.38 MDL 78.1

$2.49 MDL 44.33

75.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 MDL 25.19

$0.55 MDL 9.80

156.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 MDL 35.06

$1.90 MDL 33.86

3.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 MDL 4.81

$0.37 MDL 6.62

-27.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.87 MDL 51.1

$2.25 MDL 40.07

27.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 MDL 4.27

$0.27 MDL 4.77

-11.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.44 MDL 97.0

$5.16 MDL 92.0

5.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 MDL 27.74

$1.36 MDL 24.21

14.71%

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

$33.3K MDL 593.4K

$29.3K MDL 522.3K

13.63%

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

$24.4K MDL 435.5K

$28.3K MDL 504.3K

-13.63%

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

$221 MDL 3,948

$235 MDL 4,191

-5.79%

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

$7.65 MDL 136

$9.45 MDL 169

-19.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.03 MDL 197

$10.15 MDL 181

8.67%

Cinema Ticket

$7.62 MDL 136

$8.35 MDL 149

-8.74%

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

$110 MDL 1,964

$437 MDL 7,792

-74.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,249 MDL 93.6K

$5,822 MDL 103.8K

-9.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.08 MDL 804

$78.0 MDL 1,390

-42.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.04 MDL 839

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$56.4 MDL 1,005

$111 MDL 1,983

-49.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$51.0 MDL 909

$114 MDL 2,028

-55.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$306 MDL 5,456

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 MDL 9,048

$311 MDL 5,538

63.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.17

-12.76%

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

Last update for Cahul: October 26, 2026

Last update for Bender: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cahul

$240 38.3%

Bender

$255 38.4% 6% $15

Groceries & Markets

Cahul

$161 25.7%

Bender

$133 20.1% 17.4% $28

Eating Out

Cahul

$137 21.8%

Bender

$96 14.5% 30% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Cahul

$69 * 10.9%

Bender

$157 23.8% 130% $89

Sport & Entertainment

Cahul

$15 * 2.4%

Bender

$17 * 2.5% 9.6% $1.5

Getting Around

Cahul

$5.1 * 0.8%

Bender

$5.1 * 0.8% 1.4% $0.1

Accommodation & Living

Cahul

- * 0%

Bender

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

Good to know

🇲🇩 Cahul

🇲🇩 Bender

🕒 Local time

08:27 8:27 AM

Same time as Cahul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

39,500

97,027

💱 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

Cahul Bender 140 km

From you

Cahul
Bender

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 Bender: 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 $941 per month in Cahul and $995 in Bender. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23 in Cahul and $18 in Bender. 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 $627 in Cahul and $663 in Bender, 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.