Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Moldova Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Moldova

Name: Moldova
Address: MD

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $711 in China versus $714 in Moldova.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,131 in China versus $1,114 in Moldova.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,550 in China versus $1,514 in Moldova.

Both countries sit below the global median: China 47% lower, Moldova 47% lower.

Internal cost variation is higher in Moldova: monthly costs span $6.00 to $1,225, compared to $525–$1,220 in China. City choice carries more weight in Moldova.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.75 ¥18.83

$9.00 MDL 155

-69.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.03 ¥165

$34.46 MDL 594

-30.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.96 ¥33.95

$7.41 MDL 128

-33.06%

Cappuccino

$3.12 ¥21.37

$1.78 MDL 30.67

75.28%

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

$0.48 ¥3.26

$0.98 MDL 16.84

-51.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 ¥1.84

$0.60 MDL 10.29

-55.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.98 ¥6.73

$1.73 MDL 29.76

-43.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 ¥14.69

$2.33 MDL 40.17

-7.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 ¥12.53

$1.29 MDL 22.28

41.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 ¥11.54

$0.52 MDL 8.93

223.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.91 ¥6.21

$1.48 MDL 25.57

-38.51%

Eggs

$1.56 ¥10.66

$2.42 MDL 41.75

-35.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.97 ¥88.9

$9.78 MDL 169

32.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.25 ¥22.23

$5.25 MDL 90.6

-38.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.51 ¥72.0

$8.55 MDL 147

22.92%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 ¥12.41

$0.83 MDL 14.33

118.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 ¥8.90

$1.85 MDL 31.89

-29.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 ¥10.26

$1.72 MDL 29.71

-12.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.15 ¥7.87

$2.08 MDL 35.91

-44.71%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 ¥5.20

$0.81 MDL 14.05

-6.17%

Onion (1kg)

$0.89 ¥6.07

$0.55 MDL 9.52

61.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.58 ¥3.97

$1.32 MDL 22.82

-56.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ¥3.95

$0.89 MDL 15.35

-34.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.50 ¥23.95

$3.29 MDL 56.8

6.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.55 ¥79.1

$4.50 MDL 77.7

156.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 ¥5.31

$1.21 MDL 20.81

-35.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 ¥11.03

$2.03 MDL 34.98

-20.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.44 ¥3.01

$0.33 MDL 5.77

33.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.15 ¥145

$13.87 MDL 239

52.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ¥9.35

$2.01 MDL 34.67

-32.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 ¥2.44

$0.26 MDL 4.47

38.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.61 ¥45.28

$5.42 MDL 93.4

21.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 ¥7.74

$1.44 MDL 24.87

-21.53%

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

$19.7K ¥135.2K

$32.8K MDL 565.6K

-39.79%

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

$17.1K ¥117.0K

$32.1K MDL 554.2K

-46.83%

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

$50.9 ¥349

$175 MDL 3,021

-70.93%

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

$10.03 ¥68.7

$8.23 MDL 142

21.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.33 ¥77.6

$11.07 MDL 191

2.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.13 ¥275

$42.00 MDL 725

-4.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.97 ¥103

$19.56 MDL 337

-23.47%

Cinema Ticket

$6.09 ¥41.74

$6.99 MDL 121

-12.88%

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

$418 ¥2,860

$382 MDL 6,590

9.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.3K ¥118.2K

$7,334 MDL 126.5K

135.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.40 ¥318

$62.0 MDL 1,070

-25.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.92 ¥226

$47.70 MDL 823

-30.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.1 ¥487

$107 MDL 1,849

-33.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.9 ¥499

$121 MDL 2,085

-39.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$438 ¥3,003

$616 MDL 10.6K

-28.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$259 ¥1,775

$441 MDL 7,614

-41.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$926 ¥6,341

$1,177 MDL 20.3K

-21.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$548 ¥3,754

$789 MDL 13.6K

-30.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,047 ¥34.6K

$2,466 MDL 42.5K

104.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,666 ¥18.3K

$1,740 MDL 30.0K

53.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,074 ¥7,357

$739 MDL 12.8K

45.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

9.18

-55.77%

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

Last update for China: April 26, 2026

Last update for Moldova: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $286 in China, $207 in Moldova. Capital cities: $886 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $677 in Chisinau.

National salary averages: $834 in China, $537 in Moldova. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 38% higher in China.

Dining out costs 38% more in Moldova.

Public transport is 500% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 55% higher in China, giving China stronger purchasing power.

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

China vs Moldova: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $873 per month in China and $616 in Moldova, there's a 42% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Moldova is simply cheaper day-to-day: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in China beats Moldova across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Moldova, $2,000 covers most cities easily. In China, it works in regional areas but falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after. Moldova wins on affordability; China may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.