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: $719 in China versus $732 in Moldova.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,147 in China versus $1,131 in Moldova.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,574 in China versus $1,529 in Moldova.

Living in China costs about 2% less than in Moldova on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: China 47% lower, Moldova 46% lower.

Internal cost variation is higher in Moldova: monthly costs span $363 to $1,411, compared to $455–$1,219 in China. City choice carries more weight in Moldova.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.92 ¥19.55

$9.50 MDL 166

-69.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.23 ¥149

$34.60 MDL 603

-35.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.13 ¥34.29

$8.68 MDL 151

-40.90%

Cappuccino

$2.99 ¥20.00

$1.91 MDL 33.32

56.54%

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

$0.52 ¥3.49

$1.09 MDL 18.93

-52.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ¥1.87

$0.70 MDL 12.25

-60.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.05 ¥7.03

$1.99 MDL 34.76

-47.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ¥15.15

$2.04 MDL 35.63

10.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 ¥12.10

$1.23 MDL 21.35

47.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 ¥11.22

$0.68 MDL 11.94

147.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.90 ¥6.04

$1.35 MDL 23.60

-33.33%

Eggs

$1.56 ¥10.42

$2.78 MDL 48.45

-43.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.24 ¥88.6

$9.40 MDL 164

40.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.49 ¥23.36

$5.12 MDL 89.3

-31.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.23 ¥75.1

$8.44 MDL 147

33.06%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ¥12.42

$1.03 MDL 17.89

80.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 ¥8.46

$1.89 MDL 33.02

-33.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 ¥10.21

$1.92 MDL 33.44

-20.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.26 ¥8.44

$2.08 MDL 36.34

-39.42%

Potato (1kg)

$0.73 ¥4.91

$0.78 MDL 13.62

-6.41%

Onion (1kg)

$0.88 ¥5.88

$0.55 MDL 9.66

60.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 ¥4.33

$1.41 MDL 24.61

-53.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ¥3.88

$0.91 MDL 15.88

-36.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.71 ¥24.81

$3.41 MDL 59.5

8.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.80 ¥78.9

$4.65 MDL 81.0

153.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 ¥5.68

$1.25 MDL 21.73

-32.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 ¥11.18

$1.91 MDL 33.30

-12.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.92

$0.39 MDL 6.78

-25.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.67 ¥152

$14.41 MDL 251

57.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.50 ¥10.06

$2.25 MDL 39.15

-33.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ¥2.31

$0.37 MDL 6.39

-5.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.29 ¥48.77

$5.11 MDL 89.0

42.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ¥8.17

$1.64 MDL 28.63

-25.61%

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

$19.0K ¥127.0K

$30.5K MDL 532.3K

-37.80%

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

$17.4K ¥116.0K

$29.3K MDL 510.8K

-40.79%

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

$54.0 ¥361

$228 MDL 3,980

-76.36%

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

$8.41 ¥56.3

$9.91 MDL 173

-15.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.82 ¥72.3

$11.25 MDL 196

-3.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.41 ¥270

$39.37 MDL 686

2.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.63 ¥97.8

$18.03 MDL 314

-18.86%

Cinema Ticket

$6.60 ¥44.12

$8.54 MDL 149

-22.72%

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

$452 ¥3,020

$394 MDL 6,872

14.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.2K ¥128.7K

$5,700 MDL 99.3K

237.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.23 ¥296

$69.7 MDL 1,215

-36.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.46 ¥237

$43.10 MDL 751

-17.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.7 ¥500

$112 MDL 1,952

-33.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.6 ¥526

$111 MDL 1,930

-28.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$394 ¥2,638

$585 MDL 10.2K

-32.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$243 ¥1,628

$371 MDL 6,458

-34.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 ¥5,652

$1,092 MDL 19.0K

-22.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$481 ¥3,217

$749 MDL 13.1K

-35.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,609 ¥30.8K

$2,552 MDL 44.5K

80.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,327 ¥15.6K

$1,875 MDL 32.7K

24.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,060 ¥7,090

$781 MDL 13.6K

35.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.47

8.93

-61.14%

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

Last update for China: September 14, 2026

Last update for Moldova: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $294 in China, $227 in Moldova. Capital cities: $985 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $693 in Chisinau.

National salary averages: $867 in China, $564 in Moldova. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 30% higher in China.

Dining out costs 29% more in Moldova.

Public transport is 183% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 54% higher in China, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

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 $837 per month in China and $887 in Moldova, there's a 6% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in China: 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 Moldova is consistently higher than in China across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

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

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