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: $712 in China versus $716 in Moldova.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,131 in China versus $1,116 in Moldova.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,549 in China versus $1,515 in Moldova.

Living in China costs about 1% 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 $5.00 to $1,231, compared to $533–$1,212 in China. City choice carries more weight in Moldova.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.77 ¥18.71

$8.72 MDL 152

-68.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.05 ¥162

$35.41 MDL 615

-32.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.73 ¥31.91

$7.38 MDL 128

-35.91%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ¥20.77

$1.70 MDL 29.55

81.18%

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

$0.44 ¥2.99

$0.91 MDL 15.75

-51.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.98

$0.60 MDL 10.41

-51.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.01 ¥6.80

$1.72 MDL 29.85

-41.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 ¥14.02

$2.28 MDL 39.62

-8.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 ¥12.38

$1.25 MDL 21.64

46.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ¥10.94

$0.56 MDL 9.81

189.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.97 ¥6.58

$1.48 MDL 25.73

-34.46%

Eggs

$1.61 ¥10.90

$2.44 MDL 42.37

-34.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.34 ¥90.1

$10.00 MDL 174

33.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.37 ¥22.74

$5.42 MDL 94.3

-37.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 ¥72.1

$8.87 MDL 154

20.41%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 ¥12.25

$0.84 MDL 14.58

115.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 ¥8.43

$1.83 MDL 31.89

-31.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 ¥9.88

$1.73 MDL 29.98

-15.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.15 ¥7.73

$2.07 MDL 35.94

-44.44%

Potato (1kg)

$0.73 ¥4.91

$0.80 MDL 13.97

-8.75%

Onion (1kg)

$0.89 ¥5.99

$0.60 MDL 10.38

48.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 ¥4.05

$1.31 MDL 22.77

-54.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ¥3.58

$0.82 MDL 14.22

-35.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.39 ¥22.91

$3.20 MDL 55.5

5.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.73 ¥79.2

$4.43 MDL 76.9

164.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ¥5.22

$1.20 MDL 20.87

-35.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 ¥10.97

$1.99 MDL 34.65

-18.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 ¥2.77

$0.36 MDL 6.33

13.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.24 ¥143

$13.47 MDL 234

57.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ¥9.12

$2.08 MDL 36.16

-35.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 ¥2.40

$0.28 MDL 4.91

28.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.70 ¥45.23

$5.40 MDL 93.8

24.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 ¥7.98

$1.36 MDL 23.66

-13.24%

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

$19.8K ¥133.4K

$32.6K MDL 565.8K

-39.31%

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

$16.5K ¥111.6K

$32.0K MDL 556.0K

-48.32%

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

$51.7 ¥349

$175 MDL 3,049

-70.51%

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

$10.09 ¥68.1

$8.11 MDL 141

24.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.38 ¥76.8

$11.15 MDL 194

2.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.24 ¥265

$41.34 MDL 718

-5.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.84 ¥100

$19.15 MDL 333

-22.51%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 ¥42.53

$7.12 MDL 124

-11.52%

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

$414 ¥2,793

$375 MDL 6,509

10.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K ¥117.5K

$7,276 MDL 126.4K

139.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.77 ¥316

$62.6 MDL 1,088

-25.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.08 ¥223

$47.70 MDL 829

-30.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.9 ¥479

$106 MDL 1,847

-33.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.5 ¥503

$121 MDL 2,108

-38.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$440 ¥2,971

$616 MDL 10.7K

-28.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$253 ¥1,706

$439 MDL 7,626

-42.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$911 ¥6,150

$1,180 MDL 20.5K

-22.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$531 ¥3,582

$790 MDL 13.7K

-32.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,778 ¥32.3K

$2,571 MDL 44.7K

85.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,403 ¥16.2K

$1,832 MDL 31.8K

31.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,058 ¥7,140

$757 MDL 13.2K

39.76%

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: July 28, 2026

Last update for Moldova: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $287 in China, $208 in Moldova. Capital cities: $909 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $678 in Chisinau.

National salary averages: $857 in China, $552 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, 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 $873 per month in China and $618 in Moldova, there's a 41% 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 Moldova: 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 is consistently higher than in 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 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: Moldova wins on affordability; China may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.