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 $714 in Moldova.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,133 in China versus $1,114 in Moldova.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,553 in China versus $1,513 in Moldova.

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

Internal cost variation is higher in Moldova: monthly costs span $6.00 to $1,199, compared to $521–$1,202 in China. City choice carries more weight in Moldova.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.71 ¥18.35

$8.99 MDL 155

-69.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.22 ¥157

$34.97 MDL 604

-33.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.00 ¥33.84

$7.70 MDL 133

-35.06%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ¥20.88

$1.71 MDL 29.52

80.12%

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

$0.48 ¥3.25

$0.92 MDL 15.82

-47.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.97

$0.59 MDL 10.24

-50.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.00 ¥6.75

$1.71 MDL 29.57

-41.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 ¥14.24

$2.36 MDL 40.75

-11.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 ¥11.82

$1.29 MDL 22.30

35.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.67 ¥11.27

$0.52 MDL 8.96

221.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ¥6.68

$1.43 MDL 24.72

-30.77%

Eggs

$1.57 ¥10.62

$2.46 MDL 42.59

-36.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.06 ¥88.4

$9.98 MDL 172

30.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.31 ¥22.42

$5.20 MDL 89.9

-36.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.82 ¥73.2

$8.53 MDL 147

26.85%

Apples (1kg)

$1.78 ¥12.03

$0.88 MDL 15.26

102.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ¥8.40

$1.84 MDL 31.77

-32.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 ¥10.19

$1.71 MDL 29.61

-12.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.20 ¥8.13

$2.01 MDL 34.74

-40.30%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 ¥5.17

$0.76 MDL 13.17

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.21

$0.58 MDL 10.09

58.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.58 ¥3.90

$1.32 MDL 22.72

-56.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ¥3.60

$0.90 MDL 15.49

-41.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.45 ¥23.32

$3.25 MDL 56.1

6.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.95 ¥80.9

$4.49 MDL 77.6

166.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥5.58

$1.19 MDL 20.54

-31.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 ¥11.17

$1.99 MDL 34.35

-17.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 ¥2.91

$0.34 MDL 5.83

26.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.78 ¥141

$13.53 MDL 234

53.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 ¥9.34

$2.07 MDL 35.70

-33.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ¥2.22

$0.26 MDL 4.48

26.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.74 ¥45.59

$5.12 MDL 88.5

31.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 ¥7.66

$1.43 MDL 24.73

-20.98%

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

$19.6K ¥132.8K

$31.9K MDL 551.5K

-38.54%

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

$16.8K ¥113.7K

$31.8K MDL 548.9K

-47.12%

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

$50.7 ¥343

$173 MDL 2,993

-70.73%

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

$10.12 ¥68.5

$7.99 MDL 138

26.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.42 ¥77.3

$10.99 MDL 190

3.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.33 ¥273

$41.40 MDL 715

-2.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.57 ¥98.6

$19.34 MDL 334

-24.66%

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 ¥43.34

$6.92 MDL 120

-7.51%

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

$417 ¥2,822

$385 MDL 6,659

8.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.2K ¥116.7K

$7,276 MDL 125.7K

136.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.55 ¥308

$62.2 MDL 1,075

-26.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.26 ¥218

$49.22 MDL 851

-34.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.9 ¥494

$108 MDL 1,861

-32.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.6 ¥498

$122 MDL 2,104

-39.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$433 ¥2,931

$621 MDL 10.7K

-30.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$261 ¥1,768

$436 MDL 7,536

-40.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$905 ¥6,126

$1,202 MDL 20.8K

-24.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$533 ¥3,606

$767 MDL 13.3K

-30.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,965 ¥33.6K

$2,514 MDL 43.4K

97.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,518 ¥17.0K

$1,821 MDL 31.5K

38.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,063 ¥7,194

$750 MDL 13.0K

41.64%

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: June 15, 2026

Last update for Moldova: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $287 in China, $208 in Moldova. Capital cities: $886 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $669 in Chisinau.

National salary averages: $862 in China, $538 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 60% 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 $862 per month in China and $603 in Moldova, there's a 43% 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.