Cost of Living Comparison Between Chisinau and Aguascalientes Cost of Living Comparison Between Chisinau and Aguascalientes

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,304 in Chisinau versus $1,143 in Aguascalientes.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,008 in Chisinau versus $1,849 in Aguascalientes.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,713 in Chisinau versus $2,556 in Aguascalientes.

Living in Chisinau is roughly 14% more expensive than in Aguascalientes, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chisinau 5% lower, Aguascalientes 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.49 MDL 199

$13.34 MX$230

-13.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.3 MDL 889

$47.33 MX$816

8.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.72 MDL 151

$7.74 MX$134

12.66%

Cappuccino

$2.23 MDL 38.56

$3.90 MX$67.3

-42.82%

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

$1.24 MDL 21.46

$1.78 MX$30.77

-30.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MDL 15.74

$1.31 MX$22.55

-30.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 MDL 40.71

$2.35 MX$40.57

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 MDL 34.18

$3.45 MX$59.5

-42.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 MDL 22.65

$1.60 MX$27.65

-18.13%

White Bread (500g)

$0.69 MDL 11.96

$2.29 MX$39.52

-69.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.46 MDL 25.37

$1.59 MX$27.36

-8.18%

Eggs

$2.93 MDL 50.8

$2.68 MX$46.13

9.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MDL 177

$8.59 MX$148

18.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.24 MDL 90.8

$9.00 MX$155

-41.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.94 MDL 155

$12.23 MX$211

-26.90%

Apples (1kg)

$1.02 MDL 17.62

$2.40 MX$41.46

-57.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.92 MDL 33.23

$1.36 MX$23.42

41.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 MDL 35.56

$1.62 MX$27.99

26.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MDL 37.69

$1.87 MX$32.19

16.04%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 MDL 11.96

$1.71 MX$29.52

-59.65%

Onion (1kg)

$0.53 MDL 9.26

$1.47 MX$25.38

-63.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 MDL 25.00

$1.07 MX$18.43

34.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 MDL 16.14

$0.94 MX$16.13

-1.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.54 MDL 61.4

$4.81 MX$82.9

-26.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.80 MDL 83.3

$9.50 MX$164

-49.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 MDL 22.18

$1.93 MX$33.21

-33.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 MDL 34.55

$3.75 MX$64.6

-46.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 MDL 7.11

$0.66 MX$11.42

-37.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.22 MDL 229

$25.94 MX$447

-49.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 MDL 40.78

$1.35 MX$23.25

74.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 MDL 6.25

$1.23 MX$21.21

-70.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.21 MDL 90.2

$11.52 MX$199

-54.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.70 MDL 29.43

$1.53 MX$26.34

11.11%

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

$29.1K MDL 504.9K

$22.4K MX$386.9K

29.82%

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

$31.2K MDL 541.5K

$26.1K MX$450.2K

19.67%

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

$251 MDL 4,354

$59.2 MX$1,020

324.64%

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

$9.43 MDL 163

$25.96 MX$448

-63.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.03 MDL 191

$26.07 MX$450

-57.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.92 MDL 744

$33.61 MX$579

27.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.33 MDL 370

$23.51 MX$405

-9.27%

Cinema Ticket

$8.49 MDL 147

$5.50 MX$94.8

54.36%

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

$439 MDL 7,614

$229 MX$3,940

92.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,932 MDL 102.8K

$3,124 MX$53.9K

89.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.6 MDL 1,345

$58.2 MX$1,003

33.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.65 MDL 826

$41.17 MX$710

15.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 MDL 2,076

$108 MX$1,858

11.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 MDL 1,992

$76.4 MX$1,317

50.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$693 MDL 12.0K

$544 MX$9,375

27.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$443 MDL 7,683

$369 MX$6,354

20.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,247 MDL 21.6K

$854 MX$14.7K

46.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$817 MDL 14.2K

$695 MX$12.0K

17.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,752 MDL 47.7K

$1,227 MX$21.1K

124.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,957 MDL 33.9K

$1,266 MX$21.8K

54.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$925 MDL 16.0K

$914 MX$15.8K

1.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.41

11.2

-15.98%

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

Last update for Chisinau: September 13, 2026

Last update for Aguascalientes: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $693 in Chisinau and $544 in Aguascalientes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chisinau pays 1% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $51.0 in Chisinau vs $47.00 in Aguascalientes. Groceries flip the comparison at $197 vs $259, with Chisinau cheaper for home cooking.

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

Chisinau vs Aguascalientes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Aguascalientes is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 14% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 1% higher in Chisinau, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $693 in Chisinau versus $544 in Aguascalientes. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Aguascalientes runs roughly 96% less than in Chisinau. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $439 in Chisinau versus $229 in Aguascalientes. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,143 in Aguascalientes versus $1,304 in Chisinau, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Aguascalientes but tight or insufficient in Chisinau. The gap between the two cities makes Aguascalientes the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Aguascalientes is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Chisinau, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Chisinau and Aguascalientes are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Aguascalientes gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Chisinau. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.