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: $1,217 in Chisinau versus $1,016 in Aguascalientes.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,808 in Chisinau versus $1,537 in Aguascalientes.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,399 in Chisinau versus $2,058 in Aguascalientes.

Living in Chisinau is roughly 20% more expensive than in Aguascalientes, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chisinau 9% lower, Aguascalientes 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.89 MDL 155

$8.18 MX$143

8.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.83 MDL 641

$34.16 MX$597

7.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.38 MDL 129

$6.90 MX$121

6.96%

Cappuccino

$1.89 MDL 32.91

$3.36 MX$58.7

-43.75%

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

$0.92 MDL 16.08

$1.11 MX$19.49

-17.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 MDL 12.14

$0.82 MX$14.32

-14.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.79 MDL 31.13

$1.83 MX$31.99

-2.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 MDL 40.48

$3.19 MX$55.7

-26.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 MDL 22.21

$1.35 MX$23.55

-5.19%

White Bread (500g)

$0.56 MDL 9.79

$2.15 MX$37.55

-73.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 MDL 26.00

$1.52 MX$26.60

-1.97%

Eggs

$2.61 MDL 45.51

$1.95 MX$34.10

33.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.51 MDL 183

$8.23 MX$144

27.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.36 MDL 93.3

$7.43 MX$130

-27.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 MDL 155

$9.65 MX$169

-7.88%

Apples (1kg)

$0.85 MDL 14.79

$2.26 MX$39.60

-62.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MDL 31.57

$0.92 MX$16.08

96.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 MDL 30.81

$0.89 MX$15.52

98.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.15 MDL 37.42

$1.45 MX$25.40

48.28%

Potato (1kg)

$0.78 MDL 13.56

$1.37 MX$24.03

-43.07%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 MDL 10.31

$0.94 MX$16.52

-37.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 MDL 23.34

$0.93 MX$16.19

44.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 MDL 15.63

$0.82 MX$14.27

9.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.28 MDL 57.0

$4.22 MX$73.7

-22.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.59 MDL 80.0

$9.37 MX$164

-51.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MDL 21.12

$1.52 MX$26.57

-20.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 MDL 34.57

$2.70 MX$47.28

-26.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 MDL 6.29

$0.55 MX$9.67

-34.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.82 MDL 241

$22.62 MX$396

-38.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MDL 36.50

$1.03 MX$17.99

103.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.27 MDL 4.70

$0.94 MX$16.45

-71.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.17 MDL 90.0

$3.25 MX$56.9

59.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 MDL 24.06

$1.24 MX$21.74

11.29%

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

$31.9K MDL 555.7K

$21.6K MX$377.5K

47.82%

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

$31.5K MDL 548.8K

$23.4K MX$409.7K

34.51%

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

$170 MDL 2,954

$44.95 MX$786

277.44%

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

$7.34 MDL 128

$20.27 MX$354

-63.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.78 MDL 188

$23.48 MX$411

-54.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.85 MDL 763

$25.07 MX$438

74.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.97 MDL 383

$21.91 MX$383

0.27%

Cinema Ticket

$7.45 MDL 130

$4.12 MX$72.1

80.83%

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

$391 MDL 6,800

$184 MX$3,219

112.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,516 MDL 130.9K

$2,607 MX$45.6K

188.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 MDL 1,166

$53.1 MX$928

26.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.2 MDL 943

$35.73 MX$625

51.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 MDL 1,923

$84.3 MX$1,473

31.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MDL 2,132

$54.9 MX$959

123.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$673 MDL 11.7K

$390 MX$6,824

72.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MDL 8,146

$378 MX$6,605

23.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MDL 21.6K

$586 MX$10.3K

112.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$822 MDL 14.3K

$585 MX$10.2K

40.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,599 MDL 45.2K

$1,199 MX$21.0K

116.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,879 MDL 32.7K

$1,227 MX$21.5K

53.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$867 MDL 15.1K

$907 MX$15.9K

-4.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.24

11.24

-17.79%

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

Last update for Chisinau: July 12, 2026

Last update for Aguascalientes: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $673 in Chisinau and $390 in Aguascalientes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Aguascalientes pays 5% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $37.00 in Chisinau vs $34.00 in Aguascalientes. Groceries flip the comparison at $192 vs $219, 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 20% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 5% lower in Aguascalientes. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $673 in Chisinau versus $390 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 64% less than in Chisinau. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $391 in Chisinau versus $184 in Aguascalientes. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,016 in Aguascalientes versus $1,217 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 20% less than in Chisinau. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.