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: $1,231 in Chisinau versus $1,025 in Aguascalientes.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,813 in Chisinau versus $1,543 in Aguascalientes.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,394 in Chisinau versus $2,061 in Aguascalientes.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Chisinau 8% lower, Aguascalientes 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.53 MDL 147

$8.12 MX$140

5.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.11 MDL 638

$34.46 MX$596

7.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.53 MDL 130

$7.07 MX$122

6.51%

Cappuccino

$1.87 MDL 32.22

$3.20 MX$55.4

-41.56%

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

$0.99 MDL 17.03

$1.08 MX$18.72

-8.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 MDL 12.01

$0.80 MX$13.84

-12.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 MDL 29.89

$1.80 MX$31.19

-3.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 MDL 39.41

$3.15 MX$54.5

-27.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 MDL 22.16

$1.35 MX$23.28

-4.44%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 MDL 8.98

$2.25 MX$38.86

-76.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.46 MDL 25.03

$1.58 MX$27.28

-7.59%

Eggs

$2.62 MDL 44.99

$1.96 MX$33.85

33.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 MDL 176

$7.97 MX$138

28.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.35 MDL 92.0

$7.16 MX$124

-25.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.69 MDL 149

$9.66 MX$167

-10.04%

Apples (1kg)

$0.84 MDL 14.40

$2.26 MX$39.02

-62.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.82 MDL 31.29

$0.97 MX$16.72

87.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.78 MDL 30.52

$0.83 MX$14.36

114.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MDL 37.27

$1.42 MX$24.53

52.82%

Potato (1kg)

$0.81 MDL 13.93

$1.40 MX$24.27

-42.14%

Onion (1kg)

$0.54 MDL 9.31

$0.97 MX$16.73

-44.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 MDL 22.40

$0.90 MX$15.50

44.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 MDL 15.47

$0.83 MX$14.39

8.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.28 MDL 56.4

$4.14 MX$71.6

-20.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.73 MDL 81.4

$8.98 MX$155

-47.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MDL 20.84

$1.50 MX$25.98

-19.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 MDL 32.83

$2.66 MX$46.08

-28.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 MDL 5.75

$0.55 MX$9.59

-40.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.47 MDL 232

$22.01 MX$381

-38.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.07 MDL 35.61

$1.07 MX$18.57

93.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.25 MDL 4.29

$0.93 MX$16.15

-73.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.33 MDL 91.7

$3.24 MX$56.0

64.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MDL 24.76

$1.24 MX$21.51

16.13%

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

$32.7K MDL 561.9K

$22.2K MX$383.5K

47.43%

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

$31.5K MDL 540.7K

$23.4K MX$405.2K

34.27%

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

$174 MDL 2,991

$44.40 MX$768

291.91%

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

$7.38 MDL 127

$20.16 MX$349

-63.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.98 MDL 189

$23.39 MX$405

-53.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.14 MDL 742

$25.83 MX$447

67.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.18 MDL 381

$21.83 MX$378

1.60%

Cinema Ticket

$7.63 MDL 131

$4.15 MX$71.8

83.86%

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

$388 MDL 6,663

$178 MX$3,075

118.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,708 MDL 132.5K

$2,589 MX$44.8K

197.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.4 MDL 1,123

$51.1 MX$884

27.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 MDL 934

$34.96 MX$605

55.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 MDL 1,911

$85.2 MX$1,474

30.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 MDL 2,071

$53.7 MX$930

124.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$668 MDL 11.5K

$385 MX$6,663

73.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MDL 8,048

$384 MX$6,645

21.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MDL 21.4K

$571 MX$9,868

117.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$798 MDL 13.7K

$595 MX$10.3K

34.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,649 MDL 45.5K

$1,228 MX$21.2K

115.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,901 MDL 32.7K

$1,241 MX$21.5K

53.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 MDL 14.9K

$920 MX$15.9K

-6.03%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Aguascalientes: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $668 in Chisinau and $385 in Aguascalientes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Aguascalientes pays 6% 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 $190 vs $217, 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, Aguascalientes earns 6% less. 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: $668 in Chisinau versus $385 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 63% less than in Chisinau. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $388 in Chisinau versus $178 in Aguascalientes. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,025 in Aguascalientes versus $1,231 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.