Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chisinau and Almaty

For one person, living is cheaper in Chisinau: $1,285 a month against $1,372 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $1,000 less a year. The total is higher in Almaty despite lower rent and utilities.

63

Cost of Living Index in Chisinau
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Chisinau Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
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Almaty Living Index

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Chisinau

🇲🇩 Moldova

$1,285

/mo nomad

Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,372

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chisinau and in Almaty

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Chisinau and in Almaty actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,285 per month in Chisinau vs $1,372 in Almaty, rent included.

Chisinau $1,285
Almaty $1,372

A couple spends around $1,984 per month in Chisinau vs $2,142 in Almaty, rent included.

Chisinau $1,984
Almaty $2,142

A family of three spends $2,684 per month in Chisinau vs $2,913 in Almaty, rent included.

Chisinau $2,684
Almaty $2,913

Chisinau is about 6% cheaper than Almaty, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Chisinau sits 5% below the global median, while Almaty is 2% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.32 MDL 201

$13.16 ₸5,949

-13.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.0 MDL 906

$44.86 ₸20.3K

13.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.85 MDL 157

$8.90 ₸4,022

-0.56%

Cappuccino

$2.11 MDL 37.43

$3.25 ₸1,469

-35.08%

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

$1.19 MDL 21.13

$1.41 ₸639

-15.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.93 MDL 16.53

$0.88 ₸399

5.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.25 MDL 40.03

$3.35 ₸1,513

-32.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 MDL 34.61

$4.04 ₸1,827

-51.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 MDL 22.56

$1.69 ₸762

-24.85%

White Bread (500g)

$0.73 MDL 12.88

$0.86 ₸390

-15.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 MDL 24.71

$2.03 ₸917

-31.53%

Eggs

$2.82 MDL 50.1

$2.43 ₸1,100

16.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.49 MDL 169

$12.46 ₸5,632

-23.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.07 MDL 90.1

$6.71 ₸3,033

-24.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.65 MDL 154

$10.85 ₸4,905

-20.28%

Apples (1kg)

$0.94 MDL 16.72

$1.80 ₸813

-47.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 MDL 33.83

$2.25 ₸1,018

-15.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.11 MDL 37.42

$2.91 ₸1,314

-27.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 MDL 38.28

$2.75 ₸1,243

-21.45%

Potato (1kg)

$0.68 MDL 12.07

$0.75 ₸337

-9.33%

Onion (1kg)

$0.56 MDL 10.00

$0.55 ₸248

1.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 MDL 22.95

$1.62 ₸732

-20.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 MDL 14.76

$1.05 ₸474

-20.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.39 MDL 60.2

$2.58 ₸1,167

31.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.67 MDL 83.0

$11.15 ₸5,042

-58.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 MDL 22.44

$1.21 ₸547

4.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 MDL 34.83

$2.44 ₸1,104

-19.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 MDL 7.16

$0.26 ₸117

53.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.50 MDL 240

$22.03 ₸9,957

-38.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.29 MDL 40.61

$1.35 ₸611

69.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 MDL 5.83

$0.64 ₸288

-48.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.11 MDL 90.8

$11.16 ₸5,044

-54.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.64 MDL 29.20

$0.72 ₸324

127.78%

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

$29.5K MDL 524.6K

$22.5K ₸10.2M

31.16%

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

$29.7K MDL 527.0K

$30.3K ₸13.7M

-1.96%

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

$239 MDL 4,245

$91.8 ₸41.5K

160.36%

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

$9.40 MDL 167

$10.66 ₸4,820

-11.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.43 MDL 185

$17.86 ₸8,072

-41.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.21 MDL 750

$70.3 ₸31.8K

-39.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.30 MDL 361

$27.60 ₸12.5K

-26.45%

Cinema Ticket

$8.55 MDL 152

$6.78 ₸3,064

26.11%

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

$425 MDL 7,543

$449 ₸202.9K

-5.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,785 MDL 102.7K

$12.1K ₸5.5M

-52.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.8 MDL 1,434

$89.9 ₸40.7K

-10.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.59 MDL 845

$47.02 ₸21.3K

1.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 MDL 2,056

$142 ₸64.1K

-18.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 MDL 2,011

$133 ₸60.0K

-14.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$676 MDL 12.0K

$805 ₸363.7K

-16.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$431 MDL 7,651

$500 ₸225.9K

-13.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,258 MDL 22.3K

$1,429 ₸645.9K

-11.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$846 MDL 15.0K

$904 ₸408.8K

-6.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,680 MDL 47.6K

$2,503 ₸1.1M

7.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,937 MDL 34.4K

$1,559 ₸704.7K

24.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$866 MDL 15.4K

$870 ₸393.3K

-0.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.1

20.65

-55.93%

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

Last update for Chisinau: October 13, 2026

Last update for Almaty: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Chisinau

$431 33.5%

Almaty

$500 36.4% 16% $69

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chisinau

$259 20.2%

Almaty

$120 8.8% 53.5% $139

Groceries & Markets

Chisinau

$190 14.8%

Almaty

$250 18.3% 31.9% $61

Eating Out

Chisinau

$166 12.9%

Almaty

$205 14.9% 23.4% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Chisinau

$161 12.5%

Almaty

$185 13.5% 15.2% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Chisinau

$59 4.6%

Almaty

$84 6.1% 41.4% $25

Getting Around

Chisinau

$19 1.5%

Almaty

$28 2% 45% $8.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $676 in Chisinau versus $805 in Almaty. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 0% higher in Almaty, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $51.0 in Chisinau versus $45.00 in Almaty. Groceries tell a different story – $190 in Chisinau vs $250 in Almaty – so Chisinau wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇩 Chisinau

🇰🇿 Almaty

🕒 Local time

07:19 7:19 AM

10:19 10:19 AM

3 h ahead of Chisinau

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

750,000 Capital

1,475,400

💱 Currency

Moldovan Leu MDL L

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

100 MDL = 5.63 USD

100 MDL = 5.01 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KZT, USD, EUR to MDL – Moldovan Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇩 Moldovan Leu (L)

Moldovan Leu exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 17.76 MDL (100 MDL = 5.63 USD). 1 EUR = 19.97 MDL (100 MDL = 5.01 EUR).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 452 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 508 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

USD to MDL in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chisinau Almaty 3,740 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Chisinau
Almaty

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Almaty: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 7%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,927 per month in Chisinau and $2,058 in Almaty. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chisinau, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $51.0 in Chisinau and $45.00 in Almaty. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,285 in Chisinau and $1,372 in Almaty. That's a gap of about 7%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Chisinau, where all-in costs run around $1,285, than in Almaty at $1,372. In Chisinau it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Chisinau – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Chisinau. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Almaty makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.