Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chisinau and Dubasari

For one person, living is cheaper in Dubasari: $644 a month against $1,316 in Chisinau, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Chisinau, Moldova
Dubasari, Moldova
Chisinau
🇲🇩 Moldova
$1,316
/mo nomad
Dubasari
🇲🇩 Moldova
$644
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chisinau and in Dubasari

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 Dubasari actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,316 per month in Chisinau vs $644 in Dubasari, rent included.

  • Chisinau $1,316
  • Dubasari $644

A couple spends around $1,991 per month in Chisinau vs $953 in Dubasari, rent included.

  • Chisinau $1,991
  • Dubasari $953

A family of three spends $2,666 per month in Chisinau vs $1,263 in Dubasari, rent included.

  • Chisinau $2,666
  • Dubasari $1,263

Chisinau costs about 104% more than Dubasari, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Chisinau and Dubasari are more affordable than the global median – Chisinau 3% lower, Dubasari 53% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Chisinau
Dubasari
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.34 MDL 202
$8.35 MDL 149
35.81%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$56.7 MDL 1,010
$28.85 MDL 514
96.40%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.14 MDL 145
$10.54 MDL 188
-22.77%
Cappuccino
$2.19 MDL 39.06
$1.71 MDL 30.56
28.07%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.22 MDL 21.67
$1.06 MDL 18.92
15.09%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.90 MDL 15.99
$0.65 MDL 11.66
38.46%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.20 MDL 39.24
$1.93 MDL 34.37
13.99%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.92 MDL 34.27
$2.19 MDL 38.98
-12.33%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Chisinau
Dubasari
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.26 MDL 22.54
$1.21 MDL 21.66
4.13%
White Bread (500g)
$0.71 MDL 12.74
$0.45 MDL 8.02
57.78%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.40 MDL 24.93
$1.53 MDL 27.21
-8.50%
Eggs
$2.72 MDL 48.47
$2.15 MDL 38.31
26.51%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.70 MDL 173
$6.77 MDL 121
43.28%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.00 MDL 89.2
$4.54 MDL 81.0
10.13%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$8.77 MDL 156
$6.24 MDL 111
40.54%
Apples (1kg)
$0.97 MDL 17.33
$0.98 MDL 17.53
-1.02%
Banana (1kg)
$1.93 MDL 34.44
$2.24 MDL 39.98
-13.84%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.01 MDL 35.89
$1.88 MDL 33.54
6.91%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.16 MDL 38.44
$2.35 MDL 41.91
-8.09%
Potato (1kg)
$0.65 MDL 11.63
$0.77 MDL 13.70
-15.58%
Onion (1kg)
$0.56 MDL 10.03
$0.52 MDL 9.29
7.69%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.30 MDL 23.14
$0.46 MDL 8.23
182.61%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.89 MDL 15.93
$0.54 MDL 9.57
64.81%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.31 MDL 59.0
$3.36 MDL 59.8
-1.49%
Wine (Bottle)
$4.82 MDL 85.9
$4.38 MDL 78.1
10.05%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.22 MDL 21.66
$1.38 MDL 24.59
-11.59%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.89 MDL 33.72
$1.92 MDL 34.22
-1.56%
🚌 Getting Around
Chisinau
Dubasari
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.38 MDL 6.73
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$13.55 MDL 242
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.27 MDL 40.46
$2.71 MDL 48.37
-16.24%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.34 MDL 6.13
$0.26 MDL 4.67
30.77%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.94 MDL 88.1
$5.46 MDL 97.4
-9.52%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.65 MDL 29.47
$1.55 MDL 27.55
6.45%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.8K MDL 531.9K
$33.4K MDL 596.3K
-10.81%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.6K MDL 492.9K
$24.3K MDL 432.8K
13.90%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chisinau
Dubasari
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$241 MDL 4,289
$225 MDL 4,016
6.79%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$9.32 MDL 166
$7.76 MDL 138
20.10%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$10.33 MDL 184
$11.09 MDL 198
-6.85%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Chisinau
Dubasari
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$42.89 MDL 765
$11.13 MDL 199
285.35%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.55 MDL 366
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$8.33 MDL 149
$7.31 MDL 130
13.95%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Chisinau
Dubasari
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$430 MDL 7,660
$113 MDL 2,013
280.55%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,720 MDL 102.0K
$5,238 MDL 93.4K
9.20%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Chisinau
Dubasari
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$78.1 MDL 1,392
$44.36 MDL 791
75.99%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.91 MDL 819
-
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$112 MDL 2,006
$56.6 MDL 1,010
98.64%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$117 MDL 2,083
$50.3 MDL 897
132.29%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Chisinau
Dubasari
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$691 MDL 12.3K
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$463 MDL 8,252
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,257 MDL 22.4K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$803 MDL 14.3K
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,585 MDL 46.1K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,861 MDL 33.2K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Chisinau
Dubasari
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$864 MDL 15.4K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
9.17
8
14.63%

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

Last update for Chisinau: October 26, 2026

Last update for Dubasari: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Chisinau
$463
Dubasari
- * 100%
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chisinau
$260
Dubasari
$244 6.2% $16
Groceries & Markets
Chisinau
$190
Dubasari
$162 15% $29
Eating Out
Chisinau
$165
Dubasari
$140 15.1% $25
Clothing & Footwear
Chisinau
$159
Dubasari
$68 * 57.2% $91
Sport & Entertainment
Chisinau
$60
Dubasari
$26 56.7% $34
Getting Around
Chisinau
$19
Dubasari
$4 * 78.9% $15

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $57 in Chisinau versus $29 in Dubasari. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $190 vs $162 – making Dubasari the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇩 Chisinau
🇲🇩 Dubasari
🕒 Local time
01:07 1:07 AM
01:07 1:07 AM
Same time as Chisinau
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
750,000 Capital
23,254
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MDL – Moldovan Leu Converter

Moldovan Leu exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 17.83 MDL (100 MDL = 5.61 USD). 1 EUR = 19.91 MDL (100 MDL = 5.02 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Chisinau Dubasari 37 km
From you
  • Chisinau
  • Dubasari

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 Dubasari: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dubasari cheaper than Chisinau?
Yes – Chisinau is pricier by about 104%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,974 per month in Chisinau and $965 in Dubasari. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
What are total monthly expenses in Chisinau and in Dubasari?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,316 in Chisinau and $644 in Dubasari. That makes Dubasari about 51% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $430 per month in Chisinau and $113 in Dubasari. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Chisinau or in Dubasari?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Dubasari, where all-in costs run around $644, than in Chisinau at $1,316. In Dubasari it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chisinau it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is it better to live in Chisinau or in Dubasari?
It depends on your priorities. Chisinau has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $644 in Dubasari to $1,316 in Chisinau. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Chisinau vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?