Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chisinau and Izhevsk

For one person, living is cheaper in Izhevsk: $774 a month against $1,316 in Chisinau, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Chisinau
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Chisinau Living Index

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Chisinau

🇲🇩 Moldova

$1,316

/mo nomad

Izhevsk

🇷🇺 Russia

$774

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chisinau and in Izhevsk

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

A single person spends $1,316 per month in Chisinau vs $774 in Izhevsk, rent included.

Chisinau $1,316
Izhevsk $774

A couple spends around $1,991 per month in Chisinau vs $1,183 in Izhevsk, rent included.

Chisinau $1,991
Izhevsk $1,183

A family of three spends $2,666 per month in Chisinau vs $1,592 in Izhevsk, rent included.

Chisinau $2,666
Izhevsk $1,592

Chisinau costs about 70% more than Izhevsk, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chisinau and Izhevsk are more affordable than the global median – Chisinau 3% lower, Izhevsk 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.34 MDL 202

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.7 MDL 1,010

$36.93 ₽2,974

53.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.14 MDL 145

$11.09 ₽894

-26.60%

Cappuccino

$2.19 MDL 39.06

$4.46 ₽359

-50.90%

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

$1.22 MDL 21.67

$0.84 ₽67.3

45.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 MDL 15.99

$0.63 ₽50.8

42.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.20 MDL 39.24

$1.26 ₽101

74.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 MDL 34.27

$1.10 ₽88.3

74.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 MDL 22.54

$0.92 ₽73.7

36.96%

White Bread (500g)

$0.71 MDL 12.74

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 MDL 24.93

Eggs

$2.72 MDL 48.47

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.70 MDL 173

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.00 MDL 89.2

$5.45 ₽439

-8.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.77 MDL 156

Apples (1kg)

$0.97 MDL 17.33

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 MDL 34.44

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MDL 35.89

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 MDL 38.44

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 MDL 11.63

Onion (1kg)

$0.56 MDL 10.03

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 MDL 23.14

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 MDL 15.93

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.31 MDL 59.0

Wine (Bottle)

$4.82 MDL 85.9

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 MDL 21.66

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 MDL 33.72

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MDL 6.73

$0.53 ₽43.07

-28.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.55 MDL 242

$28.60 ₽2,303

-52.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.27 MDL 40.46

$1.59 ₽128

42.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.34 MDL 6.13

$0.26 ₽20.98

30.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.94 MDL 88.1

$7.47 ₽601

-33.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.65 MDL 29.47

$0.80 ₽64.7

106.25%

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

$29.8K MDL 531.9K

$53.8K ₽4.3M

-44.58%

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

$27.6K MDL 492.9K

$42.2K ₽3.4M

-34.53%

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

$241 MDL 4,289

$147 ₽11.8K

63.99%

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

$9.32 MDL 166

$7.22 ₽581

29.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.33 MDL 184

$7.31 ₽589

41.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.89 MDL 765

$32.55 ₽2,622

31.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.55 MDL 366

Cinema Ticket

$8.33 MDL 149

$5.87 ₽473

41.91%

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

$430 MDL 7,660

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,720 MDL 102.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.1 MDL 1,392

$86.3 ₽6,950

-9.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.91 MDL 819

$24.90 ₽2,006

84.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MDL 2,006

$124 ₽9,981

-9.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MDL 2,083

$146 ₽11.7K

-19.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$691 MDL 12.3K

$503 ₽40.5K

37.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$463 MDL 8,252

$226 ₽18.2K

104.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,257 MDL 22.4K

$683 ₽55.0K

84.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$803 MDL 14.3K

$428 ₽34.4K

87.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,585 MDL 46.1K

$2,481 ₽199.8K

4.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,861 MDL 33.2K

$1,225 ₽98.7K

51.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 MDL 15.4K

$989 ₽79.7K

-12.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.17

-58.32%

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

Last update for Chisinau: October 26, 2026

Last update for Izhevsk: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chisinau

$463 35.2%

Izhevsk

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chisinau

$260 19.8%

Izhevsk

–

Groceries & Markets

Chisinau

$190 14.5%

Izhevsk

–

Eating Out

Chisinau

$165 12.5%

Izhevsk

–

Clothing & Footwear

Chisinau

$159 12.1%

Izhevsk

–

Sport & Entertainment

Chisinau

$60 4.5%

Izhevsk

–

Getting Around

Chisinau

$19 1.5%

Izhevsk

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $691 in Chisinau versus $503 in Izhevsk. 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 14% higher in Izhevsk, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $57 in Chisinau versus $37 in Izhevsk. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $190 vs $36 – making Izhevsk the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇩 Chisinau

🇷🇺 Izhevsk

🕒 Local time

10:31 10:31 AM

12:31 12:31 PM

2 h ahead of Chisinau

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

750,000 Capital

646,468

💱 Currency

Moldovan Leu MDL L

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

100 MDL = 5.61 USD

100 MDL = 5.03 EUR

100 RUB = 1.24 USD

100 RUB = 1.11 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, USD, EUR to MDL – Moldovan Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇩 Moldovan Leu (L)

Moldovan Leu exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 17.83 MDL (100 MDL = 5.61 USD). 1 EUR = 19.9 MDL (100 MDL = 5.03 EUR).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 80.53 RUB (100 RUB = 1.24 USD). 1 EUR = 89.87 RUB (100 RUB = 1.11 EUR).

USD to MDL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chisinau Izhevsk 1,980 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Chisinau
Izhevsk

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 Izhevsk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Chisinau is pricier by about 70%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,974 per month in Chisinau and $1,161 in Izhevsk. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Izhevsk, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $503 there versus $691 in Chisinau.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,316 in Chisinau and $774 in Izhevsk. That makes Izhevsk about 41% cheaper.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $57 in Chisinau and $37 in Izhevsk. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Izhevsk, where all-in costs run around $774, than in Chisinau at $1,316. In Izhevsk it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chisinau it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Chisinau has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $774 in Izhevsk to $1,316 in Chisinau. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.