Cost of Living Comparison Between Chisinau and Leova Cost of Living Comparison Between Chisinau and Leova

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,231 per month in Chisinau vs $1,165 in Leova, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,813 per month in Chisinau vs $1,989 in Leova, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,394 per month in Chisinau vs $2,813 in Leova, rent included.

Chisinau costs about 6% more than Leova, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Chisinau and Leova are more affordable than the global median – Chisinau 8% lower, Leova 13% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.53 MDL 147

$10.83 MDL 186

-21.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.11 MDL 638

$35.13 MDL 604

5.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.53 MDL 130

$9.51 MDL 163

-20.82%

Cappuccino

$1.87 MDL 32.22

$0.85 MDL 14.67

120.00%

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

$0.99 MDL 17.03

$0.54 MDL 9.30

83.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 MDL 12.01

$0.39 MDL 6.72

79.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 MDL 29.89

$2.70 MDL 46.48

-35.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 MDL 39.41

$2.86 MDL 49.19

-19.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 MDL 22.16

$1.76 MDL 30.28

-26.70%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 MDL 8.98

$0.57 MDL 9.78

-8.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.46 MDL 25.03

$1.37 MDL 23.59

6.57%

Eggs

$2.62 MDL 44.99

$1.42 MDL 24.47

84.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 MDL 176

$14.71 MDL 253

-30.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.35 MDL 92.0

$2.32 MDL 39.88

130.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.69 MDL 149

$4.16 MDL 71.5

108.89%

Apples (1kg)

$0.84 MDL 14.40

$1.41 MDL 24.21

-40.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.82 MDL 31.29

$0.91 MDL 15.66

100.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.78 MDL 30.52

$0.95 MDL 16.37

87.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MDL 37.27

$1.19 MDL 20.39

82.35%

Potato (1kg)

$0.81 MDL 13.93

$1.53 MDL 26.37

-47.06%

Onion (1kg)

$0.54 MDL 9.31

$0.56 MDL 9.60

-3.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 MDL 22.40

$0.45 MDL 7.73

188.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 MDL 15.47

$1.08 MDL 18.49

-16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.28 MDL 56.4

$4.76 MDL 81.8

-31.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.73 MDL 81.4

$15.26 MDL 262

-69.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MDL 20.84

$1.14 MDL 19.65

6.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 MDL 32.83

$2.73 MDL 46.90

-30.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 MDL 5.75

$0.39 MDL 6.76

-15.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.47 MDL 232

$29.55 MDL 508

-54.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.07 MDL 35.61

$2.85 MDL 48.99

-27.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.25 MDL 4.29

$0.52 MDL 8.88

-51.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.33 MDL 91.7

$3.55 MDL 61.0

50.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MDL 24.76

$1.43 MDL 24.58

0.70%

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

$32.7K MDL 561.9K

$35.6K MDL 612.5K

-8.26%

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

$31.5K MDL 540.7K

$36.8K MDL 632.1K

-14.45%

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

$174 MDL 2,991

$193 MDL 3,320

-9.91%

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

$7.38 MDL 127

$5.74 MDL 98.7

28.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.98 MDL 189

$21.59 MDL 371

-49.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.14 MDL 742

$34.70 MDL 597

24.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.18 MDL 381

$11.91 MDL 205

86.23%

Cinema Ticket

$7.63 MDL 131

$4.70 MDL 80.8

62.34%

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

$388 MDL 6,663

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,708 MDL 132.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.4 MDL 1,123

$86.8 MDL 1,492

-24.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 MDL 934

$58.9 MDL 1,012

-7.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 MDL 1,911

$101 MDL 1,732

10.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 MDL 2,071

$115 MDL 1,978

4.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$668 MDL 11.5K

$863 MDL 14.8K

-22.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MDL 8,048

$363 MDL 6,234

29.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MDL 21.4K

$1,585 MDL 27.2K

-21.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$798 MDL 13.7K

$1,146 MDL 19.7K

-30.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,649 MDL 45.5K

$2,500 MDL 43.0K

5.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,901 MDL 32.7K

$2,015 MDL 34.6K

-5.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 MDL 14.9K

$668 MDL 11.5K

29.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.24

7.19

28.51%

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

Last update for Chisinau: June 1, 2026

Last update for Leova: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $668 in Chisinau versus $863 in Leova. 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 29% higher in Chisinau, 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 $37.00 in Chisinau versus $35.00 in Leova. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $190 vs $187 – making Leova the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Leova: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Chisinau is pricier by about 6%, and the gap shows up most in Getting Around. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,846 per month in Chisinau and $1,748 in Leova. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,231 in Chisinau and $1,165 in Leova. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37.00 in Chisinau and $35.00 in Leova. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Leova, where all-in costs run around $1,165, than in Chisinau at $1,231. In Leova it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chisinau it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Leova – 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 Leova. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chisinau makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.