Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chisinau and Leova

For one person, living costs are similar in Chisinau and in Leova: $1,316 and $1,341 a month, rent and utilities included.

Chisinau, Moldova
Leova, Moldova
Chisinau
🇲🇩 Moldova
$1,316
/mo nomad
Leova
🇲🇩 Moldova
$1,341
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chisinau and in Leova

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

A single person spends $1,316 per month in Chisinau vs $1,341 in Leova, rent included.

  • Chisinau $1,316
  • Leova $1,341

A couple spends around $1,991 per month in Chisinau vs $2,057 in Leova, rent included.

  • Chisinau $1,991
  • Leova $2,057

A family of three spends $2,666 per month in Chisinau vs $2,773 in Leova, rent included.

  • Chisinau $2,666
  • Leova $2,773

Chisinau is about 2% cheaper than Leova, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Chisinau
Leova
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.34 MDL 202
$10.31 MDL 184
9.99%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$56.7 MDL 1,011
$33.24 MDL 593
70.46%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.14 MDL 145
$8.94 MDL 159
-8.95%
Cappuccino
$2.19 MDL 39.11
$0.81 MDL 14.55
170.37%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.22 MDL 21.70
$0.49 MDL 8.70
148.98%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.90 MDL 16.01
$0.40 MDL 7.22
125.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.20 MDL 39.29
$2.48 MDL 44.34
-11.29%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.92 MDL 34.30
$2.64 MDL 47.05
-27.27%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Chisinau
Leova
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.26 MDL 22.56
$1.69 MDL 30.11
-25.44%
White Bread (500g)
$0.71 MDL 12.75
$1.47 MDL 26.23
-51.70%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.40 MDL 24.96
$1.38 MDL 24.59
1.45%
Eggs
$2.72 MDL 48.52
$1.36 MDL 24.34
100.00%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.70 MDL 173
$13.70 MDL 245
-29.20%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.00 MDL 89.3
$2.29 MDL 40.94
118.34%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$8.77 MDL 157
$4.03 MDL 71.9
117.62%
Apples (1kg)
$0.97 MDL 17.35
$1.28 MDL 22.82
-24.22%
Banana (1kg)
$1.93 MDL 34.48
$0.86 MDL 15.33
124.42%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.01 MDL 35.93
$0.94 MDL 16.76
113.83%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.16 MDL 38.48
$1.09 MDL 19.43
98.17%
Potato (1kg)
$0.65 MDL 11.64
$1.52 MDL 27.19
-57.24%
Onion (1kg)
$0.56 MDL 10.04
$0.53 MDL 9.51
5.66%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.30 MDL 23.17
$0.46 MDL 8.27
182.61%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.89 MDL 15.95
$0.98 MDL 17.53
-9.18%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.31 MDL 59.1
$4.41 MDL 78.8
-24.94%
Wine (Bottle)
$4.82 MDL 86.0
$14.81 MDL 264
-67.45%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.22 MDL 21.69
$1.13 MDL 20.20
7.96%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.89 MDL 33.75
$2.67 MDL 47.67
-29.21%
🚌 Getting Around
Chisinau
Leova
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.38 MDL 6.74
$0.37 MDL 6.69
2.70%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$13.55 MDL 242
$27.71 MDL 495
-51.10%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.27 MDL 40.50
$2.72 MDL 48.54
-16.54%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.34 MDL 6.14
$0.54 MDL 9.56
-37.04%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.94 MDL 88.2
$3.42 MDL 61.1
44.44%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.65 MDL 29.51
$1.35 MDL 24.09
22.22%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.8K MDL 532.5K
$34.1K MDL 608.5K
-12.49%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.6K MDL 493.5K
$34.0K MDL 606.0K
-18.57%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chisinau
Leova
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$241 MDL 4,294
$184 MDL 3,280
30.91%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$9.32 MDL 166
$5.51 MDL 98.4
69.15%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$10.33 MDL 184
$20.70 MDL 370
-50.10%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Chisinau
Leova
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$42.89 MDL 766
$83.2 MDL 1,486
-48.47%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.55 MDL 367
$11.26 MDL 201
82.50%
Cinema Ticket
$8.33 MDL 149
$4.52 MDL 80.6
84.29%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Chisinau
Leova
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$430 MDL 7,668
-
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,720 MDL 102.1K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Chisinau
Leova
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$78.1 MDL 1,393
$83.7 MDL 1,493
-6.67%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.91 MDL 820
$54.4 MDL 970
-15.53%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$112 MDL 2,008
$95.4 MDL 1,702
17.98%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$117 MDL 2,086
$110 MDL 1,961
6.33%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Chisinau
Leova
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$691 MDL 12.3K
$641 MDL 11.4K
7.84%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$463 MDL 8,261
$521 MDL 9,304
-11.21%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,257 MDL 22.4K
$1,506 MDL 26.9K
-16.49%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$803 MDL 14.3K
$1,086 MDL 19.4K
-26.13%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,585 MDL 46.1K
$2,489 MDL 44.4K
3.85%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,861 MDL 33.2K
$1,885 MDL 33.6K
-1.29%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Chisinau
Leova
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$864 MDL 15.4K
$653 MDL 11.7K
32.35%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
9.17
7.19
27.54%

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

Last update for Chisinau: October 26, 2026

Last update for Leova: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Chisinau
$463
Leova
$521 12.6% $58
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chisinau
$260
Leova
$210 19.3% $50
Groceries & Markets
Chisinau
$190
Leova
$188 1.4% $2.6
Eating Out
Chisinau
$165
Leova
$140 14.8% $24
Clothing & Footwear
Chisinau
$159
Leova
$154 2.9% $4.5
Sport & Entertainment
Chisinau
$60
Leova
$92 54.9% $33
Getting Around
Chisinau
$19
Leova
$35 81.7% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $691 in Chisinau versus $641 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 32% higher in Chisinau, 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 $33 in Leova. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $190 vs $188 – making Leova the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇩 Chisinau
🇲🇩 Leova
🕒 Local time
12:05 12:05 PM
12:05 12:05 PM
Same time as Chisinau
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
750,000 Capital
10,900
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MDL – Moldovan Leu Converter

Moldovan Leu exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 17.85 MDL (100 MDL = 5.6 USD). 1 EUR = 19.87 MDL (100 MDL = 5.03 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Chisinau Leova 75 km
From you
  • Chisinau
  • Leova

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 Leova: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Chisinau cheaper than Leova?
Yes – Leova is pricier by about 2%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,974 per month in Chisinau and $2,011 in Leova. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
What is the rent difference between Chisinau and Leova?
A central 1-bedroom goes for about $691 in Chisinau and $641 in Leova. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 51% less in Chisinau. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is eating out cheaper in Chisinau or in Leova?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $57 in Chisinau and $33 in Leova. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Is $1,500 enough for either Chisinau or Leova?
$1,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,316 in Chisinau and $1,341 in Leova, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Is it better to live in Chisinau or in Leova?
It depends on your priorities. Chisinau has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,316 in Chisinau to $1,341 in Leova. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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