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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,217 per month in Chisinau vs $1,159 in Leova, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,808 per month in Chisinau vs $1,954 in Leova, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,399 per month in Chisinau vs $2,749 in Leova, rent included.

Chisinau costs about 5% more than Leova, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Chisinau and Leova are more affordable than the global median – Chisinau 9% lower, Leova 13% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.89 MDL 155

$10.80 MDL 188

-17.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.83 MDL 641

$35.04 MDL 610

5.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.38 MDL 129

$9.81 MDL 171

-24.77%

Cappuccino

$1.89 MDL 32.92

$0.92 MDL 15.97

105.43%

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

$0.92 MDL 16.09

$0.54 MDL 9.47

70.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 MDL 12.14

$0.39 MDL 6.84

79.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.79 MDL 31.13

$2.69 MDL 46.90

-33.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 MDL 40.49

$2.83 MDL 49.32

-17.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 MDL 22.21

$1.73 MDL 30.15

-26.01%

White Bread (500g)

$0.56 MDL 9.80

$0.56 MDL 9.73

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 MDL 26.01

$1.36 MDL 23.72

9.56%

Eggs

$2.61 MDL 45.52

$1.36 MDL 23.67

91.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.51 MDL 183

$14.58 MDL 254

-27.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.36 MDL 93.3

$2.39 MDL 41.62

124.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 MDL 155

$4.28 MDL 74.5

107.71%

Apples (1kg)

$0.85 MDL 14.79

$1.41 MDL 24.54

-39.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MDL 31.58

$0.84 MDL 14.71

115.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 MDL 30.81

$0.95 MDL 16.63

86.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.15 MDL 37.43

$1.20 MDL 20.94

79.17%

Potato (1kg)

$0.78 MDL 13.56

$1.59 MDL 27.77

-50.94%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 MDL 10.31

$0.60 MDL 10.46

-1.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 MDL 23.35

$0.49 MDL 8.59

173.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 MDL 15.63

$1.03 MDL 17.85

-12.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.28 MDL 57.0

$4.63 MDL 80.6

-29.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.59 MDL 80.0

$15.44 MDL 269

-70.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MDL 21.12

$1.20 MDL 20.82

0.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 MDL 34.57

$2.73 MDL 47.62

-27.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 MDL 6.29

$0.39 MDL 6.83

-7.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.82 MDL 241

$29.44 MDL 513

-53.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MDL 36.50

$2.94 MDL 51.2

-28.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.27 MDL 4.70

$0.52 MDL 9.09

-48.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.17 MDL 90.0

$3.47 MDL 60.5

48.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 MDL 24.06

$1.44 MDL 25.00

-4.17%

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

$31.9K MDL 555.8K

$35.5K MDL 618.4K

-10.13%

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

$31.5K MDL 548.8K

$36.5K MDL 634.7K

-13.53%

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

$170 MDL 2,954

$196 MDL 3,408

-13.31%

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

$7.34 MDL 128

$6.00 MDL 105

22.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.78 MDL 188

$21.72 MDL 378

-50.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.85 MDL 764

$35.36 MDL 616

24.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.97 MDL 383

$11.72 MDL 204

87.46%

Cinema Ticket

$7.45 MDL 130

$4.54 MDL 79.1

64.10%

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

$391 MDL 6,802

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,516 MDL 130.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 MDL 1,166

$88.0 MDL 1,532

-23.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.2 MDL 943

$58.9 MDL 1,025

-8.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 MDL 1,923

$99.2 MDL 1,727

11.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MDL 2,133

$119 MDL 2,067

3.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$673 MDL 11.7K

$863 MDL 15.0K

-22.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MDL 8,148

$369 MDL 6,428

26.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MDL 21.7K

$1,581 MDL 27.5K

-21.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$822 MDL 14.3K

$1,131 MDL 19.7K

-27.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,599 MDL 45.3K

$2,526 MDL 44.0K

2.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,879 MDL 32.7K

$1,999 MDL 34.8K

-6.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$867 MDL 15.1K

$670 MDL 11.7K

29.45%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Leova: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $673 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: $192 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 5%, 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 $1,826 per month in Chisinau and $1,739 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 $1,217 in Chisinau and $1,159 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 $1,159, than in Chisinau at $1,217. 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.