Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chisinau and Lima

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $1,012 a month against $1,285 in Chisinau, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

63

Cost of Living Index in Chisinau
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Chisinau Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Lima
Learn more

Lima Living Index

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Chisinau

🇲🇩 Moldova

$1,285

/mo nomad

Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$1,012

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chisinau and in Lima

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

A single person spends $1,285 per month in Chisinau vs $1,012 in Lima, rent included.

Chisinau $1,285
Lima $1,012

A couple spends around $1,984 per month in Chisinau vs $1,589 in Lima, rent included.

Chisinau $1,984
Lima $1,589

A family of three spends $2,684 per month in Chisinau vs $2,167 in Lima, rent included.

Chisinau $2,684
Lima $2,167

Chisinau costs about 27% more than Lima, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Chisinau and Lima are more affordable than the global median – Chisinau 5% lower, Lima 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.32 MDL 201

$4.40 PEN 15.10

157.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.0 MDL 906

$35.17 PEN 121

45.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.85 MDL 157

$6.89 PEN 23.65

28.45%

Cappuccino

$2.11 MDL 37.43

$3.26 PEN 11.20

-35.28%

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

$1.19 MDL 21.13

$1.12 PEN 3.84

6.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.93 MDL 16.53

$0.62 PEN 2.11

50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.25 MDL 40.03

$2.65 PEN 9.09

-15.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 MDL 34.61

$4.41 PEN 15.15

-55.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 MDL 22.56

$1.63 PEN 5.61

-22.09%

White Bread (500g)

$0.73 MDL 12.88

$2.56 PEN 8.78

-71.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 MDL 24.71

$1.35 PEN 4.65

2.96%

Eggs

$2.82 MDL 50.1

$2.90 PEN 9.96

-2.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.49 MDL 169

$8.85 PEN 30.38

7.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.07 MDL 90.1

$5.98 PEN 20.52

-15.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.65 MDL 154

$9.78 PEN 33.59

-11.55%

Apples (1kg)

$0.94 MDL 16.72

$2.05 PEN 7.02

-54.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 MDL 33.83

$1.06 PEN 3.66

80.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.11 MDL 37.42

$1.35 PEN 4.64

56.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 MDL 38.28

$1.50 PEN 5.15

44.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.68 MDL 12.07

$0.88 PEN 3.03

-22.73%

Onion (1kg)

$0.56 MDL 10.00

$0.92 PEN 3.15

-39.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 MDL 22.95

$0.89 PEN 3.07

44.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 MDL 14.76

$0.90 PEN 3.10

-7.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.39 MDL 60.2

$5.90 PEN 20.27

-42.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.67 MDL 83.0

$8.52 PEN 29.26

-45.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 MDL 22.44

$1.88 PEN 6.45

-32.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 MDL 34.83

$3.22 PEN 11.05

-39.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 MDL 7.16

$0.68 PEN 2.33

-41.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.50 MDL 240

$26.86 PEN 92.2

-49.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.29 MDL 40.61

$3.81 PEN 13.09

-39.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 MDL 5.83

$2.02 PEN 6.93

-83.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.11 MDL 90.8

$7.11 PEN 24.41

-28.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.64 MDL 29.20

$1.72 PEN 5.91

-4.65%

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

$29.5K MDL 524.6K

$22.3K PEN 76.6K

32.40%

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

$29.7K MDL 527.0K

$25.5K PEN 87.6K

16.36%

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

$239 MDL 4,245

$73.1 PEN 251

227.14%

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

$9.40 MDL 167

$16.35 PEN 56.2

-42.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.43 MDL 185

$27.47 PEN 94.3

-62.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.21 MDL 750

$31.90 PEN 110

32.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.30 MDL 361

$19.41 PEN 66.7

4.59%

Cinema Ticket

$8.55 MDL 152

$7.05 PEN 24.23

21.28%

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

$425 MDL 7,543

$182 PEN 627

132.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,785 MDL 102.7K

$13.0K PEN 44.8K

-55.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.8 MDL 1,434

$53.8 PEN 185

50.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.59 MDL 845

$34.32 PEN 118

38.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 MDL 2,056

$82.8 PEN 284

39.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 MDL 2,011

$78.2 PEN 269

44.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$676 MDL 12.0K

$721 PEN 2,476

-6.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$431 MDL 7,651

$343 PEN 1,179

25.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,258 MDL 22.3K

$1,219 PEN 4,186

3.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$846 MDL 15.0K

$651 PEN 2,235

29.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,680 MDL 47.6K

$2,414 PEN 8,292

10.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,937 MDL 34.4K

$1,357 PEN 4,660

42.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$866 MDL 15.4K

$648 PEN 2,226

33.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.1

8.94

1.79%

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

Last update for Chisinau: October 13, 2026

Last update for Lima: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chisinau

$431 33.5%

Lima

$343 33.9% 20.3% $87

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chisinau

$259 20.2%

Lima

$117 11.6% 54.8% $142

Groceries & Markets

Chisinau

$190 14.8%

Lima

$226 22.3% 19% $36

Eating Out

Chisinau

$166 12.9%

Lima

$124 12.3% 25.3% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Chisinau

$161 12.5%

Lima

$112 11.1% 30.3% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Chisinau

$59 4.6%

Lima

$46 4.6% 22.4% $13

Getting Around

Chisinau

$19 1.5%

Lima

$43 4.3% 128% $24

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $676 in Chisinau versus $721 in Lima. 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 34% 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 $51.0 in Chisinau versus $35.00 in Lima. Groceries tell a different story – $190 in Chisinau vs $226 in Lima – so Chisinau wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇩 Chisinau

🇵🇪 Lima

🕒 Local time

06:24 6:24 AM

22:24 10:24 PM

8 h behind Chisinau

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

750,000 Capital

9,989,369 Capital

💱 Currency

Moldovan Leu MDL L

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

100 MDL = 5.63 USD

100 MDL = 5.01 EUR

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PEN, USD, EUR to MDL – Moldovan Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇩 Moldovan Leu (L)

Moldovan Leu exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 17.76 MDL (100 MDL = 5.63 USD). 1 EUR = 19.97 MDL (100 MDL = 5.01 EUR).

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3.43 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

USD to MDL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chisinau Lima 12,190 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Chisinau
Lima

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 Lima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Chisinau is pricier by about 27%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,927 per month in Chisinau and $1,518 in Lima. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Interestingly, groceries are about 19% cheaper in Chisinau – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $51.0 in Chisinau and $35.00 in Lima. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Lima, where all-in costs run around $1,012, than in Chisinau at $1,285. In Lima it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chisinau it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Lima – 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 Lima. 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.