Cost of Living Comparison Between Chisinau and Lima Cost of Living Comparison Between Chisinau and Lima

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,340 per month in Chisinau vs $1,016 in Lima, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,023 per month in Chisinau vs $1,623 in Lima, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,705 per month in Chisinau vs $2,229 in Lima, rent included.

Chisinau costs about 32% more than Lima, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Chisinau and Lima are more affordable than the global median – Chisinau 2% lower, Lima 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.65 MDL 199

$4.35 PEN 14.63

167.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.2 MDL 859

$32.17 PEN 108

56.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.85 MDL 151

$7.03 PEN 23.65

25.89%

Cappuccino

$2.19 MDL 37.42

$3.23 PEN 10.87

-32.20%

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

$1.30 MDL 22.22

$1.13 PEN 3.81

15.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.89 MDL 15.29

$0.62 PEN 2.08

43.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.31 MDL 39.44

$2.68 PEN 9.02

-13.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 MDL 35.69

$4.53 PEN 15.24

-53.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 MDL 21.51

$1.64 PEN 5.51

-23.17%

White Bread (500g)

$0.70 MDL 11.90

$2.60 PEN 8.75

-73.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.45 MDL 24.82

$1.34 PEN 4.51

8.21%

Eggs

$2.83 MDL 48.36

$3.05 PEN 10.27

-7.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.38 MDL 177

$9.01 PEN 30.31

15.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.44 MDL 93.0

$5.93 PEN 19.93

-8.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.23 MDL 158

$9.80 PEN 32.97

-5.82%

Apples (1kg)

$1.04 MDL 17.85

$2.10 PEN 7.05

-50.48%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MDL 34.39

$1.05 PEN 3.54

91.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 MDL 37.36

$1.45 PEN 4.89

50.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.35 MDL 40.16

$1.50 PEN 5.04

56.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.68 MDL 11.64

$0.93 PEN 3.11

-26.88%

Onion (1kg)

$0.57 MDL 9.75

$0.94 PEN 3.17

-39.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 MDL 25.42

$0.89 PEN 3.01

67.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 MDL 15.16

$0.95 PEN 3.20

-6.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.40 MDL 58.2

$5.82 PEN 19.56

-41.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.71 MDL 80.5

$9.02 PEN 30.35

-47.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 MDL 22.53

$1.94 PEN 6.52

-31.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 MDL 33.48

$3.23 PEN 10.85

-39.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.42 MDL 7.22

$0.69 PEN 2.31

-39.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.75 MDL 235

$27.19 PEN 91.5

-49.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.32 MDL 39.65

$3.90 PEN 13.11

-40.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.34 MDL 5.76

$2.03 PEN 6.83

-83.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.35 MDL 91.5

$7.45 PEN 25.05

-28.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.64 MDL 28.11

$1.71 PEN 5.77

-4.09%

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

$30.5K MDL 521.5K

$22.2K PEN 74.6K

37.44%

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

$31.2K MDL 534.1K

$26.7K PEN 89.9K

16.88%

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

$256 MDL 4,381

$71.1 PEN 239

260.50%

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

$9.82 MDL 168

$16.93 PEN 56.9

-42.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.05 MDL 189

$28.29 PEN 95.2

-60.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.19 MDL 756

$33.80 PEN 114

30.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.05 MDL 360

$19.96 PEN 67.2

5.46%

Cinema Ticket

$8.72 MDL 149

$7.23 PEN 24.30

20.61%

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

$437 MDL 7,469

$181 PEN 608

141.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,037 MDL 103.2K

$13.4K PEN 45.2K

-55.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.1 MDL 1,387

$54.0 PEN 182

50.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.11 MDL 840

$35.57 PEN 120

38.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 MDL 2,101

$85.9 PEN 289

43.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MDL 1,995

$81.0 PEN 273

44.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$706 MDL 12.1K

$759 PEN 2,551

-6.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$443 MDL 7,582

$346 PEN 1,165

27.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,297 MDL 22.2K

$1,254 PEN 4,218

3.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$862 MDL 14.7K

$646 PEN 2,172

33.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,775 MDL 47.5K

$2,479 PEN 8,338

11.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,007 MDL 34.3K

$1,391 PEN 4,678

44.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$919 MDL 15.7K

$669 PEN 2,249

37.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.41

8.94

5.26%

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

Last update for Chisinau: August 29, 2026

Last update for Lima: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $706 in Chisinau versus $759 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 37% 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 $50.0 in Chisinau versus $32.00 in Lima. Groceries tell a different story – $200 in Chisinau vs $230 in Lima – so Chisinau wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 32%, and the gap shows up most in Clothing & Footwear. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,010 per month in Chisinau and $1,524 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 15% 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 $50.0 in Chisinau and $32.00 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 $1,016, than in Chisinau at $1,340. 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.