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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,231 per month in Chisinau vs $985 in Lima, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,813 per month in Chisinau vs $1,537 in Lima, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,394 per month in Chisinau vs $2,089 in Lima, rent included.

Chisinau costs about 25% more than Lima, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Chisinau and Lima are more affordable than the global median – Chisinau 8% lower, Lima 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.53 MDL 146

$4.11 PEN 13.98

107.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.11 MDL 637

$32.93 PEN 112

12.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.53 MDL 129

$7.00 PEN 23.81

7.57%

Cappuccino

$1.87 MDL 32.18

$2.54 PEN 8.64

-26.38%

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

$0.99 MDL 17.01

$0.92 PEN 3.14

7.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 MDL 12.00

$0.61 PEN 2.06

14.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 MDL 29.85

$2.24 PEN 7.62

-22.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 MDL 39.37

$3.84 PEN 13.08

-40.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 MDL 22.14

$1.41 PEN 4.79

-8.51%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 MDL 8.97

$2.73 PEN 9.30

-80.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.46 MDL 25.00

$1.30 PEN 4.44

12.31%

Eggs

$2.62 MDL 44.94

$2.96 PEN 10.07

-11.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 MDL 175

$7.97 PEN 27.12

28.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.35 MDL 91.9

$5.67 PEN 19.31

-5.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.69 MDL 149

$10.58 PEN 36.01

-17.86%

Apples (1kg)

$0.84 MDL 14.38

$2.02 PEN 6.88

-58.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.82 MDL 31.25

$1.07 PEN 3.66

70.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.78 MDL 30.49

$1.13 PEN 3.86

57.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MDL 37.23

$1.25 PEN 4.26

73.60%

Potato (1kg)

$0.81 MDL 13.91

$1.03 PEN 3.52

-21.36%

Onion (1kg)

$0.54 MDL 9.30

$0.96 PEN 3.25

-43.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 MDL 22.37

$0.87 PEN 2.96

49.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 MDL 15.46

$0.88 PEN 3.00

2.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.28 MDL 56.3

$5.46 PEN 18.58

-39.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.73 MDL 81.3

$8.98 PEN 30.55

-47.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MDL 20.81

$1.75 PEN 5.96

-30.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 MDL 32.79

$3.08 PEN 10.48

-37.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 MDL 5.74

$0.67 PEN 2.26

-50.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.47 MDL 231

$30.61 PEN 104

-55.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.07 MDL 35.57

$3.38 PEN 11.51

-38.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.25 MDL 4.29

$2.21 PEN 7.53

-88.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.33 MDL 91.6

$8.22 PEN 27.97

-35.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MDL 24.73

$1.35 PEN 4.60

6.67%

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

$32.7K MDL 561.3K

$19.3K PEN 65.7K

69.24%

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

$31.5K MDL 540.1K

$24.3K PEN 82.7K

29.38%

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

$174 MDL 2,988

$56.7 PEN 193

206.84%

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

$7.38 MDL 127

$12.64 PEN 43.01

-41.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.98 MDL 189

$24.00 PEN 81.7

-54.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.14 MDL 741

$30.10 PEN 102

43.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.18 MDL 381

$18.95 PEN 64.5

17.04%

Cinema Ticket

$7.63 MDL 131

$6.74 PEN 22.92

13.20%

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

$388 MDL 6,655

$218 PEN 740

78.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,708 MDL 132.3K

$7,895 PEN 26.9K

-2.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.4 MDL 1,122

$49.95 PEN 170

30.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 MDL 933

$36.59 PEN 125

48.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 MDL 1,909

$89.7 PEN 305

24.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 MDL 2,069

$88.1 PEN 300

36.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$668 MDL 11.5K

$606 PEN 2,063

10.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MDL 8,039

$350 PEN 1,190

33.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MDL 21.3K

$1,036 PEN 3,525

19.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$798 MDL 13.7K

$628 PEN 2,136

27.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,649 MDL 45.5K

$2,367 PEN 8,056

11.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,901 MDL 32.6K

$1,434 PEN 4,881

32.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 MDL 14.8K

$626 PEN 2,131

38.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.24

10.11

-8.61%

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

Last update for Chisinau: June 1, 2026

Last update for Lima: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $668 in Chisinau versus $606 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 38% 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 $33.00 in Lima. Groceries tell a different story – $190 in Chisinau vs $222 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 25%, 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 $1,846 per month in Chisinau and $1,477 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 17% 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 $37.00 in Chisinau and $33.00 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 $985, than in Chisinau at $1,231. 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.