Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chisinau and Orhei

For one person, living is cheaper in Orhei: $356 a month against $1,316 in Chisinau, rent and utilities included – about $11,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Chisinau
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Chisinau Living Index

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Chisinau

🇲🇩 Moldova

$1,316

/mo nomad

Orhei

🇲🇩 Moldova

$356

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chisinau and in Orhei

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

A single person spends $1,316 per month in Chisinau vs $356 in Orhei, rent included.

Chisinau $1,316
Orhei $356

A couple spends around $1,991 per month in Chisinau vs $580 in Orhei, rent included.

Chisinau $1,991
Orhei $580

A family of three spends $2,666 per month in Chisinau vs $805 in Orhei, rent included.

Chisinau $2,666
Orhei $805

Chisinau costs about 269% more than Orhei, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chisinau and Orhei are more affordable than the global median – Chisinau 3% lower, Orhei 74% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.34 MDL 202

$11.28 MDL 201

0.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.7 MDL 1,011

$21.89 MDL 391

158.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.14 MDL 145

$6.92 MDL 123

17.63%

Cappuccino

$2.19 MDL 39.11

$1.36 MDL 24.26

61.03%

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

$1.22 MDL 21.70

$0.79 MDL 14.14

54.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 MDL 16.01

$0.47 MDL 8.36

91.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.20 MDL 39.29

$1.13 MDL 20.20

94.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 MDL 34.30

$1.35 MDL 24.17

42.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 MDL 22.56

$0.97 MDL 17.32

29.90%

White Bread (500g)

$0.71 MDL 12.75

$0.32 MDL 5.71

121.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 MDL 24.96

Eggs

$2.72 MDL 48.52

$1.89 MDL 33.71

43.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.70 MDL 173

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.00 MDL 89.3

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.77 MDL 157

Apples (1kg)

$0.97 MDL 17.35

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 MDL 34.48

$1.89 MDL 33.78

2.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MDL 35.93

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 MDL 38.48

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 MDL 11.64

$0.62 MDL 10.98

4.84%

Onion (1kg)

$0.56 MDL 10.04

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 MDL 23.17

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 MDL 15.95

$0.51 MDL 9.16

74.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.31 MDL 59.1

Wine (Bottle)

$4.82 MDL 86.0

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 MDL 21.69

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 MDL 33.75

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MDL 6.74

$0.16 MDL 2.84

137.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.55 MDL 242

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.27 MDL 40.50

$1.14 MDL 20.32

99.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.34 MDL 6.14

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.94 MDL 88.2

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.65 MDL 29.51

$1.71 MDL 30.45

-3.51%

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

$29.8K MDL 532.5K

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

$27.6K MDL 493.5K

$19.9K MDL 355.7K

38.74%

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

$241 MDL 4,294

$58.7 MDL 1,048

309.71%

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

$9.32 MDL 166

$6.68 MDL 119

39.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.33 MDL 184

$9.96 MDL 178

3.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.89 MDL 766

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.55 MDL 367

Cinema Ticket

$8.33 MDL 149

$3.28 MDL 58.5

153.96%

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

$430 MDL 7,668

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,720 MDL 102.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.1 MDL 1,393

$33.31 MDL 595

134.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.91 MDL 820

$32.83 MDL 586

39.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MDL 2,008

$105 MDL 1,878

6.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MDL 2,086

$32.97 MDL 589

254.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$691 MDL 12.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$463 MDL 8,261

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,257 MDL 22.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$803 MDL 14.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,585 MDL 46.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,861 MDL 33.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 MDL 15.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.17

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

Last update for Chisinau: October 26, 2026

Last update for Orhei: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chisinau

$463 35.2%

Orhei

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chisinau

$260 19.8%

Orhei

–

Groceries & Markets

Chisinau

$190 14.5%

Orhei

–

Eating Out

Chisinau

$165 12.5%

Orhei

–

Clothing & Footwear

Chisinau

$159 12.1%

Orhei

–

Sport & Entertainment

Chisinau

$60 4.5%

Orhei

–

Getting Around

Chisinau

$19 1.5%

Orhei

–

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $57 in Chisinau versus $22 in Orhei. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $190 vs $40 – making Orhei the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇩 Chisinau

🇲🇩 Orhei

🕒 Local time

11:58 11:58 AM

Same time as Chisinau

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

750,000 Capital

24,918

💱 Currency

Moldovan Leu MDL L

📈 Exchange rate

100 MDL = 5.6 USD

100 MDL = 5.03 EUR

100 MDL = 5.6 USD

100 MDL = 5.03 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Chisinau Orhei 38 km

From you

Chisinau
Orhei

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 Orhei: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Chisinau is pricier by about 269%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,974 per month in Chisinau and $534 in Orhei. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Groceries cost about 378% more in Chisinau, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $57 in Chisinau and $22 in Orhei. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Orhei, where all-in costs run around $356, than in Chisinau at $1,316. In Orhei it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chisinau it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Chisinau has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $356 in Orhei to $1,316 in Chisinau. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.