Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chisinau and Selangor

For one person, living is cheaper in Selangor: $1,020 a month against $1,285 in Chisinau, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

63

Cost of Living Index in Chisinau
Learn more

Chisinau Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Selangor
Learn more

Selangor Living Index

Jump to prices

Chisinau

🇲🇩 Moldova

$1,285

/mo nomad

Selangor

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,020

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chisinau and in Selangor

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

A single person spends $1,285 per month in Chisinau vs $1,020 in Selangor, rent included.

Chisinau $1,285
Selangor $1,020

A couple spends around $1,984 per month in Chisinau vs $1,469 in Selangor, rent included.

Chisinau $1,984
Selangor $1,469

A family of three spends $2,684 per month in Chisinau vs $1,918 in Selangor, rent included.

Chisinau $2,684
Selangor $1,918

Chisinau costs about 26% more than Selangor, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chisinau and Selangor are more affordable than the global median – Chisinau 5% lower, Selangor 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.32 MDL 201

$4.33 MYR 17.67

161.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.0 MDL 906

$19.20 MYR 78.3

165.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.85 MDL 157

$4.04 MYR 16.46

119.06%

Cappuccino

$2.11 MDL 37.43

$2.26 MYR 9.23

-6.64%

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

$1.19 MDL 21.13

$0.78 MYR 3.18

52.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.93 MDL 16.53

$0.47 MYR 1.93

97.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.25 MDL 40.03

$4.43 MYR 18.08

-49.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 MDL 34.61

$4.96 MYR 20.24

-60.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 MDL 22.56

$1.93 MYR 7.87

-34.20%

White Bread (500g)

$0.73 MDL 12.88

$1.05 MYR 4.30

-30.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 MDL 24.71

$1.53 MYR 6.25

-9.15%

Eggs

$2.82 MDL 50.1

$1.92 MYR 7.82

46.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.49 MDL 169

$14.26 MYR 58.2

-33.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.07 MDL 90.1

$4.36 MYR 17.78

16.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.65 MDL 154

$9.60 MYR 39.16

-9.90%

Apples (1kg)

$0.94 MDL 16.72

$3.44 MYR 14.04

-72.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 MDL 33.83

$1.84 MYR 7.52

3.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.11 MDL 37.42

$2.34 MYR 9.55

-9.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 MDL 38.28

$1.59 MYR 6.49

35.85%

Potato (1kg)

$0.68 MDL 12.07

$1.34 MYR 5.45

-49.25%

Onion (1kg)

$0.56 MDL 10.00

$1.03 MYR 4.21

-45.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 MDL 22.95

$1.11 MYR 4.52

16.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 MDL 14.76

$0.54 MYR 2.19

53.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.39 MDL 60.2

$4.50 MYR 18.35

-24.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.67 MDL 83.0

$19.53 MYR 79.7

-76.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 MDL 22.44

$3.59 MYR 14.64

-64.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 MDL 34.83

$4.86 MYR 19.81

-59.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 MDL 7.16

$1.19 MYR 4.87

-66.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.50 MDL 240

$12.26 MYR 50.0

10.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.29 MDL 40.61

$1.24 MYR 5.06

84.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 MDL 5.83

$1.25 MYR 5.10

-73.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.11 MDL 90.8

$4.34 MYR 17.72

17.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.64 MDL 29.20

$0.73 MYR 2.99

124.66%

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

$29.5K MDL 524.6K

$41.9K MYR 171.0K

-29.51%

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

$29.7K MDL 527.0K

$35.3K MYR 143.8K

-15.81%

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

$239 MDL 4,245

$63.4 MYR 258

277.27%

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

$9.40 MDL 167

$8.50 MYR 34.69

10.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.43 MDL 185

$25.97 MYR 106

-59.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.21 MDL 750

$41.09 MYR 168

2.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.30 MDL 361

$6.87 MYR 28.04

195.49%

Cinema Ticket

$8.55 MDL 152

$5.05 MYR 20.59

69.31%

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

$425 MDL 7,543

$122 MYR 499

247.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,785 MDL 102.7K

$7,175 MYR 29.3K

-19.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.8 MDL 1,434

$70.8 MYR 289

14.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.59 MDL 845

$41.40 MYR 169

14.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 MDL 2,056

$77.1 MYR 315

50.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 MDL 2,011

$83.0 MYR 339

36.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$676 MDL 12.0K

$511 MYR 2,083

32.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$431 MDL 7,651

$346 MYR 1,413

24.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,258 MDL 22.3K

$880 MYR 3,589

43.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$846 MDL 15.0K

$481 MYR 1,963

75.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,680 MDL 47.6K

$1,578 MYR 6,438

69.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,937 MDL 34.4K

$705 MYR 2,875

174.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$866 MDL 15.4K

$1,019 MYR 4,157

-14.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.1

3.96

129.80%

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

Last update for Chisinau: October 13, 2026

Last update for Selangor: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chisinau

$431 33.5%

Selangor

$346 34% 19.6% $85

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chisinau

$259 20.2%

Selangor

$98 9.6% 62.2% $161

Groceries & Markets

Chisinau

$190 14.8%

Selangor

$266 26.1% 40.3% $76

Eating Out

Chisinau

$166 12.9%

Selangor

$111 10.9% 33.1% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Chisinau

$161 12.5%

Selangor

$123 12% 23.8% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Chisinau

$59 4.6%

Selangor

$51 5% 13.7% $8.1

Getting Around

Chisinau

$19 1.5%

Selangor

$25 2.4% 28.8% $5.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $676 in Chisinau versus $511 in Selangor. 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 18% higher in Selangor, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $51.0 in Chisinau versus $19.00 in Selangor. Groceries tell a different story – $190 in Chisinau vs $266 in Selangor – so Chisinau wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇩 Chisinau

🇲🇾 Selangor

🕒 Local time

02:24 2:24 AM

07:24 7:24 AM

5 h ahead of Chisinau

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

750,000 Capital

281,717

💱 Currency

Moldovan Leu MDL L

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

100 MDL = 5.63 USD

100 MDL = 5.01 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MYR, USD, EUR to MDL – Moldovan Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇩 Moldovan Leu (L)

Moldovan Leu exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 17.76 MDL (100 MDL = 5.63 USD). 1 EUR = 19.97 MDL (100 MDL = 5.01 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

USD to MDL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chisinau Selangor 8,410 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Chisinau
Selangor

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 Selangor: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Chisinau is pricier by about 26%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,927 per month in Chisinau and $1,529 in Selangor. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Interestingly, groceries are about 40% 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 $19.00 in Selangor. 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 Selangor, where all-in costs run around $1,020, than in Chisinau at $1,285. In Selangor it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chisinau it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Selangor – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Selangor. 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.