Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chisinau and Tamarin

For one person, living is cheaper in Tamarin: $1,024 a month against $1,285 in Chisinau, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 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
50

Cost of Living Index in Tamarin
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Tamarin Living Index

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Chisinau

🇲🇩 Moldova

$1,285

/mo nomad

Tamarin

🇲🇺 Mauritius

$1,024

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chisinau and in Tamarin

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

A single person spends $1,285 per month in Chisinau vs $1,024 in Tamarin, rent included.

Chisinau $1,285
Tamarin $1,024

A couple spends around $1,984 per month in Chisinau vs $1,623 in Tamarin, rent included.

Chisinau $1,984
Tamarin $1,623

A family of three spends $2,684 per month in Chisinau vs $2,222 in Tamarin, rent included.

Chisinau $2,684
Tamarin $2,222

Chisinau costs about 25% more than Tamarin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.32 MDL 201

$5.64 MUR 266

100.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.0 MDL 906

$32.00 MUR 1,507

59.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.85 MDL 157

$7.05 MUR 332

25.53%

Cappuccino

$2.11 MDL 37.43

$2.57 MUR 121

-17.90%

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

$1.19 MDL 21.13

$1.18 MUR 55.5

0.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.93 MDL 16.53

$0.67 MUR 31.34

38.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.25 MDL 40.03

$2.66 MUR 125

-15.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 MDL 34.61

$4.87 MUR 229

-59.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 MDL 22.56

$1.52 MUR 71.7

-16.45%

White Bread (500g)

$0.73 MDL 12.88

$0.22 MUR 10.37

231.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 MDL 24.71

$1.14 MUR 53.9

21.93%

Eggs

$2.82 MDL 50.1

$2.48 MUR 117

13.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.49 MDL 169

$3.90 MUR 184

143.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.07 MDL 90.1

$6.34 MUR 299

-20.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.65 MDL 154

$11.06 MUR 521

-21.79%

Apples (1kg)

$0.94 MDL 16.72

$2.12 MUR 99.6

-55.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 MDL 33.83

$2.19 MUR 103

-12.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.11 MDL 37.42

$1.45 MUR 68.1

45.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 MDL 38.28

$2.90 MUR 137

-25.52%

Potato (1kg)

$0.68 MDL 12.07

$0.95 MUR 44.96

-28.42%

Onion (1kg)

$0.56 MDL 10.00

$1.00 MUR 46.91

-44.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 MDL 22.95

$0.70 MUR 32.73

84.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 MDL 14.76

$0.87 MUR 41.10

-4.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.39 MDL 60.2

$5.99 MUR 282

-43.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.67 MDL 83.0

$8.62 MUR 406

-45.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 MDL 22.44

$1.62 MUR 76.5

-22.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 MDL 34.83

$1.87 MUR 88.2

4.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 MDL 7.16

$0.87 MUR 41.12

-54.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.50 MDL 240

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.29 MDL 40.61

$4.26 MUR 201

-46.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 MDL 5.83

$3.10 MUR 146

-89.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.11 MDL 90.8

$6.42 MUR 302

-20.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.64 MDL 29.20

$1.35 MUR 63.6

21.48%

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

$29.5K MDL 524.6K

$29.5K MUR 1.4M

0.26%

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

$29.7K MDL 527.0K

$30.6K MUR 1.4M

-3.00%

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

$239 MDL 4,245

$44.88 MUR 2,113

432.62%

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

$9.40 MDL 167

$10.38 MUR 489

-9.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.43 MDL 185

$29.37 MUR 1,383

-64.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.21 MDL 750

$40.56 MUR 1,910

4.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.30 MDL 361

Cinema Ticket

$8.55 MDL 152

$6.24 MUR 294

37.02%

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

$425 MDL 7,543

$124 MUR 5,855

241.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,785 MDL 102.7K

$3,087 MUR 145.3K

87.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.8 MDL 1,434

$64.1 MUR 3,016

26.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.59 MDL 845

$53.0 MUR 2,497

-10.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 MDL 2,056

$83.2 MUR 3,916

39.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 MDL 2,011

$58.1 MUR 2,736

94.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$676 MDL 12.0K

$937 MUR 44.1K

-27.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$431 MDL 7,651

$420 MUR 19.8K

2.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,258 MDL 22.3K

$1,603 MUR 75.5K

-21.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$846 MDL 15.0K

$839 MUR 39.5K

0.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,680 MDL 47.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,937 MDL 34.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$866 MDL 15.4K

$826 MUR 38.9K

4.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.1

6.67

36.43%

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

Last update for Chisinau: October 13, 2026

Last update for Tamarin: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chisinau

$431 33.5%

Tamarin

$420 41% 2.6% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chisinau

$259 20.2%

Tamarin

$85 8.3% 67.3% $174

Groceries & Markets

Chisinau

$190 14.8%

Tamarin

$200 19.5% 5.3% $10

Eating Out

Chisinau

$166 12.9%

Tamarin

$128 12.5% 23.2% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Chisinau

$161 12.5%

Tamarin

$116 11.4% 27.7% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Chisinau

$59 4.6%

Tamarin

$53 5.2% 10.6% $6.3

Getting Around

Chisinau

$19 1.5%

Tamarin

$23 * 2.3% 22% $4.2

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $676 in Chisinau versus $937 in Tamarin. 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 5% 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 $32.00 in Tamarin. Groceries tell a different story – $190 in Chisinau vs $200 in Tamarin – so Chisinau wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇩 Chisinau

🇲🇺 Tamarin

🕒 Local time

00:10 12:10 AM

01:10 1:10 AM

1 h ahead of Chisinau

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

750,000 Capital

4,371

💱 Currency

Moldovan Leu MDL L

Mauritian Rupee MUR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

100 MDL = 5.63 USD

100 MDL = 5.01 EUR

100 MUR = 2.12 USD

100 MUR = 1.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MUR, 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).

Mauritian Rupee exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 47.08 MUR (100 MUR = 2.12 USD). 1 EUR = 52.93 MUR (100 MUR = 1.89 EUR).

USD to MDL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chisinau Tamarin 8,020 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Chisinau
Tamarin

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 Tamarin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Chisinau is pricier by about 25%, 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 $1,536 in Tamarin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,285 in Chisinau and $1,024 in Tamarin. That's a gap of about 25%.

Kindergarten costs $425 per month in Chisinau and $124 in Tamarin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Tamarin, where all-in costs run around $1,024, than in Chisinau at $1,285. In Tamarin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chisinau it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tamarin – 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 Tamarin. 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.