Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chisinau and Tbilisi

For one person, living costs are similar in Chisinau and in Tbilisi: $1,316 and $1,269 a month, rent and utilities included.

63

Cost of Living Index in Chisinau
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Chisinau Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index

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Chisinau

🇲🇩 Moldova

$1,316

/mo nomad

Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,269

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chisinau and in Tbilisi

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

A single person spends $1,316 per month in Chisinau vs $1,269 in Tbilisi, rent included.

Chisinau $1,316
Tbilisi $1,269

A couple spends around $1,991 per month in Chisinau vs $2,016 in Tbilisi, rent included.

Chisinau $1,991
Tbilisi $2,016

A family of three spends $2,666 per month in Chisinau vs $2,763 in Tbilisi, rent included.

Chisinau $2,666
Tbilisi $2,763

Chisinau costs about 4% more than Tbilisi.

Both Chisinau and Tbilisi are more affordable than the global median – Chisinau 3% lower, Tbilisi 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.34 MDL 202

$11.63 ₾30.07

-2.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.7 MDL 1,011

$37.83 ₾97.9

49.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.14 MDL 145

$9.66 ₾24.98

-15.73%

Cappuccino

$2.19 MDL 39.11

$3.57 ₾9.24

-38.66%

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

$1.22 MDL 21.70

$1.08 ₾2.78

12.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 MDL 16.01

$0.56 ₾1.45

60.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.20 MDL 39.29

$2.62 ₾6.78

-16.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 MDL 34.30

$3.04 ₾7.86

-36.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 MDL 22.56

$2.17 ₾5.60

-41.94%

White Bread (500g)

$0.71 MDL 12.75

$0.80 ₾2.06

-11.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 MDL 24.96

$1.74 ₾4.51

-19.54%

Eggs

$2.72 MDL 48.52

$2.83 ₾7.31

-3.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.70 MDL 173

$9.31 ₾24.08

4.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.00 MDL 89.3

$6.52 ₾16.86

-23.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.77 MDL 157

$12.95 ₾33.50

-32.28%

Apples (1kg)

$0.97 MDL 17.35

$1.68 ₾4.34

-42.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 MDL 34.48

$1.85 ₾4.80

4.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MDL 35.93

$1.97 ₾5.10

2.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 MDL 38.48

$2.42 ₾6.25

-10.74%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 MDL 11.64

$0.82 ₾2.11

-20.73%

Onion (1kg)

$0.56 MDL 10.04

$0.74 ₾1.91

-24.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 MDL 23.17

$1.34 ₾3.47

-2.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 MDL 15.95

$0.77 ₾2.00

15.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.31 MDL 59.1

$3.57 ₾9.24

-7.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.82 MDL 86.0

$7.67 ₾19.84

-37.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 MDL 21.69

$1.70 ₾4.39

-28.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 MDL 33.75

$2.40 ₾6.21

-21.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MDL 6.74

$0.40 ₾1.05

-5.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.55 MDL 242

$15.23 ₾39.39

-11.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.27 MDL 40.50

$1.14 ₾2.95

99.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.34 MDL 6.14

$0.78 ₾2.02

-56.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.94 MDL 88.2

$11.83 ₾30.59

-58.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.65 MDL 29.51

$1.45 ₾3.75

13.79%

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

$29.8K MDL 532.5K

$24.6K ₾63.6K

21.37%

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

$27.6K MDL 493.5K

$22.3K ₾57.8K

23.77%

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

$241 MDL 4,294

$88.8 ₾230

170.88%

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

$9.32 MDL 166

$13.12 ₾33.94

-28.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.33 MDL 184

$19.67 ₾50.9

-47.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.89 MDL 766

$64.1 ₾166

-33.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.55 MDL 367

$19.04 ₾49.25

7.93%

Cinema Ticket

$8.33 MDL 149

$7.12 ₾18.42

16.99%

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

$430 MDL 7,668

$375 ₾971

14.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,720 MDL 102.1K

$10.5K ₾27.1K

-45.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.1 MDL 1,393

$104 ₾268

-24.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.91 MDL 820

$39.26 ₾102

16.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MDL 2,008

$117 ₾304

-4.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MDL 2,086

$122 ₾315

-4.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$691 MDL 12.3K

$695 ₾1,798

-0.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$463 MDL 8,261

$451 ₾1,167

2.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,257 MDL 22.4K

$1,355 ₾3,505

-7.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$803 MDL 14.3K

$906 ₾2,344

-11.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,585 MDL 46.1K

$2,295 ₾5,936

12.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,861 MDL 33.2K

$1,345 ₾3,479

38.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 MDL 15.4K

$664 ₾1,718

30.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.17

12.62

-27.34%

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

Last update for Chisinau: October 26, 2026

Last update for Tbilisi: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chisinau

$463 35.2%

Tbilisi

$451 35.6% 2.5% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chisinau

$260 19.8%

Tbilisi

$122 9.6% 53.3% $139

Groceries & Markets

Chisinau

$190 14.5%

Tbilisi

$234 18.4% 22.8% $44

Eating Out

Chisinau

$165 12.5%

Tbilisi

$191 15% 15.7% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Chisinau

$159 12.1%

Tbilisi

$172 13.5% 8.1% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Chisinau

$60 4.5%

Tbilisi

$78 6.2% 31.5% $19

Getting Around

Chisinau

$19 1.5%

Tbilisi

$22 1.7% 15% $2.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $691 in Chisinau versus $695 in Tbilisi. 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 30% higher in Chisinau. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $57 in Chisinau versus $38 in Tbilisi. Groceries tell a different story – $190 in Chisinau vs $234 in Tbilisi – so Chisinau wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇩 Chisinau

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🕒 Local time

15:02 3:02 PM

17:02 5:02 PM

2 h ahead of Chisinau

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

750,000 Capital

1,241,700 Capital

💱 Currency

Moldovan Leu MDL L

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

📈 Exchange rate

100 MDL = 5.6 USD

100 MDL = 5.03 EUR

1 GEL = 0.387 USD

1 GEL = 0.347 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GEL, USD, EUR to MDL – Moldovan Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇩 Moldovan Leu (L)

Moldovan Leu exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 17.85 MDL (100 MDL = 5.6 USD). 1 EUR = 19.87 MDL (100 MDL = 5.03 EUR).

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.387 USD). 1 EUR = 2.88 GEL (1 GEL = 0.347 EUR).

USD to MDL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chisinau Tbilisi 1,400 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chisinau
Tbilisi

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 Tbilisi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,974 per month in Chisinau and $1,904 in Tbilisi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $691 in Chisinau and $695 in Tbilisi. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Interestingly, groceries are about 19% 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 $57 in Chisinau and $38 in Tbilisi. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,316 in Chisinau and $1,269 in Tbilisi, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Tbilisi costs $1,269 versus $1,316 in Chisinau. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Tbilisi. 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.