Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chisinau and Ungheni

For one person, living is cheaper in Ungheni: $649 a month against $1,326 in Chisinau, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 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
31

Cost of Living Index in Ungheni
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Ungheni Living Index

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Chisinau

🇲🇩 Moldova

$1,326

/mo nomad

Ungheni

🇲🇩 Moldova

$649

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chisinau and in Ungheni

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

A single person spends $1,326 per month in Chisinau vs $649 in Ungheni, rent included.

Chisinau $1,326
Ungheni $649

A couple spends around $1,992 per month in Chisinau vs $1,012 in Ungheni, rent included.

Chisinau $1,992
Ungheni $1,012

A family of three spends $2,658 per month in Chisinau vs $1,374 in Ungheni, rent included.

Chisinau $2,658
Ungheni $1,374

Chisinau costs about 104% more than Ungheni, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Chisinau and Ungheni are more affordable than the global median – Chisinau 2% lower, Ungheni 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.24 MDL 199

$7.43 MDL 131

51.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.0 MDL 970

$22.44 MDL 396

144.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.11 MDL 143

$6.63 MDL 117

22.32%

Cappuccino

$2.19 MDL 38.61

$1.41 MDL 24.83

55.32%

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

$1.24 MDL 21.96

$0.70 MDL 12.45

77.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 MDL 15.33

$0.46 MDL 8.07

89.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.23 MDL 39.41

$1.01 MDL 17.86

120.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 MDL 34.93

$1.36 MDL 24.02

45.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 MDL 20.90

$1.62 MDL 28.67

-27.16%

White Bread (500g)

$0.71 MDL 12.60

$0.32 MDL 5.62

121.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MDL 25.03

$0.81 MDL 14.29

75.31%

Eggs

$2.80 MDL 49.38

$1.85 MDL 32.69

51.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MDL 173

$10.20 MDL 180

-3.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.17 MDL 91.4

$3.98 MDL 70.3

29.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.74 MDL 154

$8.27 MDL 146

5.68%

Apples (1kg)

$1.00 MDL 17.67

$0.46 MDL 8.15

117.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.88 MDL 33.28

$1.25 MDL 22.13

50.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MDL 36.81

$1.03 MDL 18.18

101.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 MDL 37.67

$1.12 MDL 19.82

90.18%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 MDL 12.27

$0.43 MDL 7.56

60.47%

Onion (1kg)

$0.56 MDL 9.92

$0.34 MDL 6.02

64.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 MDL 23.03

$2.20 MDL 38.91

-40.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 MDL 15.70

$0.82 MDL 14.41

8.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.46 MDL 61.0

$3.39 MDL 59.9

2.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.82 MDL 85.2

$4.11 MDL 72.5

17.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 MDL 21.58

$1.41 MDL 24.96

-13.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 MDL 34.56

$1.68 MDL 29.75

16.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 MDL 7.22

$0.34 MDL 6.09

20.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.69 MDL 242

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.18 MDL 38.52

$1.64 MDL 29.03

32.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.32 MDL 5.64

$0.40 MDL 7.11

-20.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.88 MDL 86.2

$3.63 MDL 64.1

34.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 MDL 30.80

$1.37 MDL 24.27

27.01%

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

$28.8K MDL 509.4K

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

$28.3K MDL 499.6K

$20.3K MDL 359.2K

39.10%

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

$238 MDL 4,203

$137 MDL 2,411

74.33%

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

$8.63 MDL 152

$10.90 MDL 192

-20.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.24 MDL 181

$15.78 MDL 279

-35.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.67 MDL 771

$13.75 MDL 243

217.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.40 MDL 360

Cinema Ticket

$8.37 MDL 148

$3.82 MDL 67.4

119.11%

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

$437 MDL 7,723

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,501 MDL 150.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.1 MDL 1,414

$47.29 MDL 835

69.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.44 MDL 838

$16.81 MDL 297

182.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MDL 2,027

$32.78 MDL 579

250.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 MDL 1,994

$65.4 MDL 1,155

72.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$700 MDL 12.4K

$254 MDL 4,490

175.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MDL 8,369

$113 MDL 1,999

318.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 MDL 22.3K

$330 MDL 5,833

281.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$803 MDL 14.2K

$274 MDL 4,847

192.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,550 MDL 45.0K

$2,223 MDL 39.3K

14.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,850 MDL 32.7K

$1,646 MDL 29.1K

12.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$839 MDL 14.8K

$557 MDL 9,837

50.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.17

14.63%

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

Last update for Chisinau: November 1, 2026

Last update for Ungheni: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chisinau

$474 35.7%

Ungheni

$113 17.5% 76.1% $361

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chisinau

$257 19.4%

Ungheni

$163 25.2% 36.5% $94

Groceries & Markets

Chisinau

$191 14.4%

Ungheni

$164 25.3% 14.2% $27

Eating Out

Chisinau

$164 12.4%

Ungheni

$109 16.7% 33.8% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Chisinau

$160 12.1%

Ungheni

$73 11.3% 54.3% $87

Sport & Entertainment

Chisinau

$60 4.6%

Ungheni

$21 3.3% 64.6% $39

Getting Around

Chisinau

$19 1.4%

Ungheni

$5 * 0.8% 73.7% $14

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $700 in Chisinau versus $254 in Ungheni. 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 51% 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 $55 in Chisinau versus $22 in Ungheni. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $191 vs $164 – making Ungheni the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇩 Chisinau

🇲🇩 Ungheni

🕒 Local time

08:59 8:59 AM

Same time as Chisinau

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

750,000 Capital

38,000

💱 Currency

Moldovan Leu MDL L

📈 Exchange rate

100 MDL = 5.66 USD

100 MDL = 5.04 EUR

100 MDL = 5.66 USD

100 MDL = 5.04 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Chisinau Ungheni 81 km

From you

Chisinau
Ungheni

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 Ungheni: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Chisinau is pricier by about 104%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,988 per month in Chisinau and $973 in Ungheni. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ungheni, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $254 there versus $700 in Chisinau.

Groceries cost about 17% more in Chisinau, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Chisinau and $22 in Ungheni. 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 Ungheni, where all-in costs run around $649, than in Chisinau at $1,326. In Ungheni 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 $649 in Ungheni to $1,326 in Chisinau. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Ungheni. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chisinau makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.