Cost of Living Comparison Between Cricova and Leova Cost of Living Comparison Between Cricova and Leova

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,054 in Cricova versus $1,355 in Leova.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,880 in Cricova versus $2,116 in Leova.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,706 in Cricova versus $2,876 in Leova.

Living in Cricova costs roughly 22% less than in Leova, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cricova is 21% below, Leova is 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.51 MDL 151

$10.65 MDL 189

-20.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.14 MDL 500

$34.19 MDL 607

-17.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.52 MDL 187

$9.46 MDL 168

11.21%

Cappuccino

$1.04 MDL 18.48

$0.86 MDL 15.30

20.93%

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

$1.09 MDL 19.34

$0.49 MDL 8.79

122.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 MDL 11.82

$0.39 MDL 6.85

71.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.03 MDL 36.14

$2.62 MDL 46.45

-22.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 MDL 39.75

$2.74 MDL 48.69

-18.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.34 MDL 41.59

$1.74 MDL 30.98

34.48%

White Bread (500g)

$0.50 MDL 8.84

$1.55 MDL 27.50

-67.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.10 MDL 19.55

$1.34 MDL 23.81

-17.91%

Eggs

$1.25 MDL 22.27

$1.33 MDL 23.64

-6.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.62 MDL 118

$13.92 MDL 247

-52.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.66 MDL 82.7

$2.28 MDL 40.48

104.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.19 MDL 216

$4.02 MDL 71.4

203.23%

Apples (1kg)

$1.08 MDL 19.26

$1.36 MDL 24.22

-20.59%

Banana (1kg)

$0.81 MDL 14.43

$0.88 MDL 15.64

-7.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.05 MDL 18.59

$0.98 MDL 17.42

7.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.10 MDL 19.46

$1.11 MDL 19.72

-0.90%

Potato (1kg)

$0.73 MDL 12.93

$1.50 MDL 26.71

-51.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.05 MDL 18.62

$0.59 MDL 10.52

77.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 MDL 18.61

$0.44 MDL 7.76

138.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MDL 19.27

$0.99 MDL 17.61

9.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.40 MDL 60.4

$4.74 MDL 84.1

-28.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.46 MDL 79.2

$15.20 MDL 270

-70.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 MDL 45.26

$1.16 MDL 20.55

119.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.30 MDL 76.5

$2.70 MDL 47.99

59.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 MDL 9.92

$0.41 MDL 7.33

36.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.18 MDL 394

$28.96 MDL 514

-23.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.10 MDL 19.49

$2.79 MDL 49.48

-60.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 MDL 4.22

$0.55 MDL 9.70

-56.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.94 MDL 123

$3.38 MDL 60.0

105.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 MDL 24.41

$1.37 MDL 24.39

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

$29.8K MDL 528.9K

$33.7K MDL 598.0K

-11.55%

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

$24.0K MDL 426.5K

$35.4K MDL 628.1K

-32.09%

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

$239 MDL 4,239

$189 MDL 3,365

25.98%

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

$7.95 MDL 141

$5.80 MDL 103

37.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.17 MDL 198

$21.20 MDL 377

-47.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.7 MDL 1,007

$83.8 MDL 1,488

-32.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.26 MDL 200

$11.12 MDL 198

1.26%

Cinema Ticket

$7.79 MDL 138

$4.66 MDL 82.7

67.17%

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

$112 MDL 1,997

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,258 MDL 93.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.6 MDL 1,006

$85.3 MDL 1,515

-33.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.69 MDL 510

$55.3 MDL 983

-48.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.2 MDL 1,477

$97.9 MDL 1,739

-15.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 MDL 2,014

$115 MDL 2,042

-1.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$918 MDL 16.3K

$654 MDL 11.6K

40.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$223 MDL 3,957

$545 MDL 9,672

-59.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 MDL 25.0K

$1,509 MDL 26.8K

-6.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,117 MDL 19.8K

$1,102 MDL 19.6K

1.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,798 MDL 49.7K

$2,533 MDL 45.0K

10.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,976 MDL 35.1K

$1,920 MDL 34.1K

2.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$581 MDL 10.3K

$653 MDL 11.6K

-11.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.19

-2.64%

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

Last update for Cricova: October 6, 2026

Last update for Leova: October 4, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $918 in Cricova and $654 in Leova. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Leova pays 12% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $28.00 in Cricova vs $34.00 in Leova for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $189 vs $191 per month, with Cricova cheaper across the board.

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

Cricova vs Leova: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cricova and Leova differ by about 29% in total monthly costs ($1,054 vs $1,355 including rent). Cricova is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 12% lower in Leova. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $918 in Cricova versus $654 in Leova. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Leova. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,054 per month in Cricova versus $1,355 in Leova – a 29% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,054 in Cricova versus $1,355 in Leova, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Cricova but tight or insufficient in Leova. The gap between the two cities makes Cricova the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Cricova gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Leova. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.