Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubasari and Chisinau

For one person, living is cheaper in Dubasari: $643 a month against $1,288 in Chisinau, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Dubasari
🇲🇩 Moldova
$643
/mo nomad
Chisinau
🇲🇩 Moldova
$1,288
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dubasari and in Chisinau

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Dubasari and in Chisinau actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $643 per month in Dubasari vs $1,288 in Chisinau, rent included.

  • Dubasari $643
  • Chisinau $1,288

A couple spends around $955 per month in Dubasari vs $1,978 in Chisinau, rent included.

  • Dubasari $955
  • Chisinau $1,978

A family of three spends $1,266 per month in Dubasari vs $2,669 in Chisinau, rent included.

  • Dubasari $1,266
  • Chisinau $2,669

Dubasari is about 50% cheaper than Chisinau, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Dubasari and Chisinau are more affordable than the global median – Dubasari 53% lower, Chisinau 5% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Dubasari
Chisinau
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.15 MDL 145
$11.34 MDL 201
-28.13%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$29.87 MDL 530
$50.1 MDL 890
-40.39%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.62 MDL 189
$8.65 MDL 154
22.77%
Cappuccino
$1.71 MDL 30.43
$2.11 MDL 37.44
-18.96%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.05 MDL 18.68
$1.19 MDL 21.09
-11.76%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.65 MDL 11.46
$0.85 MDL 15.08
-23.53%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.97 MDL 35.00
$2.26 MDL 40.11
-12.83%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.25 MDL 39.99
$2.00 MDL 35.53
12.50%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Dubasari
Chisinau
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.21 MDL 21.55
$1.24 MDL 21.99
-2.42%
White Bread (500g)
$0.46 MDL 8.18
$0.73 MDL 13.03
-36.99%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.55 MDL 27.52
$1.46 MDL 25.97
6.16%
Eggs
$2.16 MDL 38.43
$2.78 MDL 49.31
-22.30%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.81 MDL 121
$9.65 MDL 171
-29.43%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.68 MDL 83.1
$5.26 MDL 93.5
-11.03%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$6.03 MDL 107
$8.83 MDL 157
-31.71%
Apples (1kg)
$1.03 MDL 18.28
$0.93 MDL 16.44
10.75%
Banana (1kg)
$2.18 MDL 38.65
$1.87 MDL 33.25
16.58%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.79 MDL 31.84
$2.11 MDL 37.47
-15.17%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.25 MDL 40.00
$2.28 MDL 40.57
-1.32%
Potato (1kg)
$0.78 MDL 13.80
$0.68 MDL 12.00
14.71%
Onion (1kg)
$0.48 MDL 8.52
$0.52 MDL 9.22
-7.69%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.47 MDL 8.33
$1.31 MDL 23.32
-64.12%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.55 MDL 9.74
$0.83 MDL 14.82
-33.73%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.32 MDL 59.0
$3.36 MDL 59.6
-1.19%
Wine (Bottle)
$4.59 MDL 81.5
$4.64 MDL 82.4
-1.08%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.43 MDL 25.48
$1.22 MDL 21.60
17.21%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.98 MDL 35.21
$1.88 MDL 33.46
5.32%
🚌 Getting Around
Dubasari
Chisinau
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$0.41 MDL 7.21
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$13.72 MDL 244
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.81 MDL 49.83
$2.20 MDL 39.04
27.73%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.26 MDL 4.63
$0.32 MDL 5.75
-18.75%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.43 MDL 96.4
$4.98 MDL 88.5
9.04%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.60 MDL 28.33
$1.74 MDL 30.95
-8.05%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.9K MDL 601.9K
$29.9K MDL 530.9K
13.39%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.3K MDL 431.3K
$28.6K MDL 507.6K
-15.04%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dubasari
Chisinau
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$224 MDL 3,982
$244 MDL 4,334
-8.13%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$7.97 MDL 142
$9.37 MDL 166
-14.94%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$11.29 MDL 201
$10.56 MDL 187
6.91%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Dubasari
Chisinau
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$11.30 MDL 201
$42.29 MDL 751
-73.28%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$20.91 MDL 371
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.57 MDL 135
$8.21 MDL 146
-7.80%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Dubasari
Chisinau
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$112 MDL 1,981
$436 MDL 7,737
-74.40%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,164 MDL 91.7K
$5,764 MDL 102.4K
-10.41%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Dubasari
Chisinau
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$44.34 MDL 787
$78.4 MDL 1,392
-43.44%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
-
$47.66 MDL 846
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$56.6 MDL 1,005
$113 MDL 1,998
-49.70%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$50.8 MDL 902
$114 MDL 2,031
-55.60%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Dubasari
Chisinau
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$677 MDL 12.0K
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$430 MDL 7,640
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,249 MDL 22.2K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$831 MDL 14.8K
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$2,607 MDL 46.3K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,981 MDL 35.2K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Dubasari
Chisinau
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$880 MDL 15.6K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8
9.1
-12.09%

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

Last update for Dubasari: October 19, 2026

Last update for Chisinau: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dubasari
$243
Chisinau
$264 8.4% $21
Groceries & Markets
Dubasari
$162
Chisinau
$192 18.1% $29
Eating Out
Dubasari
$139
Chisinau
$165 19.2% $27
Clothing & Footwear
Dubasari
$68 *
Chisinau
$159 133% $91
Sport & Entertainment
Dubasari
$26
Chisinau
$59 122% $32
Getting Around
Dubasari
$4.1 *
Chisinau
$19 366% $15
Accommodation & Living
Dubasari
- *
Chisinau
$430

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Dubasari versus $50.0 in Chisinau. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $162 vs $192 – making Dubasari the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇩 Dubasari
🇲🇩 Chisinau
🕒 Local time
16:19 4:19 PM
16:19 4:19 PM
Same time as Dubasari
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
23,254
750,000 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MDL – Moldovan Leu Converter

Moldovan Leu exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 17.76 MDL (100 MDL = 5.63 USD). 1 EUR = 19.97 MDL (100 MDL = 5.01 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Dubasari Chisinau 37 km
From you
  • Dubasari
  • Chisinau

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
Dubasari vs Chisinau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Chisinau cheaper than Dubasari?
Yes – Chisinau is pricier by about 100%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $965 per month in Dubasari and $1,932 in Chisinau. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
What are total monthly expenses in Dubasari and in Chisinau?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $643 in Dubasari and $1,288 in Chisinau. That's a gap of about 100%.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $112 per month in Dubasari and $436 in Chisinau. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Dubasari or in Chisinau?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Dubasari, where all-in costs run around $643, than in Chisinau at $1,288. In Dubasari it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chisinau it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Dubasari or Chisinau more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Dubasari – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Dubasari or Chisinau?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Dubasari. 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.

Dubasari vs other spots: cost of living compared

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