Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ialoveni and Leova

For one person, living is cheaper in Ialoveni: $807 a month against $1,364 in Leova, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in Ialoveni
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Ialoveni Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Leova
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Leova Living Index

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Ialoveni

🇲🇩 Moldova

$807

/mo nomad

Leova

🇲🇩 Moldova

$1,364

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ialoveni and in Leova

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $807 in Ialoveni versus $1,364 in Leova.

Ialoveni $807
Leova $1,364

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,299 in Ialoveni versus $2,068 in Leova.

Ialoveni $1,299
Leova $2,068

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,791 in Ialoveni versus $2,772 in Leova.

Ialoveni $1,791
Leova $2,772

Living in Ialoveni costs roughly 41% less than in Leova, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ialoveni is 40% below, Leova is 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.61 MDL 153

$10.40 MDL 185

-17.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.18 MDL 518

$33.29 MDL 591

-12.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MDL 187

$9.10 MDL 162

15.49%

Cappuccino

$2.10 MDL 37.26

$0.82 MDL 14.50

156.10%

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

$1.18 MDL 20.98

$0.48 MDL 8.58

145.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 MDL 15.39

$0.40 MDL 7.14

117.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.29 MDL 40.75

$2.52 MDL 44.74

-9.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 MDL 38.88

$2.62 MDL 46.57

-16.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 MDL 21.78

$1.71 MDL 30.31

-28.07%

White Bread (500g)

$0.65 MDL 11.51

$1.52 MDL 27.05

-57.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.64 MDL 11.44

$1.32 MDL 23.43

-51.52%

Eggs

$2.72 MDL 48.30

$1.36 MDL 24.21

100.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.54 MDL 116

$13.92 MDL 247

-53.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.32 MDL 94.5

$2.20 MDL 39.03

141.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.80 MDL 85.2

$4.09 MDL 72.6

17.36%

Apples (1kg)

$0.95 MDL 16.83

$1.28 MDL 22.69

-25.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MDL 34.48

$0.80 MDL 14.20

142.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MDL 37.66

$0.90 MDL 16.07

135.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 MDL 39.97

$1.14 MDL 20.21

97.37%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 MDL 12.62

$1.47 MDL 26.11

-51.70%

Onion (1kg)

$0.55 MDL 9.82

$0.54 MDL 9.55

1.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 MDL 23.18

$0.44 MDL 7.78

195.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 MDL 15.55

$1.04 MDL 18.46

-15.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.43 MDL 60.9

$4.44 MDL 78.8

-22.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.64 MDL 82.4

$14.78 MDL 263

-68.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MDL 21.24

$1.14 MDL 20.22

5.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 MDL 34.76

$2.65 MDL 47.07

-26.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.32 MDL 5.76

$0.37 MDL 6.62

-13.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.84 MDL 122

$28.52 MDL 507

-76.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.22 MDL 39.36

$2.81 MDL 49.98

-21.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 MDL 4.25

$0.59 MDL 10.39

-59.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.88 MDL 86.7

$3.27 MDL 58.2

49.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MDL 27.34

$1.37 MDL 24.31

12.41%

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

$29.3K MDL 520.8K

$33.6K MDL 597.2K

-12.80%

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

$24.2K MDL 429.9K

$34.1K MDL 604.9K

-28.93%

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

$188 MDL 3,346

$186 MDL 3,309

1.14%

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

$9.38 MDL 167

$5.68 MDL 101

65.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.09 MDL 197

$20.79 MDL 369

-46.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.42 MDL 505

$84.7 MDL 1,504

-66.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.38 MDL 202

$11.15 MDL 198

2.06%

Cinema Ticket

$7.37 MDL 131

$4.56 MDL 81.1

61.62%

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

$114 MDL 2,016

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,121 MDL 91.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.54 MDL 809

$84.5 MDL 1,500

-46.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.31 MDL 503

$56.1 MDL 996

-49.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.3 MDL 1,479

$94.7 MDL 1,682

-12.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.4 MDL 1,711

$111 MDL 1,971

-13.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$171 MDL 3,028

$642 MDL 11.4K

-73.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$112 MDL 1,996

$535 MDL 9,507

-79.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$361 MDL 6,414

$1,483 MDL 26.3K

-75.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$367 MDL 6,511

$1,069 MDL 19.0K

-65.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,489 MDL 44.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,928 MDL 34.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$587 MDL 10.4K

$645 MDL 11.5K

-9.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.19

11.27%

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

Last update for Ialoveni: October 19, 2026

Last update for Leova: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ialoveni

$209 25.9%

Leova

$213 15.6% 1.9% $3.9

Groceries & Markets

Ialoveni

$167 20.7%

Leova

$189 13.8% 13% $22

Eating Out

Ialoveni

$150 18.6%

Leova

$142 10.4% 5.3% $8

Clothing & Footwear

Ialoveni

$114 14.1%

Leova

$156 11.4% 36.6% $42

Accommodation & Living

Ialoveni

$112 13.9%

Leova

$535 39.3% 376% $423

Sport & Entertainment

Ialoveni

$43 5.4%

Leova

$94 6.9% 117% $51

Getting Around

Ialoveni

$12 1.4%

Leova

$36 2.6% 210% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $171 in Ialoveni and $642 in Leova. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Leova pays 10% 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: $29.00 in Ialoveni vs $33.00 in Leova for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $167 vs $189 per month, with Ialoveni cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇩 Ialoveni

🇲🇩 Leova

🕒 Local time

13:50 1:50 PM

Same time as Ialoveni

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,300

10,900

💱 Currency

Moldovan Leu MDL L

📈 Exchange rate

100 MDL = 5.63 USD

100 MDL = 5.01 EUR

100 MDL = 5.63 USD

100 MDL = 5.01 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Ialoveni Leova 65 km

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Ialoveni
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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

Ialoveni vs Leova: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ialoveni wins on cost – living expenses run 69% lower than in Leova. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ialoveni the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 10% 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: $171 in Ialoveni versus $642 in Leova. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% higher in Leova. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $807 per month in Ialoveni versus $1,364 in Leova – a 69% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $807 in Ialoveni versus $1,364 in Leova, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ialoveni but tight or insufficient in Leova. The gap between the two cities makes Ialoveni 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.

Safety-wise, Ialoveni and Leova are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Ialoveni gentler on the wallet – expenses run 69% less than in Leova. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.