Cost of Living Comparison Between Italy and Moldova Cost of Living Comparison Between Italy and Moldova

Name: Moldova
Address: MD

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,796 in Italy versus $740 in Moldova.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,739 in Italy versus $1,144 in Moldova.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,682 in Italy versus $1,547 in Moldova.

Living in Italy is roughly 143% more expensive than in Moldova on average.

Italy (30% above) and Moldova (46% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in Italy: monthly costs span $1,152 to $2,626, compared to $368–$1,393 in Moldova. City choice carries more weight in Italy.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.24 €18.31

$9.73 MDL 167

118.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.8 €69.7

$34.95 MDL 600

131.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 €9.84

$8.45 MDL 145

35.03%

Cappuccino

$2.08 €1.79

$1.92 MDL 32.89

8.33%

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

$3.05 €2.63

$1.06 MDL 18.15

187.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$0.70 MDL 11.95

97.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.79 €4.99

$2.01 MDL 34.41

188.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 €4.96

$2.08 MDL 35.74

176.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.26 MDL 21.55

34.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.41 €2.08

$0.66 MDL 11.24

265.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.01 €2.59

$1.38 MDL 23.74

118.12%

Eggs

$4.32 €3.72

$2.68 MDL 46.02

61.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.93 €15.45

$9.51 MDL 163

88.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.67 €10.92

$5.14 MDL 88.2

146.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.57 €17.73

$8.38 MDL 144

145.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.62 €2.26

$0.98 MDL 16.86

167.35%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 €1.85

$1.91 MDL 32.84

12.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.80 €2.41

$2.02 MDL 34.64

38.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.32 €2.87

$2.09 MDL 35.83

58.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 €1.81

$0.79 MDL 13.59

165.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 €1.63

$0.59 MDL 10.09

220.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.33

$1.43 MDL 24.50

8.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 €0.48

$0.90 MDL 15.44

-37.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.16 €6.17

$3.61 MDL 62.0

98.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.35 €6.33

$4.60 MDL 78.9

59.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 €1.55

$1.25 MDL 21.50

44.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.07

$1.93 MDL 33.20

24.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.93 €1.66

$0.40 MDL 6.82

382.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.24 €39.00

$14.32 MDL 246

215.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.74 €4.95

$2.27 MDL 38.92

152.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 €1.47

$0.34 MDL 5.77

400.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.25 €30.38

$5.30 MDL 90.9

565.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.04 €1.76

$1.63 MDL 28.02

25.15%

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

$37.5K €32.3K

$29.9K MDL 513.8K

25.28%

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

$37.1K €31.9K

$29.2K MDL 501.9K

26.71%

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

$231 €199

$228 MDL 3,913

1.28%

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

$12.34 €10.64

$9.75 MDL 167

26.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.17 €26.87

$11.31 MDL 194

175.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.2 €47.62

$40.01 MDL 687

38.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.91 €21.47

$18.21 MDL 313

36.79%

Cinema Ticket

$11.13 €9.59

$8.66 MDL 149

28.52%

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

$568 €490

$402 MDL 6,891

41.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K €10.8K

$5,719 MDL 98.1K

119.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.0 €80.1

$70.2 MDL 1,205

32.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.82 €34.32

$42.74 MDL 733

-6.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €89.8

$111 MDL 1,905

-6.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 €116

$113 MDL 1,933

19.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$852 €734

$580 MDL 9,950

46.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$645 €556

$372 MDL 6,378

73.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,449 €1,249

$1,089 MDL 18.7K

33.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,084 €935

$749 MDL 12.8K

44.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,813 €3,287

$2,524 MDL 43.3K

51.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,357 €2,032

$1,846 MDL 31.7K

27.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,933 €1,666

$816 MDL 14.0K

136.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.57

8.93

-60.02%

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

Last update for Italy: September 5, 2026

Last update for Moldova: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $755 in Italy, $231 in Moldova. Capital cities: $1,247 in Rome vs $711 in Chisinau.

National salary averages: $1,964 in Italy, $565 in Moldova. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 227% higher in Italy.

Dining out costs 181% more in Italy.

Public transport is 617% more expensive in Italy.

Salaries are 248% higher in Italy, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Italy.

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

Italy vs Moldova: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,889 per month in Italy and $881 in Moldova, there's a 115% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in Moldova: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Italy is consistently higher than in Moldova across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Moldova, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in Italy it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: Moldova wins on affordability; Italy may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.