Cost of Living Comparison Between Leova and Balti Cost of Living Comparison Between Leova and Balti

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,155 per month in Leova vs $995 in Balti, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,969 per month in Leova vs $1,243 in Balti, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,783 per month in Leova vs $1,490 in Balti, rent included.

Leova costs about 16% more than Balti, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Leova and Balti are more affordable than the global median – Leova 14% lower, Balti 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.59 MDL 183

$8.35 MDL 144

26.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.66 MDL 599

$36.34 MDL 628

-4.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.53 MDL 165

$7.48 MDL 129

27.41%

Cappuccino

$0.87 MDL 15.01

$1.64 MDL 28.27

-46.95%

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

$0.51 MDL 8.76

$0.91 MDL 15.77

-43.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.42 MDL 7.28

$0.69 MDL 11.96

-39.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.61 MDL 45.09

$1.80 MDL 31.05

45.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 MDL 48.95

$2.21 MDL 38.16

28.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 MDL 30.99

$1.24 MDL 21.50

44.35%

White Bread (500g)

$0.60 MDL 10.36

$0.39 MDL 6.75

53.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MDL 24.49

$1.50 MDL 25.96

-5.33%

Eggs

$1.37 MDL 23.58

$1.56 MDL 27.02

-12.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.33 MDL 247

$9.11 MDL 157

57.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.41 MDL 41.57

$4.64 MDL 80.1

-48.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.08 MDL 70.5

$8.74 MDL 151

-53.32%

Apples (1kg)

$1.35 MDL 23.32

$0.89 MDL 15.42

51.69%

Banana (1kg)

$0.90 MDL 15.53

$1.83 MDL 31.57

-50.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.95 MDL 16.45

$1.47 MDL 25.37

-35.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.19 MDL 20.52

$2.13 MDL 36.85

-44.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.61 MDL 27.79

$0.70 MDL 12.05

130.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 MDL 10.21

$0.60 MDL 10.29

-1.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.46 MDL 7.87

$1.29 MDL 22.34

-64.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MDL 18.40

$0.84 MDL 14.58

27.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.80 MDL 82.8

$3.24 MDL 55.9

48.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.72 MDL 271

$4.71 MDL 81.4

233.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 MDL 20.01

$1.22 MDL 21.13

-4.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 MDL 48.01

$1.92 MDL 33.22

44.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MDL 6.78

$0.33 MDL 5.77

18.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.96 MDL 517

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.87 MDL 49.50

$2.02 MDL 34.97

42.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.51 MDL 8.87

$0.27 MDL 4.69

88.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.41 MDL 58.9

$5.29 MDL 91.3

-35.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 MDL 25.67

$1.36 MDL 23.47

9.56%

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

$34.4K MDL 594.8K

$31.9K MDL 550.9K

7.97%

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

$35.6K MDL 614.7K

$30.6K MDL 528.8K

16.24%

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

$195 MDL 3,363

$170 MDL 2,931

14.75%

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

$5.81 MDL 100

$4.59 MDL 79.2

26.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.97 MDL 379

$10.74 MDL 185

104.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.40 MDL 611

$40.88 MDL 706

-13.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.48 MDL 198

Cinema Ticket

$4.70 MDL 81.2

$4.64 MDL 80.1

1.29%

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

$118 MDL 2,039

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,548 MDL 95.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 MDL 1,525

$65.4 MDL 1,129

35.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.4 MDL 1,008

$53.5 MDL 924

9.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.8 MDL 1,724

$111 MDL 1,914

-9.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 MDL 2,034

$121 MDL 2,093

-2.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$864 MDL 14.9K

$405 MDL 6,987

113.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 MDL 6,449

$288 MDL 4,978

29.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,548 MDL 26.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,160 MDL 20.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,523 MDL 43.6K

$1,442 MDL 24.9K

74.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,978 MDL 34.2K

$989 MDL 17.1K

100.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 MDL 11.4K

$435 MDL 7,517

52.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.19

9.24

-22.19%

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

Last update for Leova: June 6, 2026

Last update for Balti: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $864 in Leova versus $405 in Balti. 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 52% higher in Leova, 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 $35.00 in Leova versus $36.00 in Balti. Groceries tell a different story – $188 in Leova vs $175 in Balti – so Balti wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Leova vs Balti: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,155 in Leova, $995 in Balti – roughly 16% apart. Leova costs more across the board, with Getting Around showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,733 per month in Leova and $1,492 in Balti. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Balti, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Leova and $36.00 in Balti. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,155 in Leova and $995 in Balti. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Balti, where all-in costs run around $995, than in Leova at $1,155. In Balti it covers expenses comfortably, while in Leova it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Balti – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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.

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