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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,161 per month in Leova vs $1,006 in Balti, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,992 per month in Leova vs $1,265 in Balti, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,823 per month in Leova vs $1,524 in Balti, rent included.

Leova costs about 15% more than Balti, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Leova and Balti are more affordable than the global median – Leova 13% lower, Balti 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.90 MDL 188

$8.35 MDL 144

30.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.31 MDL 609

$37.00 MDL 638

-4.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.76 MDL 168

$7.54 MDL 130

29.44%

Cappuccino

$0.86 MDL 14.76

$1.60 MDL 27.66

-46.25%

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

$0.52 MDL 8.94

$0.91 MDL 15.68

-42.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.42 MDL 7.29

$0.65 MDL 11.18

-35.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.70 MDL 46.62

$1.73 MDL 29.84

56.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 MDL 48.25

$2.18 MDL 37.57

28.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 MDL 30.83

$1.23 MDL 21.28

45.53%

White Bread (500g)

$0.60 MDL 10.37

$0.43 MDL 7.42

39.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.37 MDL 23.64

$1.51 MDL 26.05

-9.27%

Eggs

$1.42 MDL 24.55

$1.58 MDL 27.23

-10.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.90 MDL 257

$9.61 MDL 166

55.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.37 MDL 40.95

$4.44 MDL 76.5

-46.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.10 MDL 70.7

$8.75 MDL 151

-53.14%

Apples (1kg)

$1.41 MDL 24.29

$0.91 MDL 15.71

54.95%

Banana (1kg)

$0.87 MDL 14.96

$1.82 MDL 31.44

-52.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.98 MDL 16.90

$1.52 MDL 26.26

-35.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 MDL 19.70

$2.07 MDL 35.69

-44.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 MDL 27.47

$0.69 MDL 11.90

130.43%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 MDL 10.25

$0.60 MDL 10.28

-1.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.48 MDL 8.30

$1.30 MDL 22.50

-63.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 MDL 17.66

$0.89 MDL 15.36

14.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.66 MDL 80.4

$3.31 MDL 57.2

40.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.31 MDL 264

$4.75 MDL 81.9

222.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 MDL 19.83

$1.26 MDL 21.81

-8.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 MDL 47.15

$1.90 MDL 32.76

43.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.42 MDL 7.31

$0.37 MDL 6.34

13.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.05 MDL 501

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.94 MDL 50.7

$2.01 MDL 34.60

46.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MDL 9.70

$0.27 MDL 4.69

107.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.41 MDL 58.8

$5.20 MDL 89.7

-34.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 MDL 24.45

$1.36 MDL 23.45

4.41%

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

$35.5K MDL 612.5K

$32.1K MDL 554.4K

10.48%

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

$36.6K MDL 631.8K

$30.8K MDL 531.3K

18.93%

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

$198 MDL 3,416

$172 MDL 2,973

14.89%

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

$5.76 MDL 99.4

$4.60 MDL 79.3

25.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.25 MDL 367

$10.70 MDL 185

98.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.52 MDL 613

$40.27 MDL 695

-11.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.59 MDL 200

Cinema Ticket

$4.64 MDL 80.1

$4.71 MDL 81.2

-1.49%

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

$117 MDL 2,026

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,367 MDL 92.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 MDL 1,489

$67.0 MDL 1,155

28.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.1 MDL 1,019

$54.1 MDL 934

9.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.1 MDL 1,710

$114 MDL 1,962

-12.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 MDL 2,004

$124 MDL 2,143

-6.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$860 MDL 14.8K

$411 MDL 7,096

109.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$366 MDL 6,320

$293 MDL 5,054

25.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,572 MDL 27.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 MDL 19.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,504 MDL 43.2K

$1,458 MDL 25.1K

71.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,008 MDL 34.6K

$1,025 MDL 17.7K

95.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$662 MDL 11.4K

$432 MDL 7,452

53.28%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Balti: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $860 in Leova versus $411 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 53% 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 $37.00 in Balti. Groceries tell a different story – $188 in Leova vs $177 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: $1,161 in Leova, $1,006 in Balti – roughly 15% apart. Leova costs more across the board, with Getting Around showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,741 per month in Leova and $1,509 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 $37.00 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 $1,161 in Leova and $1,006 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 $1,006, than in Leova at $1,161. 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.