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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,171 per month in Leova vs $998 in Balti, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,958 per month in Leova vs $1,261 in Balti, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,745 per month in Leova vs $1,523 in Balti, rent included.

Leova costs about 17% more than Balti, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Leova and Balti are more affordable than the global median – Leova 12% lower, Balti 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.80 MDL 188

$8.23 MDL 143

31.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.77 MDL 604

$36.65 MDL 637

-5.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.85 MDL 171

$7.71 MDL 134

27.76%

Cappuccino

$0.84 MDL 14.68

$1.58 MDL 27.44

-46.84%

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

$0.52 MDL 8.96

$0.91 MDL 15.81

-42.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.42 MDL 7.38

$0.65 MDL 11.38

-35.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.62 MDL 45.55

$1.76 MDL 30.65

48.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 MDL 50.3

$2.24 MDL 38.97

29.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 MDL 30.19

$1.28 MDL 22.23

35.94%

White Bread (500g)

$0.57 MDL 9.82

$0.42 MDL 7.32

35.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 MDL 23.95

$1.47 MDL 25.47

-6.12%

Eggs

$1.37 MDL 23.87

$1.56 MDL 27.15

-12.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.54 MDL 253

$9.23 MDL 160

57.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.36 MDL 41.04

$4.55 MDL 79.0

-48.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.10 MDL 71.2

$8.88 MDL 154

-53.83%

Apples (1kg)

$1.39 MDL 24.12

$0.90 MDL 15.69

54.44%

Banana (1kg)

$0.89 MDL 15.47

$1.75 MDL 30.48

-49.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.01 MDL 17.56

$1.49 MDL 25.96

-32.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.16 MDL 20.11

$2.07 MDL 36.00

-43.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.62 MDL 28.19

$0.75 MDL 13.07

116.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.57 MDL 9.87

$0.59 MDL 10.29

-3.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.45 MDL 7.91

$1.29 MDL 22.45

-65.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MDL 17.99

$0.90 MDL 15.64

15.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.68 MDL 81.3

$3.24 MDL 56.4

44.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.27 MDL 265

$4.45 MDL 77.4

243.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MDL 20.51

$1.20 MDL 20.91

-1.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 MDL 48.80

$2.00 MDL 34.69

40.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 MDL 6.89

$0.36 MDL 6.33

11.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.04 MDL 505

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.98 MDL 51.9

$2.02 MDL 35.19

47.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MDL 9.21

$0.25 MDL 4.33

112.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.50 MDL 60.8

$5.15 MDL 89.5

-32.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 MDL 26.06

$1.32 MDL 23.01

13.64%

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

$34.8K MDL 605.6K

$32.6K MDL 567.2K

6.78%

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

$35.9K MDL 624.6K

$31.4K MDL 545.8K

14.43%

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

$197 MDL 3,416

$176 MDL 3,051

11.95%

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

$5.72 MDL 99.4

$4.76 MDL 82.8

20.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.71 MDL 377

$10.59 MDL 184

105.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.74 MDL 621

$41.33 MDL 718

-13.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.73 MDL 204

Cinema Ticket

$4.56 MDL 79.2

$4.78 MDL 83.1

-4.60%

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

$119 MDL 2,070

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,474 MDL 95.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.9 MDL 1,511

$65.9 MDL 1,145

31.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 MDL 1,031

$53.4 MDL 928

11.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 MDL 1,739

$114 MDL 1,981

-12.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 MDL 2,061

$121 MDL 2,094

-1.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$876 MDL 15.2K

$405 MDL 7,036

116.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$360 MDL 6,259

$297 MDL 5,164

21.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,548 MDL 26.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,138 MDL 19.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,554 MDL 44.4K

$1,431 MDL 24.9K

78.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,972 MDL 34.3K

$992 MDL 17.2K

98.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MDL 11.6K

$618 MDL 10.7K

7.91%

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: July 25, 2026

Last update for Balti: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $876 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 8% 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 – $186 in Leova vs $176 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: $1,171 in Leova, $998 in Balti – roughly 17% apart. Leova costs more across the board, with Getting Around showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,757 per month in Leova and $1,497 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 $1,171 in Leova and $998 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 $998, than in Leova at $1,171. 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.