Cost of Living Comparison Between Leova and Chisinau Cost of Living Comparison Between Leova and Chisinau

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,165 per month in Leova vs $1,231 in Chisinau, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,989 per month in Leova vs $1,813 in Chisinau, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,813 per month in Leova vs $2,394 in Chisinau, rent included.

Leova is about 5% cheaper than Chisinau, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Leova and Chisinau are more affordable than the global median – Leova 13% lower, Chisinau 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.83 MDL 186

$8.53 MDL 147

26.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.13 MDL 604

$37.11 MDL 638

-5.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.51 MDL 163

$7.53 MDL 130

26.29%

Cappuccino

$0.85 MDL 14.67

$1.87 MDL 32.22

-54.55%

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

$0.54 MDL 9.30

$0.99 MDL 17.03

-45.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 MDL 6.72

$0.70 MDL 12.01

-44.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.70 MDL 46.48

$1.74 MDL 29.89

55.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 MDL 49.19

$2.29 MDL 39.41

24.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 MDL 30.28

$1.29 MDL 22.16

36.43%

White Bread (500g)

$0.57 MDL 9.78

$0.52 MDL 8.98

9.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.37 MDL 23.59

$1.46 MDL 25.03

-6.16%

Eggs

$1.42 MDL 24.47

$2.62 MDL 44.99

-45.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.71 MDL 253

$10.22 MDL 176

43.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.32 MDL 39.88

$5.35 MDL 92.0

-56.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.16 MDL 71.5

$8.69 MDL 149

-52.13%

Apples (1kg)

$1.41 MDL 24.21

$0.84 MDL 14.40

67.86%

Banana (1kg)

$0.91 MDL 15.66

$1.82 MDL 31.29

-50.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.95 MDL 16.37

$1.78 MDL 30.52

-46.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.19 MDL 20.39

$2.17 MDL 37.27

-45.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 MDL 26.37

$0.81 MDL 13.93

88.89%

Onion (1kg)

$0.56 MDL 9.60

$0.54 MDL 9.31

3.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.45 MDL 7.73

$1.30 MDL 22.40

-65.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MDL 18.49

$0.90 MDL 15.47

20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.76 MDL 81.8

$3.28 MDL 56.4

45.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.26 MDL 262

$4.73 MDL 81.4

222.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 MDL 19.65

$1.21 MDL 20.84

-5.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 MDL 46.90

$1.91 MDL 32.83

42.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MDL 6.76

$0.33 MDL 5.75

18.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.55 MDL 508

$13.47 MDL 232

119.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.85 MDL 48.99

$2.07 MDL 35.61

37.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 MDL 8.88

$0.25 MDL 4.29

108.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.55 MDL 61.0

$5.33 MDL 91.7

-33.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 MDL 24.58

$1.44 MDL 24.76

-0.69%

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

$35.6K MDL 612.5K

$32.7K MDL 561.9K

9.00%

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

$36.8K MDL 632.1K

$31.5K MDL 540.7K

16.89%

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

$193 MDL 3,320

$174 MDL 2,991

11.00%

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

$5.74 MDL 98.7

$7.38 MDL 127

-22.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.59 MDL 371

$10.98 MDL 189

96.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.70 MDL 597

$43.14 MDL 742

-19.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.91 MDL 205

$22.18 MDL 381

-46.30%

Cinema Ticket

$4.70 MDL 80.8

$7.63 MDL 131

-38.40%

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

$388 MDL 6,663

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,708 MDL 132.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.8 MDL 1,492

$65.4 MDL 1,123

32.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.9 MDL 1,012

$54.3 MDL 934

8.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 MDL 1,732

$111 MDL 1,911

-9.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 MDL 1,978

$120 MDL 2,071

-4.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$863 MDL 14.8K

$668 MDL 11.5K

29.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$363 MDL 6,234

$468 MDL 8,048

-22.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,585 MDL 27.2K

$1,243 MDL 21.4K

27.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,146 MDL 19.7K

$798 MDL 13.7K

43.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,500 MDL 43.0K

$2,649 MDL 45.5K

-5.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,015 MDL 34.6K

$1,901 MDL 32.7K

6.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$668 MDL 11.5K

$864 MDL 14.9K

-22.68%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Chisinau: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $863 in Leova versus $668 in Chisinau. 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 29% higher in Chisinau, 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 Chisinau. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $187 vs $190 – making Leova the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Chisinau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Chisinau is pricier by about 6%, and the gap shows up most in Getting Around. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,748 per month in Leova and $1,846 in Chisinau. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,165 in Leova and $1,231 in Chisinau. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Leova and $37.00 in Chisinau. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Leova, where all-in costs run around $1,165, than in Chisinau at $1,231. In Leova it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chisinau it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

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