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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,159 per month in Leova vs $1,217 in Chisinau, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,954 per month in Leova vs $1,808 in Chisinau, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,749 per month in Leova vs $2,399 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 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.80 MDL 188

$8.89 MDL 155

21.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.04 MDL 610

$36.83 MDL 641

-4.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.81 MDL 171

$7.38 MDL 129

32.93%

Cappuccino

$0.92 MDL 15.97

$1.89 MDL 32.91

-51.32%

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

$0.54 MDL 9.47

$0.92 MDL 16.08

-41.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 MDL 6.83

$0.70 MDL 12.14

-44.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.69 MDL 46.90

$1.79 MDL 31.13

50.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 MDL 49.31

$2.33 MDL 40.48

21.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 MDL 30.14

$1.28 MDL 22.21

35.16%

White Bread (500g)

$0.56 MDL 9.73

$0.56 MDL 9.79

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.36 MDL 23.72

$1.49 MDL 26.00

-8.72%

Eggs

$1.36 MDL 23.66

$2.61 MDL 45.51

-47.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.58 MDL 254

$10.51 MDL 183

38.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.39 MDL 41.62

$5.36 MDL 93.3

-55.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.28 MDL 74.5

$8.89 MDL 155

-51.86%

Apples (1kg)

$1.41 MDL 24.54

$0.85 MDL 14.79

65.88%

Banana (1kg)

$0.84 MDL 14.71

$1.81 MDL 31.57

-53.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.95 MDL 16.63

$1.77 MDL 30.81

-46.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.20 MDL 20.94

$2.15 MDL 37.42

-44.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 MDL 27.76

$0.78 MDL 13.56

103.85%

Onion (1kg)

$0.60 MDL 10.46

$0.59 MDL 10.31

1.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.49 MDL 8.59

$1.34 MDL 23.34

-63.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 MDL 17.85

$0.90 MDL 15.63

14.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.63 MDL 80.6

$3.28 MDL 57.0

41.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.44 MDL 269

$4.59 MDL 80.0

236.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MDL 20.82

$1.21 MDL 21.12

-0.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 MDL 47.61

$1.99 MDL 34.57

37.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MDL 6.83

$0.36 MDL 6.29

8.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.44 MDL 513

$13.82 MDL 241

113.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.94 MDL 51.2

$2.10 MDL 36.50

40.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 MDL 9.09

$0.27 MDL 4.70

92.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.47 MDL 60.5

$5.17 MDL 90.0

-32.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MDL 24.99

$1.38 MDL 24.06

4.35%

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

$35.5K MDL 618.3K

$31.9K MDL 555.7K

11.27%

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

$36.5K MDL 634.6K

$31.5K MDL 548.8K

15.65%

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

$196 MDL 3,407

$170 MDL 2,954

15.35%

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

$6.00 MDL 105

$7.34 MDL 128

-18.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.72 MDL 378

$10.78 MDL 188

101.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.36 MDL 616

$43.85 MDL 763

-19.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.72 MDL 204

$21.97 MDL 383

-46.65%

Cinema Ticket

$4.54 MDL 79.1

$7.45 MDL 130

-39.06%

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

$391 MDL 6,800

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,516 MDL 130.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.0 MDL 1,531

$67.0 MDL 1,166

31.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.9 MDL 1,025

$54.2 MDL 943

8.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.2 MDL 1,727

$110 MDL 1,923

-10.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 MDL 2,066

$122 MDL 2,132

-3.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$863 MDL 15.0K

$673 MDL 11.7K

28.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$369 MDL 6,426

$468 MDL 8,146

-21.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,581 MDL 27.5K

$1,243 MDL 21.6K

27.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,131 MDL 19.7K

$822 MDL 14.3K

37.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,526 MDL 44.0K

$2,599 MDL 45.2K

-2.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,999 MDL 34.8K

$1,879 MDL 32.7K

6.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$670 MDL 11.7K

$867 MDL 15.1K

-22.75%

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 11, 2026

Last update for Chisinau: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $863 in Leova versus $673 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 $192 – 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 5%, 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 $1,739 per month in Leova and $1,826 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 $1,159 in Leova and $1,217 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 $1,159, than in Chisinau at $1,217. 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.