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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,393 per month in Leova vs $1,346 in Chisinau, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,132 per month in Leova vs $2,052 in Chisinau, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,871 per month in Leova vs $2,758 in Chisinau, rent included.

Leova costs about 4% more than Chisinau, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Leova sits 1% above the global median, while Chisinau is 2% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.58 MDL 182

$11.69 MDL 201

-9.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.32 MDL 606

$51.6 MDL 885

-31.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.62 MDL 165

$8.58 MDL 147

12.12%

Cappuccino

$0.90 MDL 15.39

$2.23 MDL 38.26

-59.64%

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

$0.55 MDL 9.51

$1.25 MDL 21.51

-56.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.42 MDL 7.22

$0.89 MDL 15.21

-52.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.69 MDL 46.13

$2.29 MDL 39.22

17.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 MDL 47.27

$1.97 MDL 33.83

39.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 MDL 29.32

$1.30 MDL 22.25

31.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 MDL 26.74

$0.72 MDL 12.35

116.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.41 MDL 24.24

$1.49 MDL 25.63

-5.37%

Eggs

$1.38 MDL 23.70

$2.97 MDL 50.9

-53.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.50 MDL 249

$10.16 MDL 174

42.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.28 MDL 39.11

$5.28 MDL 90.6

-56.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.29 MDL 73.6

$8.78 MDL 151

-51.14%

Apples (1kg)

$1.40 MDL 23.94

$0.97 MDL 16.69

44.33%

Banana (1kg)

$0.90 MDL 15.37

$1.90 MDL 32.68

-52.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.03 MDL 17.70

$2.05 MDL 35.22

-49.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.15 MDL 19.82

$2.21 MDL 38.00

-47.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 MDL 26.70

$0.68 MDL 11.71

129.41%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 MDL 10.18

$0.57 MDL 9.70

3.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.45 MDL 7.66

$1.46 MDL 24.97

-69.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 MDL 18.20

$0.93 MDL 16.03

13.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.81 MDL 82.5

$3.57 MDL 61.2

34.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.60 MDL 268

$5.03 MDL 86.4

210.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MDL 20.27

$1.27 MDL 21.74

-7.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 MDL 46.33

$1.94 MDL 33.36

39.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 MDL 6.85

$0.39 MDL 6.74

2.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.90 MDL 513

$13.83 MDL 237

116.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.98 MDL 51.1

$2.36 MDL 40.54

26.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MDL 9.59

$0.37 MDL 6.31

51.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 MDL 60.7

$5.07 MDL 87.1

-30.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 MDL 24.61

$1.71 MDL 29.27

-16.37%

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

$35.1K MDL 602.3K

$29.9K MDL 513.3K

17.35%

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

$36.4K MDL 624.1K

$30.5K MDL 523.0K

19.32%

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

$199 MDL 3,418

$254 MDL 4,365

-21.70%

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

$5.90 MDL 101

$9.44 MDL 162

-37.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.89 MDL 376

$10.75 MDL 185

103.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$89.1 MDL 1,528

$42.83 MDL 735

107.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.90 MDL 204

$21.23 MDL 364

-43.95%

Cinema Ticket

$4.77 MDL 81.8

$8.60 MDL 148

-44.53%

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

$445 MDL 7,633

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,089 MDL 104.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.8 MDL 1,524

$78.4 MDL 1,345

13.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 MDL 978

$47.80 MDL 820

19.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.7 MDL 1,710

$119 MDL 2,050

-16.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 MDL 1,971

$113 MDL 1,945

1.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$650 MDL 11.2K

$711 MDL 12.2K

-8.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$550 MDL 9,441

$455 MDL 7,815

20.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,560 MDL 26.8K

$1,258 MDL 21.6K

23.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 MDL 19.7K

$821 MDL 14.1K

39.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,564 MDL 44.0K

$2,781 MDL 47.7K

-7.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,015 MDL 34.6K

$1,997 MDL 34.3K

0.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$661 MDL 11.3K

$922 MDL 15.8K

-28.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.19

9.41

-23.59%

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

Last update for Leova: September 6, 2026

Last update for Chisinau: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $650 in Leova versus $711 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 39% higher in Chisinau, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Leova versus $52.0 in Chisinau. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $197 vs $197 – 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 – Leova is pricier by about 4%, and the gap shows up most in Sport & Entertainment. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,090 per month in Leova and $2,019 in Chisinau. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chisinau, 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 $1,393 in Leova and $1,346 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 $52.0 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 Chisinau, where all-in costs run around $1,346, than in Leova at $1,393. In Chisinau it covers expenses comfortably, while in Leova it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Chisinau – 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 Chisinau. 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.