Cost of Living Comparison Between Leova and Cricova Cost of Living Comparison Between Leova and Cricova

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,355 in Leova versus $1,054 in Cricova.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,116 in Leova versus $1,880 in Cricova.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Leova versus $2,706 in Cricova.

Living in Leova is roughly 29% more expensive than in Cricova, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Leova is 1% above, Cricova is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.65 MDL 189

$8.51 MDL 151

25.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.19 MDL 607

$28.14 MDL 500

21.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.46 MDL 168

$10.52 MDL 187

-10.08%

Cappuccino

$0.86 MDL 15.30

$1.04 MDL 18.48

-17.31%

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

$0.49 MDL 8.79

$1.09 MDL 19.34

-55.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 MDL 6.85

$0.67 MDL 11.82

-41.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.62 MDL 46.45

$2.03 MDL 36.14

29.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 MDL 48.69

$2.24 MDL 39.75

22.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 MDL 30.98

$2.34 MDL 41.59

-25.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 MDL 27.50

$0.50 MDL 8.84

210.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 MDL 23.81

$1.10 MDL 19.55

21.82%

Eggs

$1.33 MDL 23.64

$1.25 MDL 22.27

6.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.92 MDL 247

$6.62 MDL 118

110.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.28 MDL 40.48

$4.66 MDL 82.7

-51.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.02 MDL 71.4

$12.19 MDL 216

-67.02%

Apples (1kg)

$1.36 MDL 24.22

$1.08 MDL 19.26

25.93%

Banana (1kg)

$0.88 MDL 15.64

$0.81 MDL 14.43

8.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.98 MDL 17.42

$1.05 MDL 18.59

-6.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.11 MDL 19.72

$1.10 MDL 19.46

0.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.50 MDL 26.71

$0.73 MDL 12.93

105.48%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 MDL 10.52

$1.05 MDL 18.62

-43.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.44 MDL 7.76

$1.05 MDL 18.61

-58.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 MDL 17.61

$1.08 MDL 19.27

-8.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.74 MDL 84.1

$3.40 MDL 60.4

39.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.20 MDL 270

$4.46 MDL 79.2

240.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 MDL 20.55

$2.55 MDL 45.26

-54.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 MDL 47.99

$4.30 MDL 76.5

-37.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 MDL 7.33

$0.56 MDL 9.92

-26.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.96 MDL 514

$22.18 MDL 394

30.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.79 MDL 49.48

$1.10 MDL 19.49

153.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.55 MDL 9.70

$0.24 MDL 4.22

129.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.38 MDL 60.0

$6.94 MDL 123

-51.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 MDL 24.39

$1.37 MDL 24.41

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

$33.7K MDL 598.0K

$29.8K MDL 528.9K

13.06%

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

$35.4K MDL 628.1K

$24.0K MDL 426.5K

47.26%

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

$189 MDL 3,365

$239 MDL 4,239

-20.62%

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

$5.80 MDL 103

$7.95 MDL 141

-27.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.20 MDL 377

$11.17 MDL 198

89.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$83.8 MDL 1,488

$56.7 MDL 1,007

47.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.12 MDL 198

$11.26 MDL 200

-1.24%

Cinema Ticket

$4.66 MDL 82.7

$7.79 MDL 138

-40.18%

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

$112 MDL 1,997

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,258 MDL 93.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.3 MDL 1,515

$56.6 MDL 1,006

50.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 MDL 983

$28.69 MDL 510

92.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.9 MDL 1,739

$83.2 MDL 1,477

17.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 MDL 2,042

$113 MDL 2,014

1.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$654 MDL 11.6K

$918 MDL 16.3K

-28.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$545 MDL 9,672

$223 MDL 3,957

144.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 MDL 26.8K

$1,407 MDL 25.0K

7.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,102 MDL 19.6K

$1,117 MDL 19.8K

-1.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,533 MDL 45.0K

$2,798 MDL 49.7K

-9.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,920 MDL 34.1K

$1,976 MDL 35.1K

-2.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$653 MDL 11.6K

$581 MDL 10.3K

12.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.19

2.71%

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

Last update for Leova: October 4, 2026

Last update for Cricova: October 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $654 in Leova and $918 in Cricova. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Leova pays 12% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $34.00 in Leova vs $28.00 in Cricova for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $191 vs $189 per month, with Cricova cheaper across the board.

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 Cricova: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Leova and Cricova differ by about 29% in total monthly costs ($1,355 vs $1,054 including rent). Cricova is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 12% higher in Leova, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $654 in Leova versus $918 in Cricova. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Leova. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,355 per month in Leova versus $1,054 in Cricova – a 29% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,054 in Cricova versus $1,355 in Leova, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Cricova but tight or insufficient in Leova. The gap between the two cities makes Cricova the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Cricova gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Leova. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.