Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Chisinau Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Chisinau

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $985 per month in Lima vs $1,231 in Chisinau, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,537 per month in Lima vs $1,813 in Chisinau, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,089 per month in Lima vs $2,394 in Chisinau, rent included.

Lima is about 20% cheaper than Chisinau, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Lima and Chisinau are more affordable than the global median – Lima 27% lower, Chisinau 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.11 PEN 13.98

$8.53 MDL 146

-51.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.93 PEN 112

$37.11 MDL 637

-11.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.00 PEN 23.81

$7.53 MDL 129

-7.04%

Cappuccino

$2.54 PEN 8.64

$1.87 MDL 32.18

35.83%

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

$0.92 PEN 3.14

$0.99 MDL 17.01

-7.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.61 PEN 2.06

$0.70 MDL 12.00

-12.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.24 PEN 7.62

$1.74 MDL 29.85

28.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.84 PEN 13.08

$2.29 MDL 39.37

67.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 PEN 4.79

$1.29 MDL 22.14

9.30%

White Bread (500g)

$2.73 PEN 9.30

$0.52 MDL 8.97

425.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.30 PEN 4.44

$1.46 MDL 25.00

-10.96%

Eggs

$2.96 PEN 10.07

$2.62 MDL 44.94

12.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.97 PEN 27.12

$10.22 MDL 175

-22.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.67 PEN 19.31

$5.35 MDL 91.9

5.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.58 PEN 36.01

$8.69 MDL 149

21.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.02 PEN 6.88

$0.84 MDL 14.38

140.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 PEN 3.66

$1.82 MDL 31.25

-41.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.13 PEN 3.86

$1.78 MDL 30.49

-36.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.25 PEN 4.26

$2.17 MDL 37.23

-42.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 PEN 3.52

$0.81 MDL 13.91

27.16%

Onion (1kg)

$0.96 PEN 3.25

$0.54 MDL 9.30

77.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 PEN 2.96

$1.30 MDL 22.37

-33.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 PEN 3.00

$0.90 MDL 15.46

-2.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 PEN 18.58

$3.28 MDL 56.3

66.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.98 PEN 30.55

$4.73 MDL 81.3

89.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 PEN 5.96

$1.21 MDL 20.81

44.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 PEN 10.48

$1.91 MDL 32.79

61.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 PEN 2.26

$0.33 MDL 5.74

103.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.61 PEN 104

$13.47 MDL 231

127.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.38 PEN 11.51

$2.07 MDL 35.57

63.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.21 PEN 7.53

$0.25 MDL 4.29

784.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.22 PEN 27.97

$5.33 MDL 91.6

54.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 PEN 4.60

$1.44 MDL 24.73

-6.25%

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

$19.3K PEN 65.7K

$32.7K MDL 561.3K

-40.91%

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

$24.3K PEN 82.7K

$31.5K MDL 540.1K

-22.71%

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

$56.7 PEN 193

$174 MDL 2,988

-67.41%

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

$12.64 PEN 43.01

$7.38 MDL 127

71.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.00 PEN 81.7

$10.98 MDL 189

118.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.10 PEN 102

$43.14 MDL 741

-30.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.95 PEN 64.5

$22.18 MDL 381

-14.56%

Cinema Ticket

$6.74 PEN 22.92

$7.63 MDL 131

-11.66%

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

$218 PEN 740

$388 MDL 6,655

-43.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,895 PEN 26.9K

$7,708 MDL 132.3K

2.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.95 PEN 170

$65.4 MDL 1,122

-23.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.59 PEN 125

$54.3 MDL 933

-32.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.7 PEN 305

$111 MDL 1,909

-19.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.1 PEN 300

$120 MDL 2,069

-26.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$606 PEN 2,063

$668 MDL 11.5K

-9.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$350 PEN 1,190

$468 MDL 8,039

-25.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,036 PEN 3,525

$1,243 MDL 21.3K

-16.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$628 PEN 2,136

$798 MDL 13.7K

-21.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,367 PEN 8,056

$2,649 MDL 45.5K

-10.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,434 PEN 4,881

$1,901 MDL 32.6K

-24.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$626 PEN 2,131

$864 MDL 14.8K

-27.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.11

9.24

9.42%

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

Last update for Lima: June 1, 2026

Last update for Chisinau: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $606 in Lima 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 38% 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 $33.00 in Lima versus $37.00 in Chisinau. Groceries tell a different story – $222 in Lima vs $190 in Chisinau – so Chisinau 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

Lima vs Chisinau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Chisinau is pricier by about 25%, and the gap shows up most in Clothing & Footwear. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,477 per month in Lima 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 Lima, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 17% cheaper in Chisinau – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Lima and $37.00 in Chisinau. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Lima, where all-in costs run around $985, than in Chisinau at $1,231. In Lima it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chisinau it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Lima – 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 Lima. 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.