Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Chisinau

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $1,012 a month against $1,285 in Chisinau, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

49

Cost of Living Index in Lima
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Lima Living Index
63

Cost of Living Index in Chisinau
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Chisinau Living Index

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Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$1,012

/mo nomad

Chisinau

🇲🇩 Moldova

$1,285

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lima and in Chisinau

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lima and in Chisinau actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,012 per month in Lima vs $1,285 in Chisinau, rent included.

Lima $1,012
Chisinau $1,285

A couple spends around $1,589 per month in Lima vs $1,984 in Chisinau, rent included.

Lima $1,589
Chisinau $1,984

A family of three spends $2,167 per month in Lima vs $2,684 in Chisinau, rent included.

Lima $2,167
Chisinau $2,684

Lima is about 21% cheaper than Chisinau, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Lima and Chisinau are more affordable than the global median – Lima 25% lower, Chisinau 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 PEN 15.10

$11.32 MDL 201

-61.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.17 PEN 121

$51.0 MDL 906

-31.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.89 PEN 23.65

$8.85 MDL 157

-22.15%

Cappuccino

$3.26 PEN 11.20

$2.11 MDL 37.43

54.50%

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

$1.12 PEN 3.84

$1.19 MDL 21.13

-5.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 PEN 2.11

$0.93 MDL 16.53

-33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 PEN 9.09

$2.25 MDL 40.03

17.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 PEN 15.15

$1.95 MDL 34.61

126.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 PEN 5.61

$1.27 MDL 22.56

28.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.56 PEN 8.78

$0.73 MDL 12.88

250.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 PEN 4.65

$1.39 MDL 24.71

-2.88%

Eggs

$2.90 PEN 9.96

$2.82 MDL 50.1

2.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.85 PEN 30.38

$9.49 MDL 169

-6.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.98 PEN 20.52

$5.07 MDL 90.1

17.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.78 PEN 33.59

$8.65 MDL 154

13.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.05 PEN 7.02

$0.94 MDL 16.72

118.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 PEN 3.66

$1.91 MDL 33.83

-44.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.35 PEN 4.64

$2.11 MDL 37.42

-36.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 PEN 5.15

$2.16 MDL 38.28

-30.56%

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 PEN 3.03

$0.68 MDL 12.07

29.41%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 PEN 3.15

$0.56 MDL 10.00

64.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 PEN 3.07

$1.29 MDL 22.95

-31.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 PEN 3.10

$0.83 MDL 14.76

8.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.90 PEN 20.27

$3.39 MDL 60.2

74.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.52 PEN 29.26

$4.67 MDL 83.0

82.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 PEN 6.45

$1.26 MDL 22.44

49.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 PEN 11.05

$1.96 MDL 34.83

64.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 PEN 2.33

$0.40 MDL 7.16

70.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.86 PEN 92.2

$13.50 MDL 240

98.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.81 PEN 13.09

$2.29 MDL 40.61

66.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.02 PEN 6.93

$0.33 MDL 5.83

512.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.11 PEN 24.41

$5.11 MDL 90.8

39.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.72 PEN 5.91

$1.64 MDL 29.20

4.88%

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

$22.3K PEN 76.6K

$29.5K MDL 524.6K

-24.47%

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

$25.5K PEN 87.6K

$29.7K MDL 527.0K

-14.06%

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

$73.1 PEN 251

$239 MDL 4,245

-69.43%

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

$16.35 PEN 56.2

$9.40 MDL 167

73.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.47 PEN 94.3

$10.43 MDL 185

163.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.90 PEN 110

$42.21 MDL 750

-24.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.41 PEN 66.7

$20.30 MDL 361

-4.38%

Cinema Ticket

$7.05 PEN 24.23

$8.55 MDL 152

-17.54%

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

$182 PEN 627

$425 MDL 7,543

-57.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.0K PEN 44.8K

$5,785 MDL 102.7K

125.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 PEN 185

$80.8 MDL 1,434

-33.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.32 PEN 118

$47.59 MDL 845

-27.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.8 PEN 284

$116 MDL 2,056

-28.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.2 PEN 269

$113 MDL 2,011

-30.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 PEN 2,476

$676 MDL 12.0K

6.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$343 PEN 1,179

$431 MDL 7,651

-20.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,219 PEN 4,186

$1,258 MDL 22.3K

-3.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$651 PEN 2,235

$846 MDL 15.0K

-23.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,414 PEN 8,292

$2,680 MDL 47.6K

-9.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,357 PEN 4,660

$1,937 MDL 34.4K

-29.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$648 PEN 2,226

$866 MDL 15.4K

-25.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.94

9.1

-1.76%

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

Last update for Lima: October 11, 2026

Last update for Chisinau: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Lima

$343 33.9%

Chisinau

$431 33.5% 25.4% $87

Groceries & Markets

Lima

$226 22.3%

Chisinau

$190 14.8% 16% $36

Eating Out

Lima

$124 12.3%

Chisinau

$166 12.9% 33.9% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lima

$117 11.6%

Chisinau

$259 20.2% 122% $142

Clothing & Footwear

Lima

$112 11.1%

Chisinau

$161 12.5% 43.4% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Lima

$46 4.6%

Chisinau

$59 4.6% 28.9% $13

Getting Around

Lima

$43 4.3%

Chisinau

$19 1.5% 56.2% $24

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $721 in Lima versus $676 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 34% 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 Lima versus $51.0 in Chisinau. Groceries tell a different story – $226 in Lima vs $190 in Chisinau – so Chisinau wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Lima

🇲🇩 Chisinau

🕒 Local time

21:39 9:39 PM

05:39 5:39 AM

8 h ahead of Lima

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,989,369 Capital

750,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

Moldovan Leu MDL L

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

100 MDL = 5.63 USD

100 MDL = 5.01 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MDL, USD, EUR to PEN – Peruvian Sol Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇪 Peruvian Sol (S/)

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3.43 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

Moldovan Leu exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 17.76 MDL (100 MDL = 5.63 USD). 1 EUR = 19.97 MDL (100 MDL = 5.01 EUR).

USD to PEN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Lima Chisinau 12,190 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Lima
Chisinau

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 27%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,518 per month in Lima and $1,927 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 19% 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 $35.00 in Lima and $51.0 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 $1,012, than in Chisinau at $1,285. 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.