Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Chisinau

For one person, living is cheaper in Chisinau: $1,316 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
63

Cost of Living Index in Chisinau
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Chisinau Living Index

Jump to prices

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Chisinau

🇲🇩 Moldova

$1,316

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City 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 Mexico City and in Chisinau actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,608 per month in Mexico City vs $1,316 in Chisinau, rent included.

Mexico City $1,608
Chisinau $1,316

A couple spends around $2,549 per month in Mexico City vs $1,991 in Chisinau, rent included.

Mexico City $2,549
Chisinau $1,991

A family of three spends $3,490 per month in Mexico City vs $2,666 in Chisinau, rent included.

Mexico City $3,490
Chisinau $2,666

Mexico City costs about 22% more than Chisinau, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Mexico City sits 18% above the global median, while Chisinau is 3% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$198

$11.34 MDL 203

-6.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$901

$56.7 MDL 1,013

-14.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$193

$8.14 MDL 146

27.15%

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$68.8

$2.19 MDL 39.17

68.49%

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

$1.67 MX$31.07

$1.22 MDL 21.73

36.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.59

$0.90 MDL 16.04

41.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$59.5

$2.20 MDL 39.35

45.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$98.9

$1.92 MDL 34.36

176.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.15

$1.26 MDL 22.60

36.51%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$56.7

$0.71 MDL 12.78

328.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.19

$1.40 MDL 25.00

38.57%

Eggs

$2.89 MX$53.8

$2.72 MDL 48.60

6.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$205

$9.70 MDL 173

13.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$172

$5.00 MDL 89.5

85.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$282

$8.77 MDL 157

72.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$56.8

$0.97 MDL 17.38

214.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.19

$1.93 MDL 34.54

0.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.75

$2.01 MDL 35.99

1.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.15

$2.16 MDL 38.54

6.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$37.94

$0.65 MDL 11.66

213.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.55

$0.56 MDL 10.06

221.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.58

$1.30 MDL 23.21

13.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.63

$0.89 MDL 15.97

42.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$98.9

$3.31 MDL 59.2

60.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$300

$4.82 MDL 86.2

234.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$36.97

$1.22 MDL 21.72

62.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.3

$1.89 MDL 33.81

124.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.69

$0.38 MDL 6.75

-18.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$368

$13.55 MDL 242

45.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.25

$2.27 MDL 40.57

-18.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.94

$0.34 MDL 6.15

55.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$98.7

$4.94 MDL 88.3

7.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.16

$1.65 MDL 29.56

-8.48%

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

$21.8K MX$405.5K

$29.8K MDL 533.4K

-27.08%

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

$24.0K MX$447.1K

$27.6K MDL 494.3K

-13.24%

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

$63.0 MX$1,174

$241 MDL 4,301

-73.82%

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

$27.39 MX$511

$9.32 MDL 167

193.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$665

$10.33 MDL 185

245.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,099

$42.89 MDL 767

37.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$441

$20.55 MDL 367

15.04%

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$119

$8.33 MDL 149

-23.17%

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

$432 MX$8,045

$430 MDL 7,681

0.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$212.9K

$5,720 MDL 102.3K

99.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,272

$78.1 MDL 1,396

-12.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$990

$45.91 MDL 821

15.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,009

$112 MDL 2,011

-4.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,186

$117 MDL 2,089

0.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.8K

$691 MDL 12.4K

61.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.2K

$463 MDL 8,275

53.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.2K

$1,257 MDL 22.5K

105.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.2K

$803 MDL 14.3K

75.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$67.7K

$2,585 MDL 46.2K

40.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$39.8K

$1,861 MDL 33.3K

14.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.6K

$864 MDL 15.5K

9.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

9.17

23.77%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chisinau: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Chisinau

$463 35.2% 34.9% $248

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Chisinau

$190 14.5% 40.4% $129

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Chisinau

$165 12.5% 17.1% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Chisinau

$159 12.1% 2% $3.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Chisinau

$260 19.8% 106% $134

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Chisinau

$60 4.5% 17% $12

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Chisinau

$19 1.5% 25.2% $6.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,113 in Mexico City versus $691 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 9% higher in Mexico City, 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 $48 in Mexico City versus $57 in Chisinau. Groceries tell a different story – $320 in Mexico City vs $190 in Chisinau – so Chisinau wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇲🇩 Chisinau

🕒 Local time

08:03 8:03 AM

16:03 4:03 PM

8 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

750,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Moldovan Leu MDL L

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

100 MDL = 5.59 USD

100 MDL = 5.03 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MDL, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

Moldovan Leu exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 17.88 MDL (100 MDL = 5.59 USD). 1 EUR = 19.9 MDL (100 MDL = 5.03 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Chisinau 10,980 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
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

Mexico City vs Chisinau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Mexico City is pricier by about 22%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,412 per month in Mexico City and $1,974 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $691 there versus $1,113 in Mexico City.

Groceries cost about 68% more in Mexico City, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48 in Mexico City and $57 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 $1,316, than in Mexico City at $1,608. In Chisinau it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chisinau costs $1,316 versus $1,608 in Mexico City. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Chisinau. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mexico City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.