Cost of Living Comparison Between Moldova and China Cost of Living Comparison Between Moldova and China

Name: China
Address: CN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $714 in Moldova versus $711 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,114 in Moldova versus $1,131 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,514 in Moldova versus $1,550 in China.

Both countries sit below the global median: Moldova 47% lower, China 47% lower.

Internal cost variation is higher in Moldova: monthly costs span $6.00 to $1,225, compared to $525–$1,220 in China. City choice carries more weight in Moldova.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.00 MDL 156

$2.75 ¥18.83

227.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.46 MDL 596

$24.03 ¥165

43.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.41 MDL 128

$4.96 ¥33.95

49.40%

Cappuccino

$1.78 MDL 30.77

$3.12 ¥21.37

-42.95%

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

$0.98 MDL 16.90

$0.48 ¥3.26

104.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.60 MDL 10.32

$0.27 ¥1.84

122.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.73 MDL 29.86

$0.98 ¥6.73

76.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 MDL 40.31

$2.15 ¥14.69

8.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 MDL 22.36

$1.83 ¥12.53

-29.51%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 MDL 8.96

$1.68 ¥11.54

-69.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 MDL 25.66

$0.91 ¥6.21

62.64%

Eggs

$2.42 MDL 41.90

$1.56 ¥10.66

55.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.78 MDL 169

$12.97 ¥88.9

-24.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.25 MDL 90.9

$3.25 ¥22.23

61.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.55 MDL 148

$10.51 ¥72.0

-18.65%

Apples (1kg)

$0.83 MDL 14.38

$1.81 ¥12.41

-54.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 MDL 32.00

$1.30 ¥8.90

42.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.72 MDL 29.81

$1.50 ¥10.26

14.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MDL 36.04

$1.15 ¥7.87

80.87%

Potato (1kg)

$0.81 MDL 14.10

$0.76 ¥5.20

6.58%

Onion (1kg)

$0.55 MDL 9.55

$0.89 ¥6.07

-38.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 MDL 22.90

$0.58 ¥3.97

127.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 MDL 15.40

$0.58 ¥3.95

53.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 MDL 57.0

$3.50 ¥23.95

-6.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.50 MDL 77.9

$11.55 ¥79.1

-61.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MDL 20.88

$0.78 ¥5.31

55.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 MDL 35.10

$1.61 ¥11.03

26.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 MDL 5.79

$0.44 ¥3.01

-25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.87 MDL 240

$21.15 ¥145

-34.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.01 MDL 34.79

$1.36 ¥9.35

47.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.26 MDL 4.48

$0.36 ¥2.44

-27.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MDL 93.8

$6.61 ¥45.28

-18.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MDL 24.96

$1.13 ¥7.74

27.43%

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

$32.8K MDL 567.6K

$19.7K ¥135.2K

66.07%

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

$32.1K MDL 556.2K

$17.1K ¥117.0K

88.08%

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

$175 MDL 3,031

$50.9 ¥349

243.98%

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

$8.23 MDL 142

$10.03 ¥68.7

-17.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.07 MDL 192

$11.33 ¥77.6

-2.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.00 MDL 727

$40.13 ¥275

4.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.56 MDL 339

$14.97 ¥103

30.66%

Cinema Ticket

$6.99 MDL 121

$6.09 ¥41.74

14.78%

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

$382 MDL 6,612

$418 ¥2,860

-8.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,334 MDL 126.9K

$17.3K ¥118.2K

-57.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.0 MDL 1,074

$46.40 ¥318

33.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.70 MDL 826

$32.92 ¥226

44.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 MDL 1,855

$71.1 ¥487

50.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MDL 2,092

$72.9 ¥499

65.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 MDL 10.7K

$438 ¥3,003

40.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$441 MDL 7,640

$259 ¥1,775

70.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,177 MDL 20.4K

$926 ¥6,341

27.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$789 MDL 13.7K

$548 ¥3,754

43.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,466 MDL 42.7K

$5,047 ¥34.6K

-51.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,740 MDL 30.1K

$2,666 ¥18.3K

-34.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$739 MDL 12.8K

$1,074 ¥7,357

-31.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.18

4.06

126.11%

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

Last update for Moldova: April 27, 2026

Last update for China: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $207 in Moldova, $286 in China. Capital cities: $677 in Chisinau vs $886 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $537 in Moldova, $834 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 38% higher in China.

Dining out costs 38% more in Moldova.

Public transport is 500% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 55% higher in China, giving China stronger purchasing power.

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

Moldova vs China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $873 per month in China and $616 in Moldova, there's a 42% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Moldova is simply cheaper day-to-day: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in China beats Moldova across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Moldova, $2,000 covers most cities easily. In China, it works in regional areas but falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after. Moldova wins on affordability; China may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.