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: $716 in Moldova versus $712 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,116 in Moldova versus $1,131 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,515 in Moldova versus $1,549 in China.

Living in Moldova is roughly 1% more expensive than in China on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Moldova 46% lower, China 47% lower.

Internal cost variation is higher in Moldova: monthly costs span $5.00 to $1,231, compared to $533–$1,212 in China. City choice carries more weight in Moldova.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.72 MDL 153

$2.77 ¥18.72

214.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.41 MDL 621

$24.05 ¥162

47.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.38 MDL 129

$4.73 ¥31.93

56.03%

Cappuccino

$1.70 MDL 29.83

$3.08 ¥20.78

-44.81%

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

$0.91 MDL 15.89

$0.44 ¥3.00

106.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.60 MDL 10.51

$0.29 ¥1.98

106.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 MDL 30.13

$1.01 ¥6.80

70.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 MDL 39.99

$2.08 ¥14.03

9.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 MDL 21.84

$1.83 ¥12.39

-31.69%

White Bread (500g)

$0.56 MDL 9.90

$1.62 ¥10.94

-65.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 MDL 25.97

$0.97 ¥6.58

52.58%

Eggs

$2.44 MDL 42.77

$1.61 ¥10.90

51.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.00 MDL 175

$13.34 ¥90.1

-25.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.42 MDL 95.2

$3.37 ¥22.75

60.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.87 MDL 156

$10.68 ¥72.2

-16.95%

Apples (1kg)

$0.84 MDL 14.71

$1.81 ¥12.26

-53.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 MDL 32.18

$1.25 ¥8.44

46.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 MDL 30.26

$1.46 ¥9.88

18.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 MDL 36.27

$1.15 ¥7.73

80.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.80 MDL 14.10

$0.73 ¥4.92

9.59%

Onion (1kg)

$0.60 MDL 10.48

$0.89 ¥5.99

-32.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 MDL 22.98

$0.60 ¥4.05

118.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 MDL 14.35

$0.53 ¥3.59

54.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.20 MDL 56.1

$3.39 ¥22.93

-5.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.43 MDL 77.6

$11.73 ¥79.3

-62.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MDL 21.07

$0.77 ¥5.23

55.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 MDL 34.97

$1.63 ¥10.98

22.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 MDL 6.39

$0.41 ¥2.77

-12.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.47 MDL 236

$21.24 ¥143

-36.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.08 MDL 36.50

$1.35 ¥9.13

54.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MDL 4.95

$0.36 ¥2.40

-22.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.40 MDL 94.7

$6.70 ¥45.26

-19.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MDL 23.88

$1.18 ¥7.98

15.25%

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

$32.6K MDL 571.0K

$19.8K ¥133.4K

64.77%

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

$32.0K MDL 561.2K

$16.5K ¥111.7K

93.49%

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

$175 MDL 3,077

$51.7 ¥349

239.04%

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

$8.11 MDL 142

$10.09 ¥68.2

-19.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.15 MDL 196

$11.38 ¥76.9

-2.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.34 MDL 725

$39.24 ¥265

5.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 MDL 336

$14.84 ¥100

29.04%

Cinema Ticket

$7.12 MDL 125

$6.30 ¥42.56

13.02%

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

$375 MDL 6,570

$414 ¥2,795

-9.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,276 MDL 127.6K

$17.4K ¥117.6K

-58.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.6 MDL 1,099

$46.77 ¥316

33.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.70 MDL 837

$33.08 ¥223

44.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 MDL 1,864

$70.9 ¥479

49.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MDL 2,127

$74.5 ¥503

62.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 MDL 10.8K

$440 ¥2,972

40.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$439 MDL 7,697

$253 ¥1,707

73.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 MDL 20.7K

$911 ¥6,153

29.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 MDL 13.9K

$531 ¥3,584

48.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,571 MDL 45.1K

$4,778 ¥32.3K

-46.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,832 MDL 32.1K

$2,403 ¥16.2K

-23.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$757 MDL 13.3K

$1,058 ¥7,144

-28.45%

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: July 25, 2026

Last update for China: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $208 in Moldova, $287 in China. Capital cities: $678 in Chisinau vs $909 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $552 in Moldova, $857 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, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

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 $618 in Moldova, there's a 41% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in Moldova: 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 is consistently higher than in 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 stretches only to regional areas and 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.