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: $715 in Moldova versus $713 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,115 in Moldova versus $1,132 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,514 in Moldova versus $1,551 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 $5.00 to $1,200, compared to $535–$1,206 in China. City choice carries more weight in Moldova.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.75 MDL 151

$2.86 ¥19.36

205.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.11 MDL 606

$23.29 ¥158

50.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.41 MDL 128

$4.83 ¥32.66

53.42%

Cappuccino

$1.78 MDL 30.73

$3.04 ¥20.52

-41.45%

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

$0.89 MDL 15.42

$0.45 ¥3.03

97.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 MDL 10.97

$0.27 ¥1.81

137.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.80 MDL 31.08

$0.99 ¥6.71

81.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 MDL 39.45

$2.03 ¥13.74

12.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 MDL 21.43

$1.75 ¥11.86

-29.14%

White Bread (500g)

$0.55 MDL 9.57

$1.67 ¥11.31

-67.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 MDL 24.84

$0.97 ¥6.56

48.45%

Eggs

$2.47 MDL 42.63

$1.54 ¥10.45

60.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.93 MDL 172

$13.30 ¥89.9

-25.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.39 MDL 93.0

$3.21 ¥21.69

67.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.41 MDL 145

$10.79 ¥73.0

-22.06%

Apples (1kg)

$0.87 MDL 15.05

$1.81 ¥12.27

-51.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 MDL 30.86

$1.31 ¥8.84

36.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.70 MDL 29.41

$1.50 ¥10.15

13.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.02 MDL 34.81

$1.14 ¥7.74

77.19%

Potato (1kg)

$0.78 MDL 13.41

$0.73 ¥4.90

6.85%

Onion (1kg)

$0.58 MDL 10.02

$0.87 ¥5.86

-33.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 MDL 23.50

$0.57 ¥3.85

138.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 MDL 14.21

$0.54 ¥3.63

51.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.14 MDL 54.3

$3.53 ¥23.88

-11.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.70 MDL 81.2

$11.71 ¥79.2

-59.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 MDL 21.67

$0.84 ¥5.67

48.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 MDL 33.18

$1.67 ¥11.29

14.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 MDL 6.29

$0.41 ¥2.75

-12.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.91 MDL 240

$20.78 ¥141

-33.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.04 MDL 35.14

$1.36 ¥9.21

50.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.26 MDL 4.43

$0.33 ¥2.21

-21.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.13 MDL 88.7

$6.86 ¥46.40

-25.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 MDL 23.62

$1.12 ¥7.57

22.32%

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

$32.1K MDL 554.9K

$19.2K ¥129.8K

67.44%

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

$31.7K MDL 547.7K

$16.9K ¥114.4K

87.42%

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

$173 MDL 2,994

$51.8 ¥350

234.67%

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

$8.02 MDL 138

$9.85 ¥66.6

-18.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.07 MDL 191

$11.13 ¥75.3

-0.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.91 MDL 706

$39.10 ¥264

4.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.80 MDL 342

$14.89 ¥101

32.98%

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MDL 122

$6.25 ¥42.24

12.64%

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

$381 MDL 6,579

$404 ¥2,732

-5.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,468 MDL 129.0K

$17.8K ¥120.5K

-58.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.0 MDL 1,105

$46.11 ¥312

38.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.07 MDL 830

$32.27 ¥218

48.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 MDL 1,893

$72.7 ¥491

50.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 MDL 2,032

$72.9 ¥493

61.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 MDL 10.5K

$445 ¥3,009

36.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$435 MDL 7,506

$255 ¥1,727

70.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 MDL 20.7K

$927 ¥6,266

29.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$768 MDL 13.3K

$532 ¥3,600

44.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,577 MDL 44.5K

$4,943 ¥33.4K

-47.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,820 MDL 31.4K

$2,492 ¥16.9K

-26.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$760 MDL 13.1K

$1,057 ¥7,148

-28.13%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for China: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $204 in Moldova, $286 in China. Capital cities: $654 in Chisinau vs $913 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $541 in Moldova, $862 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 40% higher in China.

Dining out costs 38% more in Moldova.

Public transport is 500% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 59% 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 $871 per month in China and $603 in Moldova, there's a 44% 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.