Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Moldova and Italy

Name: Italy
Address: IT

For one person, living is cheaper in Moldova: $1,184 a month against $1,843 in Italy, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Moldova
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Moldova Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Italy
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Italy Living Index

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🇲🇩 Moldova

$1,184

/mo nomad

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,843

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Moldova and in Italy

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,184 in Moldova versus $1,843 in Italy.

Moldova $1,184
Italy $1,843

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,775 in Moldova versus $2,816 in Italy.

Moldova $1,775
Italy $2,816

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,367 in Moldova versus $3,788 in Italy.

Moldova $2,367
Italy $3,788

Internal cost variation is higher in Italy: monthly costs span $1,038 to $2,555, compared to $356–$1,341 in Moldova. City choice carries more weight in Italy.

Living in Moldova costs about 36% less than in Italy on average.

Moldova (13% below) and Italy (35% above) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.34 MDL 167

$20.46 €18.38

-54.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.28 MDL 595

$79.5 €71.4

-58.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.13 MDL 145

$11.15 €10.02

-27.09%

Cappuccino

$1.92 MDL 34.28

$2.04 €1.83

-5.88%

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

$1.03 MDL 18.44

$3.10 €2.78

-66.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 MDL 13.50

$1.40 €1.26

-45.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.00 MDL 35.75

$5.51 €4.95

-63.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 MDL 34.11

$5.74 €5.16

-66.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 MDL 21.55

$1.57 €1.41

-22.93%

White Bread (500g)

$0.66 MDL 11.82

$2.38 €2.14

-72.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 MDL 24.68

$2.90 €2.60

-52.41%

Eggs

$2.62 MDL 46.87

$4.07 €3.66

-35.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.43 MDL 169

$17.44 €15.67

-45.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.09 MDL 91.0

$12.56 €11.28

-59.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.36 MDL 150

$20.17 €18.12

-58.55%

Apples (1kg)

$0.99 MDL 17.75

$2.58 €2.32

-61.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 MDL 32.84

$2.19 €1.97

-15.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MDL 34.05

$2.68 €2.41

-29.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MDL 36.75

$3.27 €2.93

-37.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.78 MDL 13.86

$1.90 €1.71

-58.95%

Onion (1kg)

$0.57 MDL 10.17

$1.82 €1.63

-68.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 MDL 24.01

$1.57 €1.41

-14.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 MDL 15.90

$0.55 €0.49

61.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.38 MDL 60.5

$6.69 €6.01

-49.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.33 MDL 77.4

$7.99 €7.17

-45.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MDL 22.79

$1.77 €1.59

-28.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 MDL 35.51

$2.35 €2.11

-15.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MDL 6.70

$1.91 €1.72

-80.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.40 MDL 258

$43.44 €39.02

-66.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 MDL 38.81

$5.62 €5.05

-61.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.34 MDL 6.17

$1.71 €1.54

-80.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.92 MDL 87.9

$33.64 €30.22

-85.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 MDL 30.18

$2.03 €1.82

-16.75%

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

$29.7K MDL 531.2K

$35.3K €31.7K

-15.86%

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

$27.7K MDL 494.8K

$36.7K €33.0K

-24.69%

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

$221 MDL 3,950

$227 €204

-2.48%

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

$9.37 MDL 168

$11.59 €10.41

-19.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.73 MDL 192

$30.38 €27.29

-64.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.08 MDL 717

$51.8 €46.51

-22.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.72 MDL 317

$23.70 €21.29

-25.23%

Cinema Ticket

$8.55 MDL 153

$10.60 €9.52

-19.34%

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

$389 MDL 6,960

$568 €510

-31.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,437 MDL 97.2K

$11.5K €10.4K

-52.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.2 MDL 1,184

$90.5 €81.3

-26.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.17 MDL 754

$38.55 €34.63

9.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MDL 1,862

$103 €92.2

1.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 MDL 1,971

$131 €118

-15.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$597 MDL 10.7K

$826 €742

-27.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$392 MDL 7,000

$646 €580

-39.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,143 MDL 20.4K

$1,400 €1,258

-18.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$733 MDL 13.1K

$1,054 €947

-30.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,426 MDL 43.4K

$3,662 €3,290

-33.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,796 MDL 32.1K

$2,301 €2,067

-21.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$751 MDL 13.4K

$1,886 €1,694

-60.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.76

3.56

146.07%

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

Last update for Moldova: October 25, 2026

Last update for Italy: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Moldova

$392 33.1%

Italy

$646 35.1% 65% $255

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Moldova

$241 20.4%

Italy

$269 14.6% 11.4% $27

Groceries & Markets

Moldova

$186 15.7%

Italy

$348 18.9% 87.1% $162

Clothing & Footwear

Moldova

$145 12.3%

Italy

$163 8.9% 12.4% $18

Eating Out

Moldova

$143 12.1%

Italy

$279 15.1% 94.7% $136

Sport & Entertainment

Moldova

$57 4.8%

Italy

$73 4% 27.7% $16

Getting Around

Moldova

$20 1.7%

Italy

$65 3.5% 230% $45

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $402 in Moldova, $729 in Italy. Capital cities: $691 in Chisinau vs $1,297 in Rome.

National salary averages: $546 in Moldova, $1,890 in Italy. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 81% higher in Italy.

Dining out costs 170% more in Italy.

Public transport is 139% more expensive in Italy.

Salaries are about 3.5 times higher in Italy, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Italy.

Good to know

🇲🇩 Moldova

🇮🇹 Italy

🕒 Local time

01:46 1:46 AM

00:46 12:46 AM

1 h behind Moldova

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,603,813

58,850,717

💱 Currency

Moldovan Leu MDL L

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 MDL = 5.59 USD

100 MDL = 5.02 EUR

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to MDL – Moldovan Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇩 Moldovan Leu (L)

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 = 5.02 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

USD to MDL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Moldova Italy 1,410 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Moldova
Italy

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

Moldova vs Italy: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,843 per month in Italy and $1,184 in Moldova, Moldova comes out about 36% cheaper. 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 cheaper in Moldova: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $729 in Italy and $402 in Moldova. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

It depends on what you’re after: Moldova wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.