Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Moldova and Spain

For one person, living is cheaper in Moldova: $1,184 a month against $1,775 in Spain, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Moldova
Spain
🇲🇩 Moldova
$1,184
/mo nomad
🇪🇸 Spain
$1,775
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Moldova and in Spain

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 Spain actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,184 per month in Moldova vs $1,775 in Spain, rent included.

  • Moldova $1,184
  • Spain $1,775

A couple spends around $1,775 per month in Moldova vs $2,606 in Spain, rent included.

  • Moldova $1,775
  • Spain $2,606

A family of three spends $2,367 per month in Moldova vs $3,438 in Spain, rent included.

  • Moldova $2,367
  • Spain $3,438

The regional cost range is wider in Spain ($931–$2,610) than in Moldova ($356–$1,341), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Moldova is roughly 33% lower than in Spain on average.

Moldova sits 13% below the global median, while Spain is 30% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Moldova
Spain
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$9.34 MDL 167
$16.69 €14.96
-44.04%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$33.28 MDL 593
$55.7 €49.91
-40.25%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.13 MDL 145
$11.37 €10.18
-28.50%
Cappuccino
$1.92 MDL 34.19
$2.42 €2.17
-20.66%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.03 MDL 18.39
$2.68 €2.40
-61.57%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.76 MDL 13.46
$1.79 €1.60
-57.54%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.00 MDL 35.65
$3.42 €3.07
-41.52%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.91 MDL 34.02
$3.88 €3.47
-50.77%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Moldova
Spain
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.21 MDL 21.49
$1.20 €1.07
0.83%
White Bread (500g)
$0.66 MDL 11.79
$1.48 €1.33
-55.41%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.38 MDL 24.61
$1.67 €1.50
-17.37%
Eggs
$2.62 MDL 46.74
$3.42 €3.07
-23.39%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.43 MDL 168
$14.17 €12.70
-33.45%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.09 MDL 90.8
$8.33 €7.46
-38.90%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$8.36 MDL 149
$16.20 €14.52
-48.40%
Apples (1kg)
$0.99 MDL 17.70
$2.45 €2.20
-59.59%
Banana (1kg)
$1.84 MDL 32.75
$2.03 €1.82
-9.36%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.90 MDL 33.96
$2.08 €1.86
-8.65%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.06 MDL 36.65
$2.58 €2.31
-20.16%
Potato (1kg)
$0.78 MDL 13.82
$1.83 €1.64
-57.38%
Onion (1kg)
$0.57 MDL 10.14
$2.00 €1.79
-71.50%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.34 MDL 23.95
$1.31 €1.17
2.29%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.89 MDL 15.86
$0.77 €0.69
15.58%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.38 MDL 60.3
$6.36 €5.70
-46.86%
Wine (Bottle)
$4.33 MDL 77.2
$5.64 €5.06
-23.23%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.27 MDL 22.73
$1.30 €1.17
-2.31%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.99 MDL 35.41
$2.09 €1.87
-4.78%
🚌 Getting Around
Moldova
Spain
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.37 MDL 6.68
$1.64 €1.47
-77.44%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$14.40 MDL 257
$32.91 €29.49
-56.24%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.17 MDL 38.71
$4.43 €3.97
-51.02%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.34 MDL 6.15
$1.47 €1.31
-76.87%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.92 MDL 87.6
$24.98 €22.39
-80.30%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.69 MDL 30.09
$1.77 €1.59
-4.52%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.7K MDL 529.7K
$35.5K €31.8K
-16.36%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.7K MDL 493.5K
$30.6K €27.4K
-9.59%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Moldova
Spain
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$221 MDL 3,939
$149 €134
48.00%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$9.37 MDL 167
$17.67 €15.84
-46.97%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$10.73 MDL 191
$31.88 €28.57
-66.34%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Moldova
Spain
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$40.08 MDL 715
$44.24 €39.64
-9.40%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.72 MDL 316
$15.29 €13.70
15.89%
Cinema Ticket
$8.55 MDL 152
$9.66 €8.66
-11.49%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Moldova
Spain
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$389 MDL 6,941
$544 €488
-28.48%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,437 MDL 96.9K
$10.6K €9,504
-48.73%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Moldova
Spain
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$66.2 MDL 1,181
$84.9 €76.1
-22.01%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.17 MDL 752
$37.11 €33.26
13.64%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$104 MDL 1,857
$89.2 €79.9
16.77%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$110 MDL 1,965
$106 €94.8
4.25%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Moldova
Spain
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$597 MDL 10.6K
$1,056 €947
-43.47%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$392 MDL 6,981
$808 €724
-51.53%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,143 MDL 20.4K
$1,621 €1,453
-29.47%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$733 MDL 13.1K
$1,246 €1,117
-41.17%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,426 MDL 43.3K
$4,135 €3,706
-41.33%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,796 MDL 32.0K
$2,633 €2,359
-31.79%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Moldova
Spain
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$751 MDL 13.4K
$1,999 €1,791
-62.43%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.76
3.3
165.45%

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

Last update for Moldova: October 25, 2026

Last update for Spain: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Moldova
$392
Spain
$808 106% $416
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Moldova
$241
Spain
$199 17.5% $42
Groceries & Markets
Moldova
$186
Spain
$272 46.1% $86
Clothing & Footwear
Moldova
$145
Spain
$143 1.8% $2.6
Eating Out
Moldova
$143
Spain
$239 67.3% $96
Sport & Entertainment
Moldova
$57
Spain
$64 11.2% $6.4
Getting Around
Moldova
$20
Spain
$51 159% $31

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $402 in Moldova vs $920 in Spain. For reference, capital cities sit at $691 in Chisinau and $1,508 in Madrid.

Average salary: $546 in Moldova vs $1,972 in Spain. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 129% higher in Spain.

Dining out costs 111% more in Spain.

Public transport is 72% more expensive in Spain.

Salaries are about 3.6 times higher in Spain, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Spain.

Good to know
🇲🇩 Moldova
🇪🇸 Spain
🕒 Local time
03:01 3:01 AM
02:01 2:01 AM
1 h behind Moldova
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,603,813
47,415,750
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to MDL – Moldovan Leu Converter

Moldovan Leu exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 17.83 MDL (100 MDL = 5.61 USD). 1 EUR = 19.85 MDL (100 MDL = 5.04 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Moldova Spain 2,690 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Moldova
  • Spain

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 Spain: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do Moldova and Spain compare in cost of living?
Moldova is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 33% lower on average.
How do rents compare between Moldova and Spain?
Housing costs more in Spain: a central one-bedroom averages $920 versus $402 in Moldova.
Where are groceries and transport cheaper: Moldova or Spain?
Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Moldova – part of why living there is about 33% cheaper overall.
How far does $2,000 go in Moldova compared to Spain?
$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Moldova, but in Spain it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.
How do I choose between living in Moldova and in Spain?
Moldova is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.

Moldova vs other spots: cost of living compared

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