Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Moldova and the United States

Name: United States
Address: US

For one person, living is cheaper in Moldova: $1,184 a month against $2,734 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $18,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Moldova
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Moldova Living Index
131

Cost of Living Index in the United States
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United States Living Index

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🇲🇩 Moldova

$1,184

/mo nomad

🇺🇸 United States

$2,734

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Moldova and in the United States

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 the United States actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,184 per month in Moldova vs $2,734 in the United States, rent included.

Moldova $1,184
United States $2,734

A couple spends around $1,775 per month in Moldova vs $3,985 in the United States, rent included.

Moldova $1,775
United States $3,985

A family of three spends $2,367 per month in Moldova vs $5,235 in the United States, rent included.

Moldova $2,367
United States $5,235

The regional cost range is wider in the United States ($979–$5,160) than in Moldova ($356–$1,341), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Moldova is roughly 57% lower than in the United States on average.

Moldova sits 13% below the global median, while the United States is 101% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.34 MDL 167

$20.03 $20.03

-53.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.28 MDL 595

$80.0 $80.0

-58.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.13 MDL 145

$11.80 $11.80

-31.10%

Cappuccino

$1.92 MDL 34.28

$5.55 $5.55

-65.41%

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

$1.03 MDL 18.44

$2.66 $2.66

-61.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 MDL 13.50

$2.17 $2.17

-64.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.00 MDL 35.75

$6.12 $6.12

-67.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 MDL 34.11

$7.94 $7.94

-75.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 MDL 21.55

$1.04 $1.04

16.35%

White Bread (500g)

$0.66 MDL 11.82

$3.59 $3.59

-81.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 MDL 24.68

$4.52 $4.52

-69.47%

Eggs

$2.62 MDL 46.87

$4.28 $4.28

-38.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.43 MDL 169

$13.22 $13.22

-28.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.09 MDL 91.0

$12.60 $12.60

-59.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.36 MDL 150

$17.60 $17.60

-52.50%

Apples (1kg)

$0.99 MDL 17.75

$5.30 $5.30

-81.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 MDL 32.84

$1.69 $1.69

8.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MDL 34.05

$4.44 $4.44

-57.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MDL 36.75

$4.77 $4.77

-56.81%

Potato (1kg)

$0.78 MDL 13.86

$2.97 $2.97

-73.74%

Onion (1kg)

$0.57 MDL 10.17

$3.15 $3.15

-81.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 MDL 24.01

$2.20 $2.20

-39.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 MDL 15.90

$2.35 $2.35

-62.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.38 MDL 60.5

$10.98 $10.98

-69.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.33 MDL 77.4

$15.05 $15.05

-71.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MDL 22.79

$2.06 $2.06

-38.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 MDL 35.51

$3.79 $3.79

-47.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MDL 6.70

$1.94 $1.94

-80.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.40 MDL 258

$59.4 $59.4

-75.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 MDL 38.81

$3.58 $3.58

-39.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.34 MDL 6.17

$1.88 $1.88

-81.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.92 MDL 87.9

$29.84 $29.84

-83.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 MDL 30.18

$1.02 $1.02

65.69%

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

$29.7K MDL 531.2K

$28.8K $28.8K

3.32%

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

$27.7K MDL 494.8K

$26.2K $26.2K

5.60%

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

$221 MDL 3,950

$218 $218

1.37%

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

$9.37 MDL 168

$62.5 $62.5

-85.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.73 MDL 192

$74.5 $74.5

-85.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.08 MDL 717

$41.86 $41.86

-4.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.72 MDL 317

$22.81 $22.81

-22.31%

Cinema Ticket

$8.55 MDL 153

$14.70 $14.70

-41.84%

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

$389 MDL 6,960

$1,489 $1,489

-73.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,437 MDL 97.2K

$25.3K $25.3K

-78.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.2 MDL 1,184

$54.3 $54.3

21.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.17 MDL 754

$42.71 $42.71

-1.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MDL 1,862

$94.1 $94.1

10.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 MDL 1,971

$114 $114

-2.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$597 MDL 10.7K

$1,659 $1,659

-64.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$392 MDL 7,000

$1,348 $1,348

-70.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,143 MDL 20.4K

$2,682 $2,682

-57.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$733 MDL 13.1K

$2,169 $2,169

-66.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,426 MDL 43.4K

$3,283 $3,283

-26.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,796 MDL 32.1K

$2,482 $2,482

-27.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$751 MDL 13.4K

$4,296 $4,296

-82.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.76

6.55

33.74%

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

Last update for Moldova: October 25, 2026

Last update for the United States: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Moldova

$392 33.1%

United States

$1.3K 49.3% 244% $956

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Moldova

$241 20.4%

United States

$355 13% 47.2% $114

Groceries & Markets

Moldova

$186 15.7%

United States

$415 15.2% 124% $229

Clothing & Footwear

Moldova

$145 12.3%

United States

$137 5% 5.6% $8.2

Eating Out

Moldova

$143 12.1%

United States

$328 12% 129% $185

Sport & Entertainment

Moldova

$57 4.8%

United States

$71 2.6% 24.7% $14

Getting Around

Moldova

$20 1.7%

United States

$80 2.9% 305% $60

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $402 in Moldova vs $1,620 in the United States. For reference, capital cities sit at $691 in Chisinau and $2,768 in Washington, DC.

Average salary: $546 in Moldova vs $4,549 in the United States. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 303% higher in the United States.

Dining out costs 178% more in the United States.

Public transport is 250% more expensive in the United States.

Salaries are about 8.3 times higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know

🇲🇩 Moldova

🇺🇸 United States

🕒 Local time

01:47 1:47 AM

19:47 7:47 PM

6 h behind Moldova

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,603,813

340,110,988

💱 Currency

Moldovan Leu MDL L

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MDL = 5.59 USD

100 MDL = 5.02 EUR

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR 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).

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

USD to MDL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Moldova United States 8,830 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Moldova
United States

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 United States: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Moldova is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 57% lower on average.

Housing costs more in the United States: a central one-bedroom averages $1,620 versus $402 in Moldova.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Moldova – part of why living there is about 57% cheaper overall.

$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Moldova, but in the United States it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

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.