Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Orhei and Balti

For one person, living is cheaper in Orhei: $356 a month against $974 in Balti, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

47

Cost of Living Index in Balti
Learn more

Balti Living Index

Jump to prices

Orhei

🇲🇩 Moldova

$356

/mo nomad

Balti

🇲🇩 Moldova

$974

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Orhei and in Balti

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

A single person spends $356 per month in Orhei vs $974 in Balti, rent included.

Orhei $356
Balti $974

A couple spends around $580 per month in Orhei vs $1,414 in Balti, rent included.

Orhei $580
Balti $1,414

A family of three spends $805 per month in Orhei vs $1,854 in Balti, rent included.

Orhei $805
Balti $1,854

Orhei is about 63% cheaper than Balti, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Orhei and Balti are more affordable than the global median – Orhei 74% lower, Balti 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.28 MDL 202

$8.51 MDL 152

32.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.89 MDL 391

$22.53 MDL 403

-2.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.92 MDL 124

$10.35 MDL 185

-33.14%

Cappuccino

$1.36 MDL 24.30

$1.74 MDL 31.14

-21.84%

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

$0.79 MDL 14.17

$1.06 MDL 19.00

-25.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 MDL 8.37

$0.65 MDL 11.70

-27.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.13 MDL 20.24

$1.12 MDL 20.09

0.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 MDL 24.21

$1.38 MDL 24.61

-2.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.97 MDL 17.35

$1.20 MDL 21.54

-19.17%

White Bread (500g)

$0.32 MDL 5.72

$0.45 MDL 8.03

-28.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 MDL 27.47

Eggs

$1.89 MDL 33.77

$2.15 MDL 38.48

-12.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.78 MDL 121

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.70 MDL 84.1

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.18 MDL 111

Apples (1kg)

$0.99 MDL 17.68

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 MDL 33.83

$2.29 MDL 41.03

-17.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.88 MDL 33.65

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 MDL 40.87

Potato (1kg)

$0.62 MDL 11.00

$0.71 MDL 12.77

-12.68%

Onion (1kg)

$0.52 MDL 9.21

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.43 MDL 7.71

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 MDL 9.18

$0.54 MDL 9.73

-5.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.27 MDL 58.5

Wine (Bottle)

$4.34 MDL 77.6

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 MDL 24.21

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 MDL 35.67

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.16 MDL 2.85

$0.34 MDL 6.15

-52.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.78 MDL 300

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 MDL 20.36

$2.76 MDL 49.41

-58.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 MDL 4.25

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MDL 97.4

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 MDL 30.50

$1.62 MDL 29.00

5.56%

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

$33.4K MDL 597.1K

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

$19.9K MDL 356.3K

$24.1K MDL 430.5K

-17.23%

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

$58.7 MDL 1,050

$220 MDL 3,942

-73.37%

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

$6.68 MDL 119

$7.74 MDL 138

-13.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.96 MDL 178

$11.03 MDL 197

-9.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.85 MDL 659

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.34 MDL 274

Cinema Ticket

$3.28 MDL 58.6

$7.61 MDL 136

-56.90%

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

$113 MDL 2,012

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,113 MDL 91.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.31 MDL 596

$44.39 MDL 794

-24.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.83 MDL 587

$33.84 MDL 605

-2.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 MDL 1,881

$55.6 MDL 994

89.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$32.97 MDL 590

$50.9 MDL 910

-35.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$397 MDL 7,093

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$280 MDL 5,004

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$657 MDL 11.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$495 MDL 8,859

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,399 MDL 25.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$992 MDL 17.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$606 MDL 10.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Orhei: October 24, 2026

Last update for Balti: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Orhei

–

Balti

$280 28.7%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Orhei

–

Balti

$239 24.6%

Groceries & Markets

Orhei

–

Balti

$162 16.7%

Eating Out

Orhei

–

Balti

$135 13.9%

Clothing & Footwear

Orhei

–

Balti

$83 8.5%

Sport & Entertainment

Orhei

–

Balti

$52 5.4%

Getting Around

Orhei

–

Balti

$22 2.3%

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $22 in Orhei versus $23 in Balti. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $40 vs $162 – making Orhei the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇩 Orhei

🇲🇩 Balti

🕒 Local time

20:48 8:48 PM

Same time as Orhei

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,918

144,800

💱 Currency

Moldovan Leu MDL L

📈 Exchange rate

100 MDL = 5.59 USD

100 MDL = 5.02 EUR

100 MDL = 5.59 USD

100 MDL = 5.02 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Orhei Balti 80 km

From you

Orhei
Balti

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

Orhei vs Balti: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $356 in Orhei, $974 in Balti – roughly 173% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $534 per month in Orhei and $1,461 in Balti. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $22 in Orhei and $23 in Balti. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $356 in Orhei and $974 in Balti. That’s a gap of about 173%.

It depends on your priorities. Balti has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $356 in Orhei to $974 in Balti. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.