Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Orhei and Bender

For one person, living is cheaper in Orhei: $359 a month against $674 in Bender, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

34

Cost of Living Index in Orhei
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Orhei Living Index
33

Cost of Living Index in Bender
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Bender Living Index

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Orhei

🇲🇩 Moldova

$359

/mo nomad

Bender

🇲🇩 Moldova

$674

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Orhei and in Bender

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

A single person spends $359 per month in Orhei vs $674 in Bender, rent included.

Orhei $359
Bender $674

A couple spends around $586 per month in Orhei vs $973 in Bender, rent included.

Orhei $586
Bender $973

A family of three spends $814 per month in Orhei vs $1,271 in Bender, rent included.

Orhei $814
Bender $1,271

Orhei is about 47% cheaper than Bender, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Orhei and Bender are more affordable than the global median – Orhei 74% lower, Bender 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.24 MDL 200

$6.41 MDL 114

75.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.75 MDL 404

$18.10 MDL 322

25.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.90 MDL 123

$5.44 MDL 96.6

26.84%

Cappuccino

$1.41 MDL 25.07

$1.18 MDL 21.03

19.49%

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

$0.77 MDL 13.72

$1.03 MDL 18.29

-25.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 MDL 8.25

$0.48 MDL 8.47

-4.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.14 MDL 20.22

$0.88 MDL 15.62

29.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 MDL 25.12

$1.70 MDL 30.21

-17.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 MDL 17.47

$0.90 MDL 15.98

8.89%

White Bread (500g)

$0.35 MDL 6.23

$0.46 MDL 8.15

-23.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 MDL 25.53

Eggs

$1.86 MDL 33.08

$1.91 MDL 33.88

-2.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.92 MDL 69.6

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 MDL 78.0

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.42 MDL 96.2

Apples (1kg)

$0.81 MDL 14.35

Banana (1kg)

$1.92 MDL 34.04

$1.79 MDL 31.79

7.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 MDL 32.56

Tomato (1kg)

$1.87 MDL 33.17

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 MDL 11.82

$0.71 MDL 12.63

-5.63%

Onion (1kg)

$0.52 MDL 9.22

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 MDL 10.41

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 MDL 9.14

$0.81 MDL 14.40

-37.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.74 MDL 48.68

Wine (Bottle)

$2.58 MDL 45.85

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 MDL 10.19

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 MDL 33.80

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.16 MDL 2.83

$0.37 MDL 6.58

-56.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.15 MDL 20.49

$2.21 MDL 39.25

-47.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.27 MDL 4.76

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.96 MDL 88.0

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.72 MDL 30.62

$1.42 MDL 25.30

21.13%

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

$29.0K MDL 514.2K

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

$20.2K MDL 359.6K

$30.3K MDL 538.2K

-33.18%

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

$58.9 MDL 1,046

$243 MDL 4,313

-75.75%

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

$6.85 MDL 122

$9.26 MDL 164

-26.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.21 MDL 181

$10.64 MDL 189

-4.04%

Cinema Ticket

$3.34 MDL 59.3

$8.29 MDL 147

-59.71%

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

$425 MDL 7,548

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,717 MDL 101.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.87 MDL 601

$78.8 MDL 1,400

-57.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.43 MDL 594

$46.96 MDL 834

-28.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 MDL 1,858

$113 MDL 2,006

-7.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$33.98 MDL 604

$114 MDL 2,027

-70.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$295 MDL 5,247

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$310 MDL 5,506

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.1

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

Last update for Orhei: October 19, 2026

Last update for Bender: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Eating Out

Orhei

$141 39.3%

Bender

$96 14.2% 32.2% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Orhei

$93 25.8%

Bender

$159 23.6% 71.4% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Orhei

$76 21.2%

Bender

$263 39% 246% $187

Groceries & Markets

Orhei

$40 * 11.3%

Bender

$135 20.1% 235% $95

Sport & Entertainment

Orhei

$6.7 * 1.9%

Bender

$17 * 2.5% 148% $9.9

Getting Around

Orhei

$1.8 * 0.5%

Bender

$5 * 0.8% 181% $3.2

Accommodation & Living

Orhei

- * 0%

Bender

- * 0%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23.00 in Orhei versus $18.00 in Bender. Groceries tell a different story – $40.00 in Orhei vs $135 in Bender – so Orhei wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇩 Orhei

🇲🇩 Bender

🕒 Local time

20:44 8:44 PM

Same time as Orhei

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,918

97,027

💱 Currency

Moldovan Leu MDL L

📈 Exchange rate

100 MDL = 5.63 USD

100 MDL = 5.01 EUR

100 MDL = 5.63 USD

100 MDL = 5.01 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Orhei Bender 78 km

From you

Orhei
Bender

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 Bender: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Bender is pricier by about 88%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $538 per month in Orhei and $1,011 in Bender. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Groceries cost about 235% more in Bender, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23.00 in Orhei and $18.00 in Bender. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $359 in Orhei and $674 in Bender, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Orhei – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Orhei. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Bender makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.