Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Orhei and Chisinau

For one person, living is cheaper in Orhei: $359 a month against $1,288 in Chisinau, rent and utilities included – about $11,100 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
63

Cost of Living Index in Chisinau
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Chisinau Living Index

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Orhei

🇲🇩 Moldova

$359

/mo nomad

Chisinau

🇲🇩 Moldova

$1,288

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Orhei and in Chisinau

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

A single person spends $359 per month in Orhei vs $1,288 in Chisinau, rent included.

Orhei $359
Chisinau $1,288

A couple spends around $586 per month in Orhei vs $1,978 in Chisinau, rent included.

Orhei $586
Chisinau $1,978

A family of three spends $814 per month in Orhei vs $2,669 in Chisinau, rent included.

Orhei $814
Chisinau $2,669

Orhei is about 72% cheaper than Chisinau, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Orhei and Chisinau are more affordable than the global median – Orhei 74% lower, Chisinau 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.24 MDL 200

$11.34 MDL 201

-0.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.75 MDL 404

$50.1 MDL 890

-54.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.90 MDL 123

$8.65 MDL 154

-20.23%

Cappuccino

$1.41 MDL 25.07

$2.11 MDL 37.44

-33.18%

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

$0.77 MDL 13.72

$1.19 MDL 21.09

-35.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 MDL 8.25

$0.85 MDL 15.08

-45.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.14 MDL 20.22

$2.26 MDL 40.11

-49.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 MDL 25.12

$2.00 MDL 35.53

-29.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 MDL 17.47

$1.24 MDL 21.99

-20.97%

White Bread (500g)

$0.35 MDL 6.23

$0.73 MDL 13.03

-52.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.46 MDL 25.97

Eggs

$1.86 MDL 33.08

$2.78 MDL 49.31

-33.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.65 MDL 171

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.26 MDL 93.5

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 MDL 157

Apples (1kg)

$0.93 MDL 16.44

Banana (1kg)

$1.92 MDL 34.04

$1.87 MDL 33.25

2.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.11 MDL 37.47

Tomato (1kg)

$2.28 MDL 40.57

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 MDL 11.82

$0.68 MDL 12.00

-1.47%

Onion (1kg)

$0.52 MDL 9.22

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 MDL 23.32

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 MDL 9.14

$0.83 MDL 14.82

-38.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.36 MDL 59.6

Wine (Bottle)

$4.64 MDL 82.4

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 MDL 21.60

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 MDL 33.46

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.16 MDL 2.83

$0.41 MDL 7.21

-60.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.72 MDL 244

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.15 MDL 20.49

$2.20 MDL 39.04

-47.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.32 MDL 5.75

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.98 MDL 88.5

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.72 MDL 30.62

$1.74 MDL 30.95

-1.15%

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

$29.9K MDL 530.9K

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

$20.2K MDL 359.6K

$28.6K MDL 507.6K

-29.16%

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

$58.9 MDL 1,046

$244 MDL 4,334

-75.87%

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

$6.85 MDL 122

$9.37 MDL 166

-26.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.21 MDL 181

$10.56 MDL 187

-3.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.29 MDL 751

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.91 MDL 371

Cinema Ticket

$3.34 MDL 59.3

$8.21 MDL 146

-59.32%

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

$436 MDL 7,737

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,764 MDL 102.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.87 MDL 601

$78.4 MDL 1,392

-56.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.43 MDL 594

$47.66 MDL 846

-29.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 MDL 1,858

$113 MDL 1,998

-7.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$33.98 MDL 604

$114 MDL 2,031

-70.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$677 MDL 12.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$430 MDL 7,640

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,249 MDL 22.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$831 MDL 14.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,607 MDL 46.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,981 MDL 35.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$880 MDL 15.6K

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 Chisinau: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Eating Out

Orhei

$141 39.3%

Chisinau

$165 12.8% 17.3% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Orhei

$93 25.8%

Chisinau

$159 12.3% 71.4% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Orhei

$76 21.2%

Chisinau

$264 20.5% 248% $188

Groceries & Markets

Orhei

$40 * 11.3%

Chisinau

$192 14.9% 374% $151

Sport & Entertainment

Orhei

$6.7 * 1.9%

Chisinau

$59 4.6% 780% $52

Getting Around

Orhei

$1.8 * 0.5%

Chisinau

$19 1.5% 970% $17

Accommodation & Living

Orhei

- * 0%

Chisinau

$430 33.4%

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 $50.0 in Chisinau. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $40.00 vs $192 – making Orhei the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇩 Orhei

🇲🇩 Chisinau

🕒 Local time

14:36 2:36 PM

Same time as Orhei

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,918

750,000 Capital

💱 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

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Highest

Between locations

Orhei Chisinau 38 km

From you

Orhei
Chisinau

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 Chisinau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Chisinau is pricier by about 259%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $538 per month in Orhei and $1,932 in Chisinau. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Groceries cost about 373% more in Chisinau, 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 $50.0 in Chisinau. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Orhei, where all-in costs run around $359, than in Chisinau at $1,288. In Orhei it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chisinau it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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, Chisinau makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.