Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rădăuți and Chisinau

For one person, living is cheaper in Rădăuți: $744 a month against $1,288 in Chisinau, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in Rădăuți
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Rădăuți Living Index
63

Cost of Living Index in Chisinau
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Chisinau Living Index

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Rădăuți

🇷🇴 Romania

$744

/mo nomad

Chisinau

🇲🇩 Moldova

$1,288

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rădăuți 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 Rădăuți and in Chisinau actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $744 per month in Rădăuți vs $1,288 in Chisinau, rent included.

Rădăuți $744
Chisinau $1,288

A couple spends around $1,211 per month in Rădăuți vs $1,978 in Chisinau, rent included.

Rădăuți $1,211
Chisinau $1,978

A family of three spends $1,677 per month in Rădăuți vs $2,669 in Chisinau, rent included.

Rădăuți $1,677
Chisinau $2,669

Rădăuți is about 42% cheaper than Chisinau, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Rădăuți and Chisinau are more affordable than the global median – Rădăuți 45% lower, Chisinau 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.77 RON 41.51

$11.34 MDL 201

-22.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.33 RON 200

$50.1 MDL 890

-15.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.16 RON 38.63

$8.65 MDL 154

-5.66%

Cappuccino

$2.06 RON 9.77

$2.11 MDL 37.44

-2.37%

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

$1.51 RON 7.15

$1.19 MDL 21.09

26.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.24 RON 5.85

$0.85 MDL 15.08

45.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.33 RON 6.30

$2.26 MDL 40.11

-41.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 RON 9.86

$2.00 MDL 35.53

4.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 RON 5.06

$1.24 MDL 21.99

-13.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 RON 4.86

$0.73 MDL 13.03

41.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.45 RON 6.85

$1.46 MDL 25.97

-0.68%

Eggs

$2.05 RON 9.71

$2.78 MDL 49.31

-26.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 RON 35.14

$9.65 MDL 171

-23.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.20 RON 24.61

$5.26 MDL 93.5

-1.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.04 RON 42.76

$8.83 MDL 157

2.38%

Apples (1kg)

$0.61 RON 2.89

$0.93 MDL 16.44

-34.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 RON 6.06

$1.87 MDL 33.25

-31.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 RON 6.88

$2.11 MDL 37.47

-31.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.72 RON 8.13

$2.28 MDL 40.57

-24.56%

Potato (1kg)

$0.78 RON 3.67

$0.68 MDL 12.00

14.71%

Onion (1kg)

$0.54 RON 2.56

$0.52 MDL 9.22

3.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 RON 3.40

$1.31 MDL 23.32

-45.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 RON 3.63

$0.83 MDL 14.82

-7.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.59 RON 16.99

$3.36 MDL 59.6

6.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.44 RON 30.48

$4.64 MDL 82.4

38.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 RON 3.11

$1.22 MDL 21.60

-45.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.04 RON 4.90

$1.88 MDL 33.46

-44.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 MDL 7.21

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.72 MDL 244

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.80 RON 3.78

$2.20 MDL 39.04

-63.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.86 RON 4.09

$0.32 MDL 5.75

168.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.51 RON 35.52

$4.98 MDL 88.5

50.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.70 RON 8.03

$1.74 MDL 30.95

-2.30%

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

$28.0K RON 132.7K

$29.9K MDL 530.9K

-6.20%

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

$25.5K RON 120.4K

$28.6K MDL 507.6K

-10.94%

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

$98.8 RON 467

$244 MDL 4,334

-59.53%

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

$9.65 RON 45.66

$9.37 MDL 166

2.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.15 RON 38.55

$10.56 MDL 187

-22.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.44 RON 182

$42.29 MDL 751

-9.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.91 MDL 371

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 RON 29.71

$8.21 MDL 146

-23.51%

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

$363 RON 1,718

$436 MDL 7,737

-16.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,764 MDL 102.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.1 RON 246

$78.4 MDL 1,392

-33.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.43 RON 139

$47.66 MDL 846

-38.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.9 RON 354

$113 MDL 1,998

-33.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.0 RON 374

$114 MDL 2,031

-30.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$208 RON 984

$677 MDL 12.0K

-69.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$155 RON 734

$430 MDL 7,640

-63.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$415 RON 1,965

$1,249 MDL 22.2K

-66.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$315 RON 1,492

$831 MDL 14.8K

-62.06%

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)

$959 RON 4,539

$880 MDL 15.6K

8.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.08

9.1

-22.20%

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

Last update for Rădăuți: October 19, 2026

Last update for Chisinau: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Rădăuți

$169 22.7%

Chisinau

$192 14.9% 13.2% $22

Accommodation & Living

Rădăuți

$155 20.9%

Chisinau

$430 33.4% 177% $275

Eating Out

Rădăuți

$141 19%

Chisinau

$165 12.8% 17.1% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rădăuți

$117 15.7%

Chisinau

$264 20.5% 127% $147

Clothing & Footwear

Rădăuți

$106 14.2%

Chisinau

$159 12.3% 49.9% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Rădăuți

$51 6.9%

Chisinau

$59 4.6% 15.1% $7.7

Getting Around

Rădăuți

$5.1 * 0.7%

Chisinau

$19 1.5% 274% $14

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $208 in Rădăuți versus $677 in Chisinau. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 9% higher in Rădăuți, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Rădăuți versus $50.0 in Chisinau. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $169 vs $192 – making Rădăuți the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Rădăuți

🇲🇩 Chisinau

🕒 Local time

06:55 6:55 AM

Same time as Rădăuți

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

31,074

750,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Moldovan Leu MDL L

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

100 MDL = 5.63 USD

100 MDL = 5.01 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MDL, USD, EUR to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇴 Romanian Leu (lei)

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

Moldovan Leu exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 17.76 MDL (100 MDL = 5.63 USD). 1 EUR = 19.97 MDL (100 MDL = 5.01 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

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Rădăuți Chisinau 240 km

From you

Rădăuți
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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

Rădăuți vs Chisinau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Chisinau is pricier by about 73%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,117 per month in Rădăuți and $1,932 in Chisinau. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Rădăuți, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $744 in Rădăuți and $1,288 in Chisinau. That's a gap of about 73%.

Kindergarten costs $363 per month in Rădăuți and $436 in Chisinau. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Rădăuți, where all-in costs run around $744, than in Chisinau at $1,288. In Rădăuți it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chisinau it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Rădăuți – 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 Rădăuți. 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.