Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Selangor and Chisinau

For one person, living is cheaper in Selangor: $1,020 a month against $1,285 in Chisinau, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

49

Cost of Living Index in Selangor
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Selangor Living Index
63

Cost of Living Index in Chisinau
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Chisinau Living Index

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Selangor

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,020

/mo nomad

Chisinau

🇲🇩 Moldova

$1,285

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,020 per month in Selangor vs $1,285 in Chisinau, rent included.

Selangor $1,020
Chisinau $1,285

A couple spends around $1,469 per month in Selangor vs $1,984 in Chisinau, rent included.

Selangor $1,469
Chisinau $1,984

A family of three spends $1,918 per month in Selangor vs $2,684 in Chisinau, rent included.

Selangor $1,918
Chisinau $2,684

Selangor is about 21% cheaper than Chisinau, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Selangor and Chisinau are more affordable than the global median – Selangor 24% lower, Chisinau 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.33 MYR 17.67

$11.32 MDL 201

-61.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.20 MYR 78.3

$51.0 MDL 906

-62.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.04 MYR 16.46

$8.85 MDL 157

-54.35%

Cappuccino

$2.26 MYR 9.23

$2.11 MDL 37.43

7.11%

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

$0.78 MYR 3.18

$1.19 MDL 21.13

-34.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 MYR 1.93

$0.93 MDL 16.53

-49.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 MYR 18.08

$2.25 MDL 40.03

96.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.96 MYR 20.24

$1.95 MDL 34.61

154.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.93 MYR 7.87

$1.27 MDL 22.56

51.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 MYR 4.30

$0.73 MDL 12.88

43.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 MYR 6.25

$1.39 MDL 24.71

10.07%

Eggs

$1.92 MYR 7.82

$2.82 MDL 50.1

-31.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.26 MYR 58.2

$9.49 MDL 169

50.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.36 MYR 17.78

$5.07 MDL 90.1

-14.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.60 MYR 39.16

$8.65 MDL 154

10.98%

Apples (1kg)

$3.44 MYR 14.04

$0.94 MDL 16.72

265.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 MYR 7.52

$1.91 MDL 33.83

-3.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 MYR 9.55

$2.11 MDL 37.42

10.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 MYR 6.49

$2.16 MDL 38.28

-26.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.34 MYR 5.45

$0.68 MDL 12.07

97.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 MYR 4.21

$0.56 MDL 10.00

83.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.11 MYR 4.52

$1.29 MDL 22.95

-13.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 MYR 2.19

$0.83 MDL 14.76

-34.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.50 MYR 18.35

$3.39 MDL 60.2

32.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.53 MYR 79.7

$4.67 MDL 83.0

318.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.59 MYR 14.64

$1.26 MDL 22.44

184.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 MYR 19.81

$1.96 MDL 34.83

147.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 MYR 4.87

$0.40 MDL 7.16

197.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.26 MYR 50.0

$13.50 MDL 240

-9.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.24 MYR 5.06

$2.29 MDL 40.61

-45.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.25 MYR 5.10

$0.33 MDL 5.83

278.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.34 MYR 17.72

$5.11 MDL 90.8

-15.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.73 MYR 2.99

$1.64 MDL 29.20

-55.49%

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

$41.9K MYR 171.0K

$29.5K MDL 524.6K

41.87%

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

$35.3K MYR 143.8K

$29.7K MDL 527.0K

18.78%

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

$63.4 MYR 258

$239 MDL 4,245

-73.49%

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

$8.50 MYR 34.69

$9.40 MDL 167

-9.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.97 MYR 106

$10.43 MDL 185

148.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.09 MYR 168

$42.21 MDL 750

-2.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.87 MYR 28.04

$20.30 MDL 361

-66.16%

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 MYR 20.59

$8.55 MDL 152

-40.94%

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

$122 MYR 499

$425 MDL 7,543

-71.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,175 MYR 29.3K

$5,785 MDL 102.7K

24.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.8 MYR 289

$80.8 MDL 1,434

-12.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.40 MYR 169

$47.59 MDL 845

-13.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.1 MYR 315

$116 MDL 2,056

-33.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 MYR 339

$113 MDL 2,011

-26.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$511 MYR 2,083

$676 MDL 12.0K

-24.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$346 MYR 1,413

$431 MDL 7,651

-19.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$880 MYR 3,589

$1,258 MDL 22.3K

-30.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$481 MYR 1,963

$846 MDL 15.0K

-43.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,578 MYR 6,438

$2,680 MDL 47.6K

-41.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$705 MYR 2,875

$1,937 MDL 34.4K

-63.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,019 MYR 4,157

$866 MDL 15.4K

17.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.96

9.1

-56.48%

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

Last update for Selangor: October 12, 2026

Last update for Chisinau: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Selangor

$346 34%

Chisinau

$431 33.5% 24.4% $85

Groceries & Markets

Selangor

$266 26.1%

Chisinau

$190 14.8% 28.7% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Selangor

$123 12%

Chisinau

$161 12.5% 31.2% $38

Eating Out

Selangor

$111 10.9%

Chisinau

$166 12.9% 49.6% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Selangor

$98 9.6%

Chisinau

$259 20.2% 165% $161

Sport & Entertainment

Selangor

$51 5%

Chisinau

$59 4.6% 15.9% $8.1

Getting Around

Selangor

$25 2.4%

Chisinau

$19 1.5% 22.3% $5.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $511 in Selangor versus $676 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 18% higher in Selangor, 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 $19.00 in Selangor versus $51.0 in Chisinau. Groceries tell a different story – $266 in Selangor vs $190 in Chisinau – so Chisinau wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Selangor

🇲🇩 Chisinau

🕒 Local time

06:36 6:36 AM

01:36 1:36 AM

5 h behind Selangor

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

281,717

750,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Moldovan Leu MDL L

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

100 MDL = 5.63 USD

100 MDL = 5.01 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MDL, USD, EUR to MYR – Malaysian Ringgit Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇾 Malaysian Ringgit (RM)

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

Moldovan Leu exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 17.76 MDL (100 MDL = 5.63 USD). 1 EUR = 19.97 MDL (100 MDL = 5.01 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Selangor Chisinau 8,410 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Selangor
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

Selangor vs Chisinau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Chisinau is pricier by about 26%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,529 per month in Selangor and $1,927 in Chisinau. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Interestingly, groceries are about 40% cheaper in Chisinau – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Selangor and $51.0 in Chisinau. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Selangor, where all-in costs run around $1,020, than in Chisinau at $1,285. In Selangor it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chisinau it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Selangor – 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 Selangor. 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.