Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Soroca and Bender

For one person, living is cheaper in Soroca: $391 a month against $663 in Bender, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Bender
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Bender Living Index

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Soroca

🇲🇩 Moldova

$391

/mo nomad

Bender

🇲🇩 Moldova

$663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $391 per month in Soroca vs $663 in Bender, rent included.

Soroca $391
Bender $663

A couple spends around $634 per month in Soroca vs $960 in Bender, rent included.

Soroca $634
Bender $960

A family of three spends $876 per month in Soroca vs $1,256 in Bender, rent included.

Soroca $876
Bender $1,256

Soroca is about 41% cheaper than Bender, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Soroca and Bender are more affordable than the global median – Soroca 71% lower, Bender 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.11 MDL 198

$6.36 MDL 113

74.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.66 MDL 404

$17.87 MDL 319

26.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.62 MDL 82.4

$5.55 MDL 98.9

-16.76%

Cappuccino

$1.44 MDL 25.60

$1.23 MDL 21.86

17.07%

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

$0.76 MDL 13.52

$0.98 MDL 17.56

-22.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.43 MDL 7.73

$0.51 MDL 9.11

-15.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.15 MDL 20.53

$0.88 MDL 15.64

30.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 MDL 25.29

$1.69 MDL 30.15

-15.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 MDL 18.42

$0.91 MDL 16.23

13.19%

White Bread (500g)

$0.36 MDL 6.35

$0.45 MDL 8.01

-20.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.15 MDL 20.45

$1.42 MDL 25.31

-19.01%

Eggs

$1.89 MDL 33.68

$1.96 MDL 34.89

-3.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.94 MDL 70.2

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.26 MDL 75.9

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.19 MDL 92.5

Apples (1kg)

$0.81 MDL 14.49

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 MDL 35.62

$1.79 MDL 31.91

11.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 MDL 33.21

Tomato (1kg)

$1.85 MDL 32.97

Potato (1kg)

$0.62 MDL 11.05

$0.70 MDL 12.49

-11.43%

Onion (1kg)

$0.56 MDL 9.93

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.55 MDL 9.75

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 MDL 9.05

$0.76 MDL 13.52

-32.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.77 MDL 49.39

Wine (Bottle)

$2.49 MDL 44.33

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 MDL 9.80

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 MDL 33.86

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MDL 6.62

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.13 MDL 20.21

$2.25 MDL 40.07

-49.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.27 MDL 4.77

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.16 MDL 92.0

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 MDL 31.14

$1.36 MDL 24.21

28.68%

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

$29.3K MDL 522.3K

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

$20.8K MDL 371.7K

$28.3K MDL 504.3K

-26.29%

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

$59.5 MDL 1,061

$235 MDL 4,191

-74.67%

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

$8.27 MDL 147

$9.45 MDL 169

-12.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.10 MDL 234

$10.15 MDL 181

29.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.54 MDL 509

Cinema Ticket

$3.44 MDL 61.3

$8.35 MDL 149

-58.80%

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

$437 MDL 7,792

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,822 MDL 103.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.45 MDL 596

$78.0 MDL 1,390

-57.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.93 MDL 605

$47.04 MDL 839

-27.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MDL 1,923

$111 MDL 1,983

-3.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$33.93 MDL 605

$114 MDL 2,028

-70.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$306 MDL 5,456

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 MDL 9,048

$311 MDL 5,538

63.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.17

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

Last update for Soroca: October 24, 2026

Last update for Bender: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Soroca

–

Bender

$255 38.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Soroca

–

Bender

$157 23.8%

Groceries & Markets

Soroca

–

Bender

$133 20.1%

Eating Out

Soroca

–

Bender

$96 14.5%

Sport & Entertainment

Soroca

–

Bender

$17 * 2.5%

Getting Around

Soroca

–

Bender

$5.1 * 0.8%

Accommodation & Living

Soroca

–

Bender

- * 0%

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 63% higher in Soroca, 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 $23 in Soroca versus $18 in Bender. Groceries tell a different story – $46 in Soroca vs $133 in Bender – so Soroca wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇩 Soroca

🇲🇩 Bender

🕒 Local time

04:12 4:12 AM

Same time as Soroca

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

37,400

97,027

💱 Currency

Moldovan Leu MDL L

📈 Exchange rate

100 MDL = 5.61 USD

100 MDL = 5.04 EUR

100 MDL = 5.61 USD

100 MDL = 5.04 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Soroca Bender 170 km

From you

Soroca
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

Soroca vs Bender: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Bender is pricier by about 70%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $586 per month in Soroca and $995 in Bender. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Groceries cost about 190% more in Bender, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23 in Soroca and $18 in Bender. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $391 in Soroca and $663 in Bender, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.