Cost of Living Comparison Between Spain and Moldova Cost of Living Comparison Between Spain and Moldova

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,644 per month in Spain vs $714 in Moldova, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,400 per month in Spain vs $1,114 in Moldova, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,155 per month in Spain vs $1,514 in Moldova, rent included.

Spain costs about 130% more than Moldova on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Spain sits 23% above the global median, while Moldova is 47% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Spain has a wider regional cost range ($1,115$3,300) than Moldova ($6.00$1,225), so location matters more when choosing where to live in Spain.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Spain
Moldova
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.01 €13.67
$9.00 MDL 156
77.89%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$59.0 €50.4
$34.46 MDL 596
71.15%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.26 €8.77
$7.41 MDL 128
38.46%
Cappuccino
$2.29 €1.95
$1.78 MDL 30.77
28.65%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.59 €2.21
$0.98 MDL 16.90
164.29%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.81 €1.55
$0.60 MDL 10.32
201.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.53 €3.01
$1.73 MDL 29.86
104.05%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.02 €3.44
$2.33 MDL 40.31
72.53%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Spain
Moldova
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.24 €1.06
$1.29 MDL 22.36
-3.88%
White Bread (500g)
$1.52 €1.30
$0.52 MDL 8.96
192.31%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.60 €1.37
$1.48 MDL 25.66
8.11%
Eggs
$2.98 €2.54
$2.42 MDL 41.90
23.14%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.49 €12.38
$9.78 MDL 169
48.16%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.37 €7.14
$5.25 MDL 90.9
59.43%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.94 €13.62
$8.55 MDL 148
86.43%
Apples (1kg)
$2.54 €2.17
$0.83 MDL 14.38
206.02%
Banana (1kg)
$2.10 €1.79
$1.85 MDL 32.00
13.51%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.06 €1.76
$1.72 MDL 29.81
19.77%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.64 €2.25
$2.08 MDL 36.04
26.92%
Potato (1kg)
$1.84 €1.58
$0.81 MDL 14.10
127.16%
Onion (1kg)
$1.91 €1.63
$0.55 MDL 9.55
247.27%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.33 €1.14
$1.32 MDL 22.90
0.76%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.80 €0.68
$0.89 MDL 15.40
-10.11%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.43 €5.49
$3.29 MDL 57.0
95.44%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.82 €4.97
$4.50 MDL 77.9
29.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 €1.06
$1.21 MDL 20.88
2.48%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.11 €1.80
$2.03 MDL 35.10
3.94%
🚌 Getting Around
Spain
Moldova
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.70 €1.45
$0.33 MDL 5.79
415.15%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$34.64 €29.58
$13.87 MDL 240
149.75%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.60 €3.93
$2.01 MDL 34.79
128.86%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.35 €1.15
$0.26 MDL 4.48
419.23%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$27.00 €23.06
$5.42 MDL 93.8
398.15%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.84 €1.57
$1.44 MDL 24.96
27.78%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.3K €32.7K
$32.8K MDL 567.6K
16.78%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.2K €26.7K
$32.1K MDL 556.2K
-2.85%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Spain
Moldova
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$151 €129
$175 MDL 3,031
-13.73%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$20.30 €17.34
$8.23 MDL 142
146.66%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$33.21 €28.36
$11.07 MDL 192
200.00%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Spain
Moldova
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$47.38 €40.47
$42.00 MDL 727
12.81%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.74 €13.44
$19.56 MDL 339
-19.53%
Cinema Ticket
$9.06 €7.74
$6.99 MDL 121
29.61%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Spain
Moldova
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$523 €446
$382 MDL 6,612
36.84%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,978 €8,521
$7,334 MDL 126.9K
36.06%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Spain
Moldova
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.7 €74.9
$62.0 MDL 1,074
41.45%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$37.32 €31.87
$47.70 MDL 826
-21.76%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$88.7 €75.8
$107 MDL 1,855
-17.22%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$106 €90.8
$121 MDL 2,092
-12.02%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Spain
Moldova
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,052 €899
$616 MDL 10.7K
70.89%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$809 €691
$441 MDL 7,640
83.25%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,674 €1,429
$1,177 MDL 20.4K
42.17%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,213 €1,036
$789 MDL 13.7K
53.76%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,487 €3,832
$2,466 MDL 42.7K
81.93%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,733 €2,334
$1,740 MDL 30.1K
57.10%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Spain
Moldova
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,111 €1,803
$739 MDL 12.8K
185.57%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.51
9.18
-61.76%

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

Last update for Spain: April 25, 2026

Last update for Moldova: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $899 in Spain vs $207 in Moldova. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,595 in Madrid and $677 in Chisinau.

Average salary: $2,010 in Spain vs $537 in Moldova. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 334% higher in Spain.

Dining out costs 83% more in Spain.

Public transport is 1000% more expensive in Spain.

Salaries are 274% higher in Spain, giving Spain stronger purchasing power.

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
Spain vs Moldova: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do Moldova and Spain compare in cost of living?
Moldova is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 259% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.
How do rents compare between Moldova and Spain?
Housing costs more in Spain, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Spain consistently has higher rents.
Where are groceries and transport cheaper: Moldova or Spain?
Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Moldova, contributing to the overall 259% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.
How far does $2,000 go in Moldova vs Spain?
$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Moldova, but in Spain it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.
How do I choose between living in Moldova and Spain?
Moldova is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.

Spain vs other spots: cost of living compared

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