Cost of Living Comparison Between Tamarin and Chisinau Cost of Living Comparison Between Tamarin and Chisinau

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $992 per month in Tamarin vs $1,231 in Chisinau, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,697 per month in Tamarin vs $1,853 in Chisinau, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,402 per month in Tamarin vs $2,475 in Chisinau, rent included.

Tamarin is about 19% cheaper than Chisinau, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Tamarin and Chisinau are more affordable than the global median – Tamarin 25% lower, Chisinau 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.59 MUR 311

$8.63 MDL 151

-23.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.54 MUR 2,009

$37.05 MDL 650

14.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.37 MUR 254

$7.65 MDL 134

-29.80%

Cappuccino

$2.58 MUR 122

$1.88 MDL 32.92

37.23%

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

$0.92 MUR 43.27

$0.92 MDL 16.11

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.61 MUR 28.75

$0.65 MDL 11.33

-6.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.62 MUR 76.3

$1.73 MDL 30.32

-6.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 MUR 83.8

$2.37 MDL 41.51

-25.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 MUR 72.4

$1.29 MDL 22.55

18.60%

White Bread (500g)

$0.37 MUR 17.32

$0.56 MDL 9.76

-33.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 MUR 63.0

$1.45 MDL 25.49

-8.28%

Eggs

$2.18 MUR 103

$2.49 MDL 43.74

-12.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.61 MUR 265

$10.52 MDL 185

-46.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.33 MUR 299

$5.34 MDL 93.6

18.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.93 MUR 469

$8.61 MDL 151

15.33%

Apples (1kg)

$1.98 MUR 93.6

$0.91 MDL 15.99

117.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 MUR 93.0

$1.83 MDL 32.05

7.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.44 MUR 68.1

$1.72 MDL 30.22

-16.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.71 MUR 128

$2.10 MDL 36.80

29.05%

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 MUR 45.01

$0.79 MDL 13.84

20.25%

Onion (1kg)

$0.95 MUR 45.00

$0.60 MDL 10.44

58.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.80 MUR 37.99

$1.36 MDL 23.80

-41.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 MUR 38.17

$0.83 MDL 14.53

-2.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.77 MUR 320

$3.13 MDL 54.9

116.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.47 MUR 400

$4.59 MDL 80.5

84.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 MUR 85.0

$1.23 MDL 21.56

46.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 MUR 76.3

$1.91 MDL 33.58

-15.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 MUR 52.7

$0.34 MDL 5.96

229.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.17 MUR 528

$13.44 MDL 236

-16.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.30 MUR 203

$2.00 MDL 35.05

115.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.64 MUR 124

$0.25 MDL 4.36

956.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.78 MUR 320

$5.28 MDL 92.6

28.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MUR 62.0

$1.43 MDL 25.08

-8.39%

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

$28.9K MUR 1.4M

$31.5K MDL 553.4K

-8.48%

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

$27.5K MUR 1.3M

$31.5K MDL 552.4K

-12.71%

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

$48.69 MUR 2,299

$170 MDL 2,989

-71.42%

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

$16.10 MUR 760

$7.57 MDL 133

112.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.81 MUR 1,408

$10.68 MDL 187

179.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.5 MUR 2,384

$43.05 MDL 755

17.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.17 MUR 527

$22.19 MDL 389

-49.66%

Cinema Ticket

$6.16 MUR 291

$7.56 MDL 133

-18.52%

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

$151 MUR 7,137

$389 MDL 6,820

-61.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,192 MUR 150.7K

$7,746 MDL 135.9K

-58.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.1 MUR 2,792

$66.3 MDL 1,164

-10.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.47 MUR 2,241

$53.0 MDL 930

-10.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.8 MUR 4,148

$112 MDL 1,961

-21.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.9 MUR 2,780

$122 MDL 2,134

-51.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 MUR 35.7K

$678 MDL 11.9K

11.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$380 MUR 17.9K

$467 MDL 8,187

-18.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,435 MUR 67.8K

$1,244 MDL 21.8K

15.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$952 MUR 44.9K

$808 MDL 14.2K

17.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,669 MDL 46.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,901 MDL 33.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$831 MUR 39.3K

$843 MDL 14.8K

-1.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.24

-35.06%

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

Last update for Tamarin: July 27, 2026

Last update for Chisinau: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $756 in Tamarin versus $678 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 1% higher in Chisinau, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Tamarin versus $37.00 in Chisinau. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $199 vs $189 – making Chisinau the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Tamarin vs Chisinau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Chisinau is pricier by about 24%, and the gap shows up most in Clothing & Footwear. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,488 per month in Tamarin and $1,846 in Chisinau. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Interestingly, groceries are about 5% 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 $43.00 in Tamarin and $37.00 in Chisinau. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Tamarin, where all-in costs run around $992, than in Chisinau at $1,231. In Tamarin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chisinau it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tamarin – 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 Tamarin. 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.