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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,024 per month in Tamarin vs $1,200 in Chisinau, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,710 per month in Tamarin vs $1,843 in Chisinau, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,396 per month in Tamarin vs $2,485 in Chisinau, rent included.

Tamarin is about 15% cheaper than Chisinau, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Tamarin and Chisinau are more affordable than the global median – Tamarin 24% lower, Chisinau 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.47 MUR 304

$8.87 MDL 153

-27.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.92 MUR 1,974

$37.12 MDL 641

12.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.51 MUR 260

$7.54 MDL 130

-26.92%

Cappuccino

$2.58 MUR 122

$1.80 MDL 31.07

43.33%

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

$0.84 MUR 39.63

$0.98 MDL 16.89

-14.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 MUR 27.92

$0.70 MDL 12.02

-15.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 MUR 79.7

$1.73 MDL 29.87

-2.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 MUR 81.7

$2.29 MDL 39.52

-24.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 MUR 70.0

$1.28 MDL 22.06

16.41%

White Bread (500g)

$0.40 MUR 18.77

$0.56 MDL 9.69

-28.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 MUR 61.8

$1.50 MDL 25.83

-12.67%

Eggs

$2.11 MUR 99.5

$2.53 MDL 43.65

-16.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.35 MUR 252

$10.22 MDL 177

-47.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.24 MUR 294

$5.51 MDL 95.2

13.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.62 MUR 453

$8.74 MDL 151

10.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.07 MUR 97.6

$0.89 MDL 15.31

132.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 MUR 92.7

$1.76 MDL 30.35

11.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 MUR 68.7

$1.76 MDL 30.44

-17.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.67 MUR 126

$2.08 MDL 35.98

28.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 MUR 48.09

$0.84 MDL 14.50

21.43%

Onion (1kg)

$0.98 MUR 46.33

$0.56 MDL 9.65

75.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.78 MUR 36.82

$1.31 MDL 22.57

-40.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 MUR 37.96

$0.83 MDL 14.37

-2.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.49 MUR 306

$3.30 MDL 57.0

96.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.44 MUR 397

$4.75 MDL 82.0

77.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MUR 80.5

$1.22 MDL 21.08

40.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 MUR 76.1

$1.92 MDL 33.23

-15.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 MUR 55.5

$0.36 MDL 6.27

227.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.99 MUR 517

$13.74 MDL 237

-20.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.47 MUR 211

$2.00 MDL 34.48

123.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.74 MUR 129

$0.25 MDL 4.28

996.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.69 MUR 315

$5.31 MDL 91.8

25.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MUR 61.6

$1.42 MDL 24.55

-7.75%

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

$28.3K MUR 1.3M

$32.4K MDL 560.3K

-12.69%

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

$27.4K MUR 1.3M

$30.9K MDL 533.5K

-11.42%

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

$49.29 MUR 2,321

$173 MDL 2,986

-71.49%

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

$16.05 MUR 756

$7.57 MDL 131

112.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.43 MUR 1,433

$10.65 MDL 184

185.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.9 MUR 2,396

$43.21 MDL 746

17.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.10 MUR 523

$22.02 MDL 380

-49.59%

Cinema Ticket

$6.12 MUR 288

$7.65 MDL 132

-20.00%

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

$153 MUR 7,186

$397 MDL 6,854

-61.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,115 MUR 146.7K

$7,753 MDL 133.9K

-59.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.2 MUR 2,789

$65.3 MDL 1,127

-9.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.35 MUR 2,230

$52.8 MDL 912

-10.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.1 MUR 4,103

$111 MDL 1,923

-21.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.3 MUR 2,794

$124 MDL 2,147

-52.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$781 MUR 36.8K

$654 MDL 11.3K

19.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$388 MUR 18.3K

$462 MDL 7,970

-15.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,452 MUR 68.4K

$1,252 MDL 21.6K

15.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$925 MUR 43.6K

$819 MDL 14.1K

13.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,583 MDL 44.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,942 MDL 33.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$851 MUR 40.1K

$856 MDL 14.8K

-0.62%

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: June 9, 2026

Last update for Chisinau: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $781 in Tamarin versus $654 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 $42.00 in Tamarin versus $37.00 in Chisinau. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $196 vs $190 – 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 17%, 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 $1,536 per month in Tamarin and $1,800 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 4% 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 $42.00 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 $1,024, than in Chisinau at $1,200. 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.