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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $975 per month in Tamarin vs $1,346 in Chisinau, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,637 per month in Tamarin vs $2,052 in Chisinau, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,299 per month in Tamarin vs $2,758 in Chisinau, rent included.

Tamarin is about 28% cheaper than Chisinau, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Tamarin and Chisinau are more affordable than the global median – Tamarin 29% lower, Chisinau 2% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.75 MUR 269

$11.69 MDL 201

-50.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.48 MUR 1,801

$51.6 MDL 885

-25.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.33 MUR 343

$8.58 MDL 147

-14.57%

Cappuccino

$2.68 MUR 126

$2.23 MDL 38.26

20.18%

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

$1.14 MUR 53.5

$1.25 MDL 21.51

-8.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 MUR 31.07

$0.89 MDL 15.21

-25.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 MUR 124

$2.29 MDL 39.22

15.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 MUR 78.3

$1.97 MDL 33.83

-15.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 MUR 72.9

$1.30 MDL 22.25

20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.20 MUR 9.35

$0.72 MDL 12.35

-72.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.12 MUR 52.4

$1.49 MDL 25.63

-24.83%

Eggs

$2.52 MUR 118

$2.97 MDL 50.9

-15.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.74 MUR 175

$10.16 MDL 174

-63.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.45 MUR 302

$5.28 MDL 90.6

22.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.25 MUR 526

$8.78 MDL 151

28.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 MUR 105

$0.97 MDL 16.69

130.93%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 MUR 103

$1.90 MDL 32.68

16.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.41 MUR 65.8

$2.05 MDL 35.22

-31.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 MUR 144

$2.21 MDL 38.00

38.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.01 MUR 47.11

$0.68 MDL 11.71

48.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 MUR 47.03

$0.57 MDL 9.70

75.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 MUR 35.16

$1.46 MDL 24.97

-48.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 MUR 38.46

$0.93 MDL 16.03

-11.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.08 MUR 284

$3.57 MDL 61.2

70.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.49 MUR 397

$5.03 MDL 86.4

68.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 MUR 77.3

$1.27 MDL 21.74

29.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 MUR 90.4

$1.94 MDL 33.36

-0.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 MUR 40.30

$0.39 MDL 6.74

120.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.83 MDL 237

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.38 MUR 205

$2.36 MDL 40.54

85.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.23 MUR 151

$0.37 MDL 6.31

772.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.38 MUR 299

$5.07 MDL 87.1

25.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 MUR 65.1

$1.71 MDL 29.27

-18.71%

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

$29.8K MUR 1.4M

$29.9K MDL 513.3K

-0.27%

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

$31.7K MUR 1.5M

$30.5K MDL 523.0K

3.95%

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

$45.65 MUR 2,136

$254 MDL 4,365

-82.05%

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

$10.75 MUR 503

$9.44 MDL 162

13.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.96 MUR 1,355

$10.75 MDL 185

169.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.40 MUR 1,938

$42.83 MDL 735

-3.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.23 MDL 364

Cinema Ticket

$6.36 MUR 298

$8.60 MDL 148

-26.05%

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

$129 MUR 6,049

$445 MDL 7,633

-70.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,051 MUR 142.8K

$6,089 MDL 104.5K

-49.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 MUR 2,704

$78.4 MDL 1,345

-26.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.00 MUR 2,200

$47.80 MDL 820

-1.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.1 MUR 4,029

$119 MDL 2,050

-27.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.3 MUR 2,730

$113 MDL 1,945

-48.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$741 MUR 34.7K

$711 MDL 12.2K

4.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 MUR 17.5K

$455 MDL 7,815

-18.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MUR 65.8K

$1,258 MDL 21.6K

11.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$909 MUR 42.6K

$821 MDL 14.1K

10.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,781 MDL 47.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,997 MDL 34.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$846 MUR 39.6K

$922 MDL 15.8K

-8.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

9.41

-29.12%

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

Last update for Tamarin: September 5, 2026

Last update for Chisinau: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $741 in Tamarin versus $711 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 9% 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 $38.00 in Tamarin versus $52.0 in Chisinau. Groceries tell a different story – $202 in Tamarin vs $197 in Chisinau – so Chisinau wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 38%, 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 $1,463 per month in Tamarin and $2,019 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $975 in Tamarin and $1,346 in Chisinau. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $129 per month in Tamarin and $445 in Chisinau. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Tamarin, where all-in costs run around $975, than in Chisinau at $1,346. 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.