Cost of Living Comparison Between Ungheni and Balti Cost of Living Comparison Between Ungheni and Balti

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $923 per month in Ungheni vs $983 in Balti, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,666 per month in Ungheni vs $1,240 in Balti, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,409 per month in Ungheni vs $1,497 in Balti, rent included.

Ungheni is about 6% cheaper than Balti, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Ungheni and Balti are more affordable than the global median – Ungheni 31% lower, Balti 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.16 MDL 123

$8.08 MDL 139

-11.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.56 MDL 525

$37.20 MDL 639

-17.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.76 MDL 98.9

$7.78 MDL 134

-25.96%

Cappuccino

$1.47 MDL 25.29

$1.64 MDL 28.12

-10.37%

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

$0.71 MDL 12.19

$0.91 MDL 15.63

-21.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 MDL 6.77

$0.66 MDL 11.30

-40.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.44 MDL 24.66

$1.77 MDL 30.32

-18.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 MDL 24.54

$2.28 MDL 39.06

-37.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 MDL 22.13

White Bread (500g)

$0.45 MDL 7.68

$0.42 MDL 7.28

7.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 MDL 17.18

$1.44 MDL 24.65

-30.56%

Eggs

$2.16 MDL 37.16

$1.59 MDL 27.32

35.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.55 MDL 130

$9.25 MDL 159

-18.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.98 MDL 68.3

$4.57 MDL 78.5

-12.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.76 MDL 116

$8.95 MDL 154

-24.47%

Apples (1kg)

$0.56 MDL 9.53

$0.89 MDL 15.30

-37.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MDL 25.81

$1.76 MDL 30.18

-14.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 MDL 29.78

$1.47 MDL 25.23

17.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 MDL 23.28

$2.06 MDL 35.33

-33.98%

Potato (1kg)

$0.54 MDL 9.35

$0.70 MDL 12.07

-22.86%

Onion (1kg)

$0.33 MDL 5.74

$0.60 MDL 10.25

-45.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 MDL 23.28

$1.37 MDL 23.48

-0.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 MDL 8.18

$0.88 MDL 15.13

-45.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.15 MDL 54.1

$3.20 MDL 55.0

-1.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.38 MDL 75.3

$4.69 MDL 80.5

-6.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 MDL 19.65

$1.21 MDL 20.70

-5.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 MDL 23.21

$1.96 MDL 33.70

-31.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MDL 5.76

$0.34 MDL 5.77

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.71 MDL 29.44

$2.09 MDL 35.90

-18.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.25 MDL 4.27

$0.25 MDL 4.29

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.49 MDL 77.2

$5.19 MDL 89.2

-13.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 MDL 21.24

$1.32 MDL 22.72

-6.06%

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

$32.6K MDL 559.1K

$31.9K MDL 547.1K

2.20%

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

$30.9K MDL 531.0K

$31.1K MDL 533.2K

-0.42%

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

$167 MDL 2,861

$171 MDL 2,929

-2.30%

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

$7.73 MDL 133

$4.77 MDL 81.8

62.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.66 MDL 183

$10.57 MDL 182

0.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.83 MDL 358

$41.41 MDL 711

-49.70%

Cinema Ticket

$4.03 MDL 69.2

$4.62 MDL 79.4

-12.77%

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

$395 MDL 6,778

$119 MDL 2,039

232.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,623 MDL 130.9K

$5,566 MDL 95.6K

36.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.67 MDL 750

$65.1 MDL 1,118

-32.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.84 MDL 375

$53.7 MDL 922

-59.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$39.71 MDL 682

$112 MDL 1,923

-64.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 MDL 1,885

$125 MDL 2,145

-12.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$940 MDL 16.1K

$406 MDL 6,972

131.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$367 MDL 6,294

$294 MDL 5,043

24.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,488 MDL 25.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,247 MDL 21.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,361 MDL 40.5K

$1,471 MDL 25.3K

60.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,752 MDL 30.1K

$1,017 MDL 17.5K

72.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$431 MDL 7,406

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.24

-13.42%

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

Last update for Ungheni: May 31, 2026

Last update for Balti: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $940 in Ungheni versus $406 in Balti. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $31.00 in Ungheni versus $37.00 in Balti. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $149 vs $177 – making Ungheni 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

Ungheni vs Balti: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $923 in Ungheni, $983 in Balti – roughly 7% apart. Balti costs more across the board, with Clothing & Footwear showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,384 per month in Ungheni and $1,475 in Balti. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $31.00 in Ungheni and $37.00 in Balti. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 18% more in Balti, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Ungheni, where all-in costs run around $923, than in Balti at $983. In Ungheni it covers expenses comfortably, while in Balti it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ungheni – 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 Ungheni. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Balti makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.