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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $928 per month in Ungheni vs $986 in Balti, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,683 per month in Ungheni vs $1,259 in Balti, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,439 per month in Ungheni vs $1,532 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 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.39 MDL 129

$8.29 MDL 144

-10.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.66 MDL 534

$36.13 MDL 629

-15.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.99 MDL 104

$7.67 MDL 133

-21.90%

Cappuccino

$1.50 MDL 26.12

$1.61 MDL 28.01

-6.83%

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

$0.70 MDL 12.20

$0.99 MDL 17.30

-29.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.43 MDL 7.41

$0.69 MDL 12.01

-37.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.42 MDL 24.70

$1.73 MDL 30.13

-17.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 MDL 26.00

$2.19 MDL 38.05

-31.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 MDL 21.72

$1.23 MDL 21.34

1.63%

White Bread (500g)

$0.45 MDL 7.88

$0.39 MDL 6.85

15.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 MDL 17.39

$1.51 MDL 26.22

-33.77%

Eggs

$2.28 MDL 39.63

$1.60 MDL 27.82

42.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.70 MDL 134

$9.22 MDL 161

-16.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.03 MDL 70.2

$4.49 MDL 78.2

-10.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.84 MDL 119

$8.60 MDL 150

-20.47%

Apples (1kg)

$0.55 MDL 9.51

$0.89 MDL 15.43

-38.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MDL 25.90

$1.80 MDL 31.38

-17.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.68 MDL 29.27

$1.54 MDL 26.85

9.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.28 MDL 22.31

$2.07 MDL 36.07

-38.16%

Potato (1kg)

$0.55 MDL 9.54

$0.69 MDL 11.97

-20.29%

Onion (1kg)

$0.34 MDL 5.87

$0.56 MDL 9.68

-39.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 MDL 23.57

$1.34 MDL 23.37

0.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 MDL 9.03

$0.85 MDL 14.78

-38.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.05 MDL 53.1

$3.29 MDL 57.4

-7.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.34 MDL 75.6

$4.43 MDL 77.2

-2.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 MDL 20.69

$1.22 MDL 21.32

-2.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 MDL 22.39

$1.97 MDL 34.29

-34.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MDL 6.39

$0.36 MDL 6.34

2.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.73 MDL 30.14

$2.03 MDL 35.38

-14.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.27 MDL 4.74

$0.25 MDL 4.31

8.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.45 MDL 77.5

$5.12 MDL 89.1

-13.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MDL 22.20

$1.38 MDL 23.97

-7.25%

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

$32.2K MDL 560.1K

$32.2K MDL 559.8K

0.05%

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

$31.0K MDL 539.2K

$31.1K MDL 541.5K

-0.44%

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

$162 MDL 2,826

$175 MDL 3,054

-7.45%

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

$7.51 MDL 131

$4.75 MDL 82.6

58.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.77 MDL 187

$10.62 MDL 185

1.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.57 MDL 358

$40.57 MDL 706

-49.30%

Cinema Ticket

$4.15 MDL 72.3

$4.65 MDL 80.9

-10.75%

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

$397 MDL 6,920

$116 MDL 2,013

243.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,518 MDL 130.9K

$5,455 MDL 95.0K

37.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.37 MDL 772

$64.8 MDL 1,129

-31.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.61 MDL 376

$53.6 MDL 933

-59.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$40.25 MDL 701

$114 MDL 1,991

-64.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 MDL 1,912

$124 MDL 2,158

-11.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MDL 16.8K

$402 MDL 6,992

139.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$365 MDL 6,350

$293 MDL 5,101

24.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,508 MDL 26.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,280 MDL 22.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,307 MDL 40.2K

$1,406 MDL 24.5K

64.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,693 MDL 29.5K

$997 MDL 17.4K

69.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$633 MDL 11.0K

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Balti: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $963 in Ungheni versus $402 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 $36.00 in Balti. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $150 vs $174 – 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: $928 in Ungheni, $986 in Balti – roughly 6% apart. Balti costs more across the board, with Clothing & Footwear showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,392 per month in Ungheni and $1,479 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 $36.00 in Balti. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 16% 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 $928, than in Balti at $986. 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.