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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $688 per month in Ungheni vs $995 in Balti, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,075 per month in Ungheni vs $1,473 in Balti, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,462 per month in Ungheni vs $1,951 in Balti, rent included.

Ungheni is about 31% cheaper than Balti, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both Ungheni and Balti are more affordable than the global median – Ungheni 50% lower, Balti 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.79 MDL 134

$8.92 MDL 153

-12.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.12 MDL 397

$23.46 MDL 403

-1.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.03 MDL 121

$11.10 MDL 190

-36.67%

Cappuccino

$1.49 MDL 25.56

$1.83 MDL 31.37

-18.58%

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

$0.74 MDL 12.75

$1.13 MDL 19.42

-34.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 MDL 7.74

$0.68 MDL 11.67

-33.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.02 MDL 17.59

$1.14 MDL 19.49

-10.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 MDL 24.36

$1.47 MDL 25.28

-3.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MDL 29.20

$1.25 MDL 21.52

36.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.34 MDL 5.79

$0.51 MDL 8.80

-33.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.87 MDL 14.93

$1.64 MDL 28.15

-46.95%

Eggs

$2.05 MDL 35.21

$2.32 MDL 39.81

-11.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.31 MDL 177

$7.03 MDL 121

46.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.12 MDL 70.7

$4.91 MDL 84.3

-16.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.01 MDL 155

$6.55 MDL 112

37.56%

Apples (1kg)

$0.48 MDL 8.32

$1.01 MDL 17.33

-52.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 MDL 22.31

$2.29 MDL 39.34

-43.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.09 MDL 18.76

$1.96 MDL 33.71

-44.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.20 MDL 20.56

$2.48 MDL 42.49

-51.61%

Potato (1kg)

$0.48 MDL 8.25

$0.79 MDL 13.49

-39.24%

Onion (1kg)

$0.37 MDL 6.28

$0.54 MDL 9.22

-31.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.38 MDL 40.90

$0.48 MDL 8.22

395.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 MDL 13.58

$0.56 MDL 9.62

41.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.55 MDL 60.9

$3.33 MDL 57.1

6.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.34 MDL 74.4

$4.70 MDL 80.6

-7.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 MDL 25.40

$1.46 MDL 25.12

1.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 MDL 30.66

$2.05 MDL 35.13

-12.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MDL 5.82

$0.33 MDL 5.74

3.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.12 MDL 294

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.80 MDL 30.89

$2.88 MDL 49.46

-37.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.39 MDL 6.77

$0.25 MDL 4.24

56.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 MDL 63.4

$5.78 MDL 99.1

-36.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 MDL 25.25

$1.54 MDL 26.37

-4.55%

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

$34.4K MDL 589.9K

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

$21.5K MDL 369.4K

$24.8K MDL 425.4K

-13.15%

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

$141 MDL 2,424

$234 MDL 4,023

-39.74%

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

$11.58 MDL 199

$7.97 MDL 137

45.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.53 MDL 284

$11.82 MDL 203

39.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.73 MDL 253

$37.25 MDL 639

-60.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.09 MDL 276

Cinema Ticket

$4.03 MDL 69.1

$7.70 MDL 132

-47.66%

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

$115 MDL 1,981

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,508 MDL 94.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.14 MDL 843

$45.71 MDL 784

7.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.49 MDL 300

$35.11 MDL 603

-50.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$35.46 MDL 609

$57.3 MDL 984

-38.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.8 MDL 1,181

$51.6 MDL 886

33.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$259 MDL 4,452

$411 MDL 7,053

-36.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$118 MDL 2,029

$291 MDL 4,992

-59.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$349 MDL 5,982

$700 MDL 12.0K

-50.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$295 MDL 5,064

$531 MDL 9,114

-44.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,379 MDL 40.8K

$1,462 MDL 25.1K

62.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,738 MDL 29.8K

$1,026 MDL 17.6K

69.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$627 MDL 10.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Ungheni: September 7, 2026

Last update for Balti: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $259 in Ungheni versus $411 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 $23.00 in Ungheni versus $23.00 in Balti. Groceries tell a different story – $172 in Ungheni vs $171 in Balti – so Balti 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

Ungheni vs Balti: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $688 in Ungheni, $995 in Balti – roughly 45% apart. Balti costs more across the board, with Sport & Entertainment showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,033 per month in Ungheni and $1,493 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 $23.00 in Ungheni and $23.00 in Balti. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $688 in Ungheni and $995 in Balti. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $688 in Ungheni and $995 in Balti, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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.