Cost of Living Comparison Between Ungheni and Bender Cost of Living Comparison Between Ungheni and Bender

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $938 per month in Ungheni vs $705 in Bender, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,671 per month in Ungheni vs $1,060 in Bender, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,404 per month in Ungheni vs $1,415 in Bender, rent included.

Ungheni costs about 33% more than Bender, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Ungheni and Bender are more affordable than the global median – Ungheni 30% lower, Bender 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.11 MDL 123

$8.85 MDL 153

-19.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.89 MDL 533

$17.26 MDL 298

78.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.99 MDL 103

$5.75 MDL 99.3

4.17%

Cappuccino

$1.42 MDL 24.53

$1.08 MDL 18.57

31.48%

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

$0.74 MDL 12.86

$0.91 MDL 15.69

-18.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.43 MDL 7.39

$0.53 MDL 9.07

-18.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.43 MDL 24.67

$0.98 MDL 16.88

45.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 MDL 25.86

$2.10 MDL 36.25

-28.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 MDL 22.27

$0.92 MDL 15.97

40.22%

White Bread (500g)

$0.48 MDL 8.37

$0.50 MDL 8.68

-4.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.92 MDL 15.91

$1.45 MDL 25.07

-36.55%

Eggs

$2.16 MDL 37.33

$1.96 MDL 33.88

10.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.52 MDL 130

$4.07 MDL 70.2

84.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.88 MDL 67.1

$4.27 MDL 73.7

-9.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.83 MDL 118

$5.06 MDL 87.4

34.98%

Apples (1kg)

$0.55 MDL 9.49

$0.71 MDL 12.31

-22.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MDL 25.77

$1.84 MDL 31.76

-19.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.67 MDL 28.76

$1.70 MDL 29.43

-1.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.29 MDL 22.31

$1.62 MDL 28.02

-20.37%

Potato (1kg)

$0.52 MDL 8.96

$0.82 MDL 14.19

-36.59%

Onion (1kg)

$0.33 MDL 5.77

$0.55 MDL 9.46

-40.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 MDL 23.16

$1.25 MDL 21.65

7.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 MDL 8.92

$0.73 MDL 12.55

-28.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 MDL 51.8

$2.85 MDL 49.22

5.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.28 MDL 73.9

$2.66 MDL 45.97

60.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 MDL 20.51

$0.70 MDL 12.16

70.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 MDL 22.57

$1.59 MDL 27.52

-17.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MDL 5.87

$0.36 MDL 6.27

-5.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$4.01 MDL 69.3

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.73 MDL 29.81

$1.14 MDL 19.65

51.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.27 MDL 4.71

$0.25 MDL 4.29

8.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 MDL 79.1

$1.14 MDL 19.70

301.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 MDL 21.42

$1.43 MDL 24.73

-13.29%

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

$31.7K MDL 547.8K

$17.4K MDL 300.8K

82.12%

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

$30.7K MDL 531.0K

$17.9K MDL 309.9K

71.34%

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

$162 MDL 2,800

$174 MDL 3,011

-7.00%

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

$7.55 MDL 130

$7.60 MDL 131

-0.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.98 MDL 190

$8.06 MDL 139

36.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.84 MDL 360

$23.59 MDL 407

-11.66%

Cinema Ticket

$3.99 MDL 68.9

$2.33 MDL 40.16

71.24%

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

$386 MDL 6,670

$388 MDL 6,694

-0.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,669 MDL 132.4K

$7,614 MDL 131.5K

0.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.52 MDL 752

$11.51 MDL 199

278.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.98 MDL 380

$26.23 MDL 453

-16.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$38.70 MDL 668

$115 MDL 1,980

-66.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 MDL 1,853

$121 MDL 2,090

-11.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$935 MDL 16.2K

$219 MDL 3,781

327.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$361 MDL 6,236

$96.3 MDL 1,663

275.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 MDL 25.8K

$308 MDL 5,325

385.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,244 MDL 21.5K

$218 MDL 3,768

470.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,272 MDL 39.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,712 MDL 29.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$325 MDL 5,609

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Bender: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $935 in Ungheni versus $219 in Bender. 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 $17.00 in Bender. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $148 vs $135 – making Bender 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 Bender: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Ungheni is pricier by about 33%, 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 $1,406 per month in Ungheni and $1,057 in Bender. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bender, 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 $17.00 in Bender. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 9% more in Ungheni, 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 Bender, where all-in costs run around $705, than in Ungheni at $938. In Bender it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ungheni it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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