Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the United States and Moldova

Name: Moldova
Address: MD

For one person, living is cheaper in Moldova: $1,184 a month against $2,734 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $18,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

131

Cost of Living Index in the United States
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United States Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Moldova
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Moldova Living Index

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🇺🇸 United States

$2,734

/mo nomad

🇲🇩 Moldova

$1,184

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in the United States and in Moldova

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in the United States and in Moldova actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,734 per month in the United States vs $1,184 in Moldova, rent included.

United States $2,734
Moldova $1,184

A couple spends around $3,985 per month in the United States vs $1,775 in Moldova, rent included.

United States $3,985
Moldova $1,775

A family of three spends $5,235 per month in the United States vs $2,367 in Moldova, rent included.

United States $5,235
Moldova $2,367

The regional cost range is wider in the United States ($979–$5,160) than in Moldova ($356–$1,341), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in the United States is about 131% higher than in Moldova on average.

The United States sits 101% above the global median, while Moldova is 13% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.03 $20.03

$9.34 MDL 167

114.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.0 $80.0

$33.28 MDL 593

140.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.80 $11.80

$8.13 MDL 145

45.14%

Cappuccino

$5.55 $5.55

$1.92 MDL 34.19

189.06%

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

$2.66 $2.66

$1.03 MDL 18.39

158.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$0.76 MDL 13.46

185.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.12 $6.12

$2.00 MDL 35.65

206.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.94 $7.94

$1.91 MDL 34.02

315.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.21 MDL 21.49

-14.05%

White Bread (500g)

$3.59 $3.59

$0.66 MDL 11.79

443.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$1.38 MDL 24.61

227.54%

Eggs

$4.28 $4.28

$2.62 MDL 46.74

63.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.22 $13.22

$9.43 MDL 168

40.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.60 $12.60

$5.09 MDL 90.8

147.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.60 $17.60

$8.36 MDL 149

110.53%

Apples (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$0.99 MDL 17.70

435.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.84 MDL 32.75

-8.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.44 $4.44

$1.90 MDL 33.96

133.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.77 $4.77

$2.06 MDL 36.65

131.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.97 $2.97

$0.78 MDL 13.82

280.77%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$0.57 MDL 10.14

452.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.34 MDL 23.95

64.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.89 MDL 15.86

164.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.98 $10.98

$3.38 MDL 60.3

224.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$4.33 MDL 77.2

247.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.27 MDL 22.73

62.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 $3.79

$1.99 MDL 35.41

90.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 $1.94

$0.37 MDL 6.68

424.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.4 $59.4

$14.40 MDL 257

312.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 $3.58

$2.17 MDL 38.71

64.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 $1.88

$0.34 MDL 6.15

452.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.84 $29.84

$4.92 MDL 87.6

506.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.69 MDL 30.09

-39.64%

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

$28.8K $28.8K

$29.7K MDL 529.7K

-3.21%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$27.7K MDL 493.5K

-5.31%

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

$218 $218

$221 MDL 3,939

-1.35%

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

$62.5 $62.5

$9.37 MDL 167

566.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.5 $74.5

$10.73 MDL 191

593.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.86 $41.86

$40.08 MDL 715

4.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.81 $22.81

$17.72 MDL 316

28.72%

Cinema Ticket

$14.70 $14.70

$8.55 MDL 152

71.93%

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

$1,489 $1,489

$389 MDL 6,941

282.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.3K $25.3K

$5,437 MDL 96.9K

364.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 $54.3

$66.2 MDL 1,181

-17.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.71 $42.71

$42.17 MDL 752

1.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 $94.1

$104 MDL 1,857

-9.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$110 MDL 1,965

2.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,659 $1,659

$597 MDL 10.6K

177.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,348 $1,348

$392 MDL 6,981

244.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,682 $2,682

$1,143 MDL 20.4K

134.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,169 $2,169

$733 MDL 13.1K

195.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,283 $3,283

$2,426 MDL 43.3K

35.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,482 $2,482

$1,796 MDL 32.0K

38.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,296 $4,296

$751 MDL 13.4K

471.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

8.76

-25.23%

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

Last update for the United States: October 25, 2026

Last update for Moldova: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

United States

$1.3K 49.3%

Moldova

$392 33.1% 70.9% $956

Groceries & Markets

United States

$415 15.2%

Moldova

$186 15.7% 55.2% $229

Monthly Utilities & Internet

United States

$355 13%

Moldova

$241 20.4% 32.1% $114

Eating Out

United States

$328 12%

Moldova

$143 12.1% 56.4% $185

Clothing & Footwear

United States

$137 5%

Moldova

$145 12.3% 5.9% $8.2

Getting Around

United States

$80 2.9%

Moldova

$20 1.7% 75.3% $60

Sport & Entertainment

United States

$71 2.6%

Moldova

$57 4.8% 19.8% $14

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,620 in the United States vs $402 in Moldova. For reference, capital cities sit at $2,768 in Washington, DC and $691 in Chisinau.

Average salary: $4,549 in the United States vs $546 in Moldova. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 303% higher in the United States.

Dining out costs 178% more in the United States.

Public transport is 250% more expensive in the United States.

Salaries are about 8.3 times higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know

🇺🇸 United States

🇲🇩 Moldova

🕒 Local time

21:03 9:03 PM

03:03 3:03 AM

6 h ahead of the United States

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

340,110,988

2,603,813

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Moldovan Leu MDL L

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

100 MDL = 5.61 USD

100 MDL = 5.04 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MDL, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇲🇩 Moldovan Leu (L)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

Moldovan Leu exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 17.83 MDL (100 MDL = 5.61 USD). 1 EUR = 19.85 MDL (100 MDL = 5.04 EUR).

MDL to USD in detail →

On the map

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United States Moldova 8,830 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

United States
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

United States vs Moldova: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Moldova is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 57% lower on average.

Housing costs more in the United States: a central one-bedroom averages $1,620 versus $402 in Moldova.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Moldova – part of why living there is about 57% cheaper overall.

$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Moldova, but in the United States it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Moldova is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.