Cost of Living in Moldova

Rent and housing costs

Moldova has no official average rent in lei. The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and the National Bank of Moldova do not publish one, so we do not quote a figure from listing sites. What the official data do show is the weight of housing bills. In the household budget survey, housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels took 15.9% of consumption spending in 2025, about MDL 810 a month per person. In 2025, 11.6% of people lived in a household whose housing upkeep costs were more than 30% of its disposable income: 11.2% in towns and 11.9% in villages. Housing bills are now rising fast. On the consumer price index, housing and communal services cost 18.1% more in September 2026 than a year earlier.

Prices and inflation

Consumer prices in Moldova were 8.6% higher in September 2026 than in September 2025, according to the NBS. Since December 2025, prices have risen 6.6%, and in September alone they rose 1.7%. Services rose fastest, up 12.6% in a year, against 9.0% for non-food goods and 5.1% for food products. Transport was 22.5% dearer and housing and energy 15.2% dearer. Communication was the only group that got cheaper (-1.1%). Food and non-alcoholic drinks, the largest group at 33.6% of the basket, rose 5.2%. The NBS publishes the October 2026 figure on 10 November 2026.

What households spend

The NBS household budget survey puts consumption spending at MDL 5,096.7 per person a month in 2025, after a revision in July 2026. People in towns spent MDL 6,462.0 and people in villages MDL 3,900.3, 1.7 times less. Food and non-alcoholic drinks take 40.2% of spending, or about MDL 2,049 a month per person: 35.2% in towns and 47.4% in villages. Housing and utilities take 15.9%, clothing and footwear 8.8% and transport 8.1%. Disposable income was MDL 5,767.0 per person a month. The 2025 survey uses a new sample and classification, so the NBS says it is not fully comparable with earlier years.

Transport and utilities

Energy and transport bills are rising fastest. Regulated natural gas tariffs rose 40.8% in September 2026 alone, which added about 1.1 percentage points to prices that month. Over the year to September, electricity cost 23.7% more, natural gas 21.3% more and water and sewerage 12.4% more. Central heating was 17.0% cheaper. Fuels rose 34.5% in a year, with diesel up 76.4% and gasoline up 42.3%. Passenger transport services cost 29.8% more. Transport takes 10.0% of spending in towns and 5.2% in villages.

What it means for pay and hiring

The average gross wage in Moldova was MDL 16,895.7 a month in the second quarter of 2026, up 9.2% on a year earlier and 2.3% after inflation, according to the NBS. The average net wage was MDL 13,226.8 in 2025. The national minimum wage is MDL 6,300 a month from 1 January 2026. Prices are now rising almost as fast as pay: 8.6% in the year to September 2026, with higher bills for gas, electricity and fuel. See average salary in Moldova, minimum wage in Moldova and our guide to hiring in Moldova for employer costs.

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