Balti at a glance
- Balti ranks 5th of 6 priced cities in Moldova on cost: $795 a month in essentials, 20% above Cahul, the cheapest.
- The average net salary of $641 covers that 0.8×.
- 87.7 men per 100 women aged 20–39, measured at raion/municipality level.
- PM2.5 averages 11.5 µg/m³ a year, 2× the WHO guideline of 5.
Green is the better side of each figure. Every line is computed from the tables below.
Monthly cost breakdown
Rent outside centre plus utilities, groceries, dining and local transport make up the essentials figure. Not a full lifestyle budget. The middle column is the median across the 6 Moldova cities we track, so every row says whether Balti is the cheap side of its own market or the dear one. Green is the better side of each row.
| Essentials, monthlyrent outside centre + bills + food + transit | $795 | $725 | $70 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $288 | $244 | $44 |
| Rent, 1-bed city centremonthly, USD | $454 | $384 | $70 |
| Groceriesmonthly, one person | $81 | $76 | $6 |
| Dining outmonthly, one person | $196 | $183 | $13 |
| Utilitiesmonthly: power, water, heating, internet | $218 | $211 | $7 |
| Local transportmonthly pass or fare equivalent | $12 | $12 | same |
| Average net salarymonthly, after tax; average, not median | $641 | $577 | $64 |
| Rent, 3-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $526 | $446 | $80 |
| Rent, 3-bed city centremonthly, USD | $838 | $709 | $129 |
Single person, USD. Data updated August 6, 2026.
Everyday prices
What single items cost in Balti, in USD. The monthly figures above are built from these. Cheaper side of each row in green.
Eating out
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $9.34 | $8.71 | $0.63 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal for 2, mid-range, three courses | $37.37 | $34.86 | $2.51 |
| McMeal at McDonald's | $7.00 | $6.53 | $0.47 |
| Cappuccino, regular | $1.75 | $1.64 | $0.11 |
| Domestic beer, 0.5 L draught | $1.87 | $1.75 | $0.12 |
| Imported beer, 0.33 L bottle | $1.63 | $1.52 | $0.11 |
| Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L | $0.96 | $0.90 | $0.06 |
| Water, 0.33 L bottle | $0.72 | $0.68 | $0.04 |
Groceries
| Milk, 1 L | $1.00 | $0.94 | $0.06 |
|---|---|---|---|
| White bread, 500 g | $0.57 | $0.54 | $0.03 |
| White rice, 1 kg | $1.14 | $1.06 | $0.08 |
| Eggs, 12 | $2.25 | $2.10 | $0.15 |
| Local cheese, 1 kg | $8.31 | $7.76 | $0.55 |
| Chicken fillets, 1 kg | $4.33 | $4.04 | $0.29 |
| Apples, 1 kg | $0.80 | $0.74 | $0.06 |
| Bananas, 1 kg | $1.57 | $1.47 | $0.10 |
| Tomatoes, 1 kg | $1.78 | $1.66 | $0.12 |
| Potatoes, 1 kg | $0.54 | $0.50 | $0.04 |
| Onions, 1 kg | $0.44 | $0.41 | $0.03 |
| Water, 1.5 L bottle | $0.72 | $0.68 | $0.04 |
Transport & bills
| One-way ticket, local transport | $0.36 | $0.35 | $0.01 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly transit pass | $12.13 | $11.76 | $0.37 |
| Taxi start | $2.07 | $2.01 | $0.06 |
| Taxi, 1 km | $0.31 | $0.30 | $0.01 |
| Gasoline, 1 L | $1.45 | $1.40 | $0.05 |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² flat | $208.38 | $202.09 | $6.29 |
| Internet, 60 Mbps+ | $9.19 | $8.91 | $0.28 |
| Mobile plan, monthly | $8.55 | $8.29 | $0.26 |
Leisure
| Gym, monthly | $33.78 | $31.51 | $2.27 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinema, one seat | $7.00 | $6.53 | $0.47 |
Dating-age sex ratio
Balti has 87.7 men per 100 women aged 20–39 (raion/municipality level). That is the lowest of the 5 Moldova cities we track. Moldova's national figure is 96.8, so Balti runs 9 below the country as a whole.
A supply figure, 20–39. The dating-pool model is in Pro.
How Balti ranks against every city we track
Balti sits ahead of 95% of the 1001 cities we track on women aged 20–39. On city-centre rent it is ahead of 65% of 1010. Its weakest measure is safety, ahead of only 4% of 1016.
Longer is better on every row: bar length is where Balti sits among all the cities carrying that measure, which is why the count differs by row.
Put Balti on the board
Ratio, cost and visa for Balti beside every other city we measure. Free, no sign-in.
Open Balti in the research deskOr unlock the Moldova deep-dive: visa, tax, scams, and the sub-national map.
Photo: edykbo, CC BY 3.0.
Data updated