Moldova

Cost of living

What a month costs

Moldova is among the cheapest countries in Europe. A couple lives comfortably on around 1,800 dollars a month, and wine, cheese and produce at the Piața Centrală cost almost nothing.

The scores

How it rates for a moving family

See and do

Top 10 in Chișinău

1. Nativity CathedralThe central Orthodox cathedral with a freestanding bell tower in the main park.
2. Triumphal ArchA 19th-century victory arch facing the Great National Assembly Square.
3. Stephen the Great Central ParkThe city's oldest park, named for the medieval prince whose statue guards the gate.
4. Valea Morilor ParkHillside park with a lake, a grand cascade staircase and a summer beach.
5. National Museum of History of MoldovaThe main history museum, marked by the Capitoline she-wolf statue out front.
6. National Museum of Ethnography and Natural HistoryA grand Moorish-style building with folk culture displays and a whale skeleton.
7. Pushkin House MuseumThe modest cottage where the poet lived during his Bessarabian exile.
8. Ciuflea MonasteryAn active 19th-century monastery with gilded domes just south of the center.
9. Chișinău Water TowerAn 1890s stone tower, now a small city museum with a viewpoint.
10. Dendrarium ParkA calm botanical park that is good for a slow afternoon walk.

Where to go

Weekend escapes

1. CricovaVast underground wine city just north of the capital, with cellar streets you tour by car.
2. Mileștii MiciThe world's largest wine collection by Guinness, in tunnels south of Chișinău.
3. Orheiul VechiCliffside cave monastery above the Răut river, about an hour northeast.
4. Căpriana MonasteryOne of Moldova's oldest monasteries, set in the Codri forest to the west.
5. SorocaMedieval Dniester fortress and the famous Roma hill, a scenic drive north.

Coffee

Best cafes

1. Tucano CoffeeA Moldovan-born coffeehouse chain with cozy branches across the city.
2. Cafeneaua GuguțăA beloved Soviet-era café by the pond in the central park, known for cake and coffee.
3. Propaganda CafeA popular central spot that runs from morning coffee into evening drinks.

Restaurants

Where to eat

1. La PlăcinteThe iconic Moldovan chain for plăcinte pies and hearty national dishes.
2. Vatra NeamuluiTraditional Moldovan cooking in a warm rustic room near the center.
3. Carpe DiemAn upscale wine restaurant with a deep list of Moldovan bottles.
4. Andy's PizzaMoldova's homegrown pizza and family-restaurant chain, reliable and cheap.

Morning

Best breakfast

1. La PlăcinteOpens early for fresh plăcinte, omelets and coffee.
2. Tucano CoffeeEasy morning stop for pastries, eggs and a proper flat white.