The beautiful European country with few tourists where a restaurant meal costs £4.21
The country has a growing reputation as a hidden gem travel destination due to its friendly locals, beautiful architecture, and low prices.
A beautiful European country is one of the poorest on the continent, with restaurant meals for well under 10 pounds. Moldova is a small landlocked nation in Eastern Europe bordered by Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east, and south.
The country, which is heavily reliant on agriculture, suffers from widespread poverty in rural areas and has a GDP per capita of only $8,260 (around £6,100), according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
For comparison, the UK's is estimated to be $54,950 (around £40,609). However, the poverty rate has fallen slightly in recent years, and the current government is striving to improve conditions as it pushes to become an EU member state.
Moldova also has a growing reputation as a hidden gem travel destination due to its friendly locals, beautiful architecture, and low prices.
According to Spanish outlet Cope, renting a flat in the country costs about 80 euros (£67.38) per month, and a night in a mid-range hotel won't set you back more than 30 euros.
It also says a meal at a local restaurant there will only cost around 5 euros (currently about £4.21).
Wise.com's breakdown of the cost of living in Moldova puts the price of a meal at an inexpensive restaurant at between 70 and 299 Moldovan leu, (£3-£12.81).
Meanwhile, a three-course meal for two people at a mid-range restaurant was estimated to cost between 400 and 800 leu (between £17.14 and £34.27).
A mere 319,000 tourists visited Moldova in 2023, which means it ranks among the least visited nations in Europe, but those who do are blown away by the picturesque scenery, religious buildings, and rich history.
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Chişinău features a blend of Paris-style boulevards and Soviet architecture with plenty to see.
It's also known for being an underappreciated wine region. Some 12 miles south of the capital is Milestii Mici, the world's biggest underground wine cellar, which stores more than two million bottles.
Dotted along its countryside are also beautiful buttercup-yellow monasteries dating back centuries.
Flights to country from the UK take around three hours, with the route from London Luton Airport to Chișinău International Airport being the most popular, according to Booking.com.
However, the UK Foreign Office advises against all travel to Transnistria, a "frozen conflict" zone located on a narrow strip of land between the Dniester river and the Moldova–Ukraine border.
The region broke away from Moldova following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1990, but it is not recognised as a state by the international community, which regard it as part of Moldova.
The de-facto government there has close ties with Russia, which backs it economically and militarily, and some Russian troops are stationed there as a deterrent against any attempt to reintegrate the region with Moldova.
The FCDO warns: "There is widespread military activity in Ukraine, including close to some Moldovan borders. Transnistria is outside the control of the Moldovan government.
"FCDO’s ability to offer support is extremely limited and will be more limited if there is military action on or near the Moldova-Ukraine border."
You can find the latest travel advice for Moldova here.
