Nearly 68,000 lei a month — that is how much a family of two employed adults and two children would need to live decently, according to a new study. This amount covers expenses for food, housing, healthcare, education and transport, as well as money for recreation and unexpected situations. But what do these calculations look like in everyday life, and how much do families in Moldova actually spend on raising children? The Realitatea team took to the streets to find out what budgets families have and how much people believe they would need to live without worrying about every bill.
“We have two children, and just considering what the little one needs — diapers and things like that. Our daughter has started school, so there are school supplies and other things to buy. We have to buy food and clothes, and the cold season is approaching. We limit ourselves to what we have, look for cheaper options and live within our means, depending also on which bills come in.
— What would be a good salary for a person to cover their needs?
— If both parents were working, I think between 25,000 and 30,000 lei would be enough. But if the wife cannot work because she is on maternity leave, it becomes more difficult.”
“If you enroll your children in swimming lessons or other extracurricular activities, that means additional costs. There is food, everything related to hygiene, diapers — when children are little, these things are very expensive. I don’t think you can manage on 60,000 lei. The parents’ combined income should be at least 150,000 lei. Even clothes are very expensive here. In Europe, they are much cheaper. Sometimes we go to Romania, to Iași, to buy clothes for the children and save at least a little.”
“It should be at least 40,000 lei. But to live decently, you need to be able to go on holiday, eat good food and afford proper medical treatment. There are kindergarten and school expenses, and we spend even more on clothing, while healthcare takes up a significant part of the budget.”
“In general, I think 68,000 lei, the amount presented in the study as necessary for a decent standard of living, is reasonable and sufficient. However, the gap between a decent standard of living and the subsistence minimum — which was previously 3,300 lei and should now be six thousand and something — is enormous. Most of our expenses go toward the children’s activities and food. They attend public school, but there are food costs and extracurricular activities: sports, intellectual activities, dancing, swimming and so on. When it comes to groceries and bills, I think I manage on around 30,000 lei in an ordinary month, covering just the essentials.”
“Sixty-eight thousand lei is a generous amount if we consider the average citizen in the Republic of Moldova. It is something to aspire to, but the reality is very sad. If 80 people earn 6,000 lei and only 20 people earn 61,000 lei, the statistical average is 17,000 lei, but that is not representative at all. Young families are really struggling. Their only way to manage is to maintain the traditional family support system: help from grandparents and parents, with siblings helping one another. A young family cannot survive on its own. Today, it is almost impossible to buy your own home. Young people can no longer afford property, but without it, you are trapped. Most of the money goes toward utilities. If a young teacher spends more than half their salary on utility bills, what can be left for their own children?”
According to the study conducted by the National Confederation of Trade Unions, the current methodology no longer adequately reflects consumption patterns or the actual costs of goods and services, as it has not undergone a substantial revision since 2013.
The new calculation also includes expenses related to social participation, in addition to those needed to cover basic necessities. The authors emphasize that the nearly 68,000 lei figure is not a proposal for the minimum wage, but an estimate of the monthly amount required by the reference family based on its expenses.