Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Aarau and Buenos Aires

For one person, living is cheaper in Buenos Aires: $1,656 a month against $2,794 in Aarau, rent and utilities included – about $13,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

135

Cost of Living Index in Aarau
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Aarau Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
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Buenos Aires Living Index

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Aarau

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$2,794

/mo nomad

Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,656

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Aarau and in Buenos Aires

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Aarau and in Buenos Aires actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,794 per month in Aarau vs $1,656 in Buenos Aires, rent included.

Aarau $2,794
Buenos Aires $1,656

A couple spends around $4,568 per month in Aarau vs $2,697 in Buenos Aires, rent included.

Aarau $4,568
Buenos Aires $2,697

A family of three spends $6,342 per month in Aarau vs $3,737 in Buenos Aires, rent included.

Aarau $6,342
Buenos Aires $3,737

Aarau costs about 69% more than Buenos Aires, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Aarau and Buenos Aires sit above the global median – Aarau by 107%, Buenos Aires by 23%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.07 CHF 23.94

$19.09 ARS 29.0K

52.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$106 CHF 87.6

$65.8 ARS 99.9K

61.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.63 CHF 14.52

$13.20 ARS 20.0K

33.56%

Cappuccino

$5.80 CHF 4.78

$3.85 ARS 5,841

50.65%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.22 CHF 4.30

$1.99 ARS 3,020

162.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.70 CHF 3.87

$1.60 ARS 2,430

193.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.15 CHF 5.06

$3.93 ARS 5,959

56.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.60 CHF 5.44

$4.61 ARS 7,003

43.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 CHF 1.69

$1.50 ARS 2,272

36.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.62 CHF 2.98

$2.53 ARS 3,837

43.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.59 CHF 2.13

$1.61 ARS 2,445

60.87%

Eggs

$7.22 CHF 5.95

$2.84 ARS 4,316

154.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$30.30 CHF 24.96

$10.30 ARS 15.6K

194.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$29.34 CHF 24.16

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

193.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$40.30 CHF 33.19

$13.30 ARS 20.2K

203.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 CHF 2.38

$2.88 ARS 4,366

0.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 CHF 1.46

$2.20 ARS 3,334

-19.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.44 CHF 2.01

$1.40 ARS 2,120

74.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.50 CHF 4.53

$1.98 ARS 3,004

177.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 CHF 1.37

$1.21 ARS 1,835

37.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.96 CHF 1.61

$1.26 ARS 1,910

55.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.28 CHF 1.87

$1.71 ARS 2,592

33.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 CHF 0.98

$1.72 ARS 2,603

-30.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.86 CHF 8.94

$4.29 ARS 6,505

153.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.21 CHF 8.41

$5.70 ARS 8,645

79.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 CHF 2.05

$2.17 ARS 3,288

14.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 CHF 2.36

$2.76 ARS 4,188

3.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.11 CHF 4.20

$0.75 ARS 1,141

581.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$146 CHF 120

$27.27 ARS 41.4K

436.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.84 CHF 5.64

$1.57 ARS 2,375

335.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.32 CHF 2.74

$1.03 ARS 1,558

222.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$58.8 CHF 48.45

$7.90 ARS 12.0K

644.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.83

$1.42 ARS 2,160

56.34%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$42.9K CHF 35.4K

$27.9K ARS 42.4M

53.59%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$39.3K CHF 32.4K

$35.0K ARS 53.1M

12.32%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$120 CHF 98.9

$195 ARS 296.2K

-38.47%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$30.84 CHF 25.40

$25.16 ARS 38.2K

22.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.7 CHF 45.84

$31.54 ARS 47.9K

76.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$97.9 CHF 80.6

$50.9 ARS 77.3K

92.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$59.6 CHF 49.04

$16.73 ARS 25.4K

255.95%

Cinema Ticket

$21.42 CHF 17.64

$10.34 ARS 15.7K

107.16%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$3,152 CHF 2,596

$463 ARS 703.2K

580.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.4K CHF 26.7K

$8,793 ARS 13.3M

268.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.7 CHF 73.0

$120 ARS 181.8K

-26.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.6 CHF 58.2

$95.5 ARS 144.9K

-26.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 CHF 90.1

$114 ARS 173.1K

-4.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$169 CHF 140

$139 ARS 211.4K

21.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,277 CHF 1,052

$756 ARS 1.1M

68.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 CHF 851

$520 ARS 788.8K

98.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,290 CHF 1,886

$1,590 ARS 2.4M

43.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,114 CHF 1,742

$1,198 ARS 1.8M

76.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,713 ARS 4.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.8K CHF 9,759

$1,901 ARS 2.9M

523.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,801 CHF 5,601

$938 ARS 1.4M

625.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.31

57.25

-95.97%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Aarau: October 10, 2026

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Aarau

$1K 37%

Buenos Aires

$520 31.4% 49.7% $513

Groceries & Markets

Aarau

$588 21%

Buenos Aires

$283 17.1% 51.8% $304

Eating Out

Aarau

$439 15.7%

Buenos Aires

$282 17% 35.8% $157

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Aarau

$207 7.4%

Buenos Aires

$252 15.2% 21.9% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Aarau

$197 7.1%

Buenos Aires

$211 12.7% 7% $14

Getting Around

Aarau

$190 6.8%

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2% 80.5% $153

Sport & Entertainment

Aarau

$141 5%

Buenos Aires

$72 4.3% 49.1% $69

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,277 in Aarau versus $756 in Buenos Aires. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 625% higher in Aarau, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $106 in Aarau versus $66.0 in Buenos Aires. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $588 vs $283 – making Buenos Aires the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Aarau

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🕒 Local time

02:02 2:02 AM

21:02 9:02 PM

5 h behind Aarau

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,191

2,891,082 Capital

💱 Currency

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

Argentine Peso ARS $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ARS, USD, EUR to CHF – Swiss Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇭 Swiss Franc (Fr)

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.824 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.926 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,706 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR).

USD to CHF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Aarau Buenos Aires 11,260 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Aarau
Buenos Aires

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Aarau vs Buenos Aires: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Aarau costs about 69% more than Buenos Aires, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,191 per month in Aarau and $2,484 in Buenos Aires. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Buenos Aires, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 436% less in Buenos Aires. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $3,152 per month in Aarau and $463 in Buenos Aires. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Buenos Aires, where all-in costs run around $1,656, than in Aarau at $2,794. In Buenos Aires it covers expenses comfortably, while in Aarau it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Buenos Aires costs $1,656 versus $2,794 in Aarau. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Buenos Aires. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Aarau makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.