Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Aktau and Buenos Aires

For one person, living is cheaper in Aktau: $793 a month against $1,656 in Buenos Aires, rent and utilities included – about $10,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in Aktau
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Aktau Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
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Buenos Aires Living Index

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Aktau

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$793

/mo nomad

Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,656

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Aktau 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 Aktau and in Buenos Aires actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $793 per month in Aktau vs $1,656 in Buenos Aires, rent included.

Aktau $793
Buenos Aires $1,656

A couple spends around $1,317 per month in Aktau vs $2,697 in Buenos Aires, rent included.

Aktau $1,317
Buenos Aires $2,697

A family of three spends $1,842 per month in Aktau vs $3,737 in Buenos Aires, rent included.

Aktau $1,842
Buenos Aires $3,737

Aktau is about 52% cheaper than Buenos Aires, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Aktau sits 41% below the global median, while Buenos Aires is 23% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.07 ₸5,005

$19.09 ARS 29.0K

-42.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.55 ₸19.7K

$65.8 ARS 99.9K

-33.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.17 ₸4,596

$13.20 ARS 20.0K

-22.95%

Cappuccino

$2.49 ₸1,128

$3.85 ARS 5,841

-35.32%

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

$0.74 ₸333

$1.99 ARS 3,020

-62.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ₸219

$1.60 ARS 2,430

-70.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.30 ₸586

$3.93 ARS 5,959

-66.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₸690

$4.61 ARS 7,003

-66.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 ₸638

$1.50 ARS 2,272

-6.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.47 ₸211

$2.53 ARS 3,837

-81.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 ₸864

$1.61 ARS 2,445

18.63%

Eggs

$1.73 ₸783

$2.84 ARS 4,316

-39.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.87 ₸4,463

$10.30 ARS 15.6K

-4.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.24 ₸1,915

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

-57.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.95 ₸4,044

$13.30 ARS 20.2K

-32.71%

Apples (1kg)

$1.53 ₸689

$2.88 ARS 4,366

-46.87%

Banana (1kg)

$2.24 ₸1,013

$2.20 ARS 3,334

1.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.35 ₸1,064

$1.40 ARS 2,120

67.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.80 ₸1,264

$1.98 ARS 3,004

41.41%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₸295

$1.21 ARS 1,835

-46.28%

Onion (1kg)

$0.56 ₸254

$1.26 ARS 1,910

-55.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 ₸700

$1.71 ARS 2,592

-9.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 ₸424

$1.72 ARS 2,603

-45.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.59 ₸1,172

$4.29 ARS 6,505

-39.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.54 ₸4,313

$5.70 ARS 8,645

67.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 ₸326

$2.17 ARS 3,288

-66.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 ₸393

$2.76 ARS 4,188

-68.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.18 ₸82.6

$0.75 ARS 1,141

-76.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.27 ARS 41.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.13 ₸512

$1.57 ARS 2,375

-28.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₸290

$1.03 ARS 1,558

-37.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ARS 12.0K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.63 ₸283

$1.42 ARS 2,160

-55.63%

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

$27.9K ARS 42.4M

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

$31.4K ₸14.2M

$35.0K ARS 53.1M

-10.13%

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

$45.69 ₸20.7K

$195 ARS 296.2K

-76.59%

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

$7.94 ₸3,587

$25.16 ARS 38.2K

-68.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.01 ₸4,979

$31.54 ARS 47.9K

-65.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.98 ₸16.3K

$50.9 ARS 77.3K

-29.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.73 ARS 25.4K

Cinema Ticket

$3.18 ₸1,437

$10.34 ARS 15.7K

-69.25%

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

$143 ₸64.8K

$463 ARS 703.2K

-69.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,621 ₸1.2M

$8,793 ARS 13.3M

-70.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.8 ₸30.2K

$120 ARS 181.8K

-44.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.67 ₸18.4K

$95.5 ARS 144.9K

-57.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.7 ₸32.4K

$114 ARS 173.1K

-37.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.6 ₸40.5K

$139 ARS 211.4K

-35.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$330 ₸149.2K

$756 ARS 1.1M

-56.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$196 ₸88.6K

$520 ARS 788.8K

-62.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$551 ₸249.0K

$1,590 ARS 2.4M

-65.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$393 ₸177.8K

$1,198 ARS 1.8M

-67.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$813 ₸367.6K

$2,713 ARS 4.1M

-70.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$659 ₸297.7K

$1,901 ARS 2.9M

-65.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$564 ₸254.8K

$938 ARS 1.4M

-39.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

-75.55%

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

Last update for Aktau: October 10, 2026

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Aktau

$200 25.3%

Buenos Aires

$283 17.1% 41.3% $83

Accommodation & Living

Aktau

$196 24.7%

Buenos Aires

$520 31.4% 165% $324

Eating Out

Aktau

$163 20.6%

Buenos Aires

$282 17% 72.4% $118

Clothing & Footwear

Aktau

$121 15.3%

Buenos Aires

$211 12.7% 74.4% $90

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Aktau

$65 8.2%

Buenos Aires

$252 15.2% 290% $187

Sport & Entertainment

Aktau

$42 5.3%

Buenos Aires

$72 4.3% 69.1% $29

Getting Around

Aktau

$5.1 * 0.6%

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2% 629% $32

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $330 in Aktau 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 66% higher in Buenos Aires, 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 $44.00 in Aktau versus $66.0 in Buenos Aires. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $200 vs $283 – making Aktau the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Aktau

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🕒 Local time

16:01 4:01 PM

08:01 8:01 AM

8 h behind Aktau

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

273,830

2,891,082 Capital

💱 Currency

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

Argentine Peso ARS $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ARS, USD, EUR to KZT – Kazakhstani Tenge Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇿 Kazakhstani Tenge (₸)

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 452 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 508 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 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 KZT in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Aktau Buenos Aires 14,040 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Aktau
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

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

Buenos Aires costs about 109% more than Aktau, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,189 per month in Aktau 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 Aktau, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44.00 in Aktau and $66.0 in Buenos Aires. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 41% more in Buenos Aires, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Aktau, where all-in costs run around $793, than in Buenos Aires at $1,656. In Aktau it covers expenses comfortably, while in Buenos Aires it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Aktau costs $793 versus $1,656 in Buenos Aires. 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 Aktau. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Buenos Aires makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.