Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ames, IA and Buenos Aires

For one person, living is cheaper in Buenos Aires: $1,656 a month against $2,142 in Ames, IA, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

104

Cost of Living Index in Ames, IA
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Ames, IA Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
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Buenos Aires Living Index

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Ames, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,142

/mo nomad

Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,656

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,142 in Ames, IA versus $1,656 in Buenos Aires.

Ames, IA $2,142
Buenos Aires $1,656

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,242 in Ames, IA versus $2,697 in Buenos Aires.

Ames, IA $3,242
Buenos Aires $2,697

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,342 in Ames, IA versus $3,737 in Buenos Aires.

Ames, IA $4,342
Buenos Aires $3,737

Living in Ames, IA is roughly 29% more expensive than in Buenos Aires, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ames, IA 59% above, Buenos Aires 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.13 $18.13

$19.09 ARS 29.0K

-5.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.0 $52.0

$65.8 ARS 99.9K

-20.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.18 $12.18

$13.20 ARS 20.0K

-7.73%

Cappuccino

$4.87 $4.87

$3.85 ARS 5,841

26.49%

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

$2.60 $2.60

$1.99 ARS 3,020

30.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 $2.25

$1.60 ARS 2,430

40.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.05 $4.05

$3.93 ARS 5,959

3.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.81 $6.81

$4.61 ARS 7,003

47.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$1.50 ARS 2,272

-40.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$2.53 ARS 3,837

40.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.61 ARS 2,445

102.48%

Eggs

$3.34 $3.34

$2.84 ARS 4,316

17.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 $10.08

$10.30 ARS 15.6K

-2.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.62 $13.62

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

36.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$13.30 ARS 20.2K

43.23%

Apples (1kg)

$5.88 $5.88

$2.88 ARS 4,366

104.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.82 $1.82

$2.20 ARS 3,334

-17.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.69 $6.69

$1.40 ARS 2,120

377.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$1.98 ARS 3,004

163.64%

Potato (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$1.21 ARS 1,835

275.21%

Onion (1kg)

$4.07 $4.07

$1.26 ARS 1,910

223.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.32 $2.32

$1.71 ARS 2,592

35.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

$1.72 ARS 2,603

41.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.03 $13.03

$4.29 ARS 6,505

203.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.11 $16.11

$5.70 ARS 8,645

182.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.17 ARS 3,288

32.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.98 $4.98

$2.76 ARS 4,188

80.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 $0.99

$0.75 ARS 1,141

32.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.57 $35.57

$27.27 ARS 41.4K

30.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.09 $5.09

$1.57 ARS 2,375

224.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.03 ARS 1,558

64.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.13 $24.13

$7.90 ARS 12.0K

205.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.42 ARS 2,160

-32.39%

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

$24.7K $24.7K

$27.9K ARS 42.4M

-11.50%

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

$25.1K $25.1K

$35.0K ARS 53.1M

-28.30%

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

$176 $176

$195 ARS 296.2K

-9.68%

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

$54.3 $54.3

$25.16 ARS 38.2K

115.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$31.54 ARS 47.9K

125.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.0 $69.0

$50.9 ARS 77.3K

35.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.74 $19.74

$16.73 ARS 25.4K

17.99%

Cinema Ticket

$15.97 $15.97

$10.34 ARS 15.7K

54.45%

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

$1,370 $1,370

$463 ARS 703.2K

195.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.1K $36.1K

$8,793 ARS 13.3M

311.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.4 $58.4

$120 ARS 181.8K

-51.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.68 $44.68

$95.5 ARS 144.9K

-53.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.1 $90.1

$114 ARS 173.1K

-21.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$139 ARS 211.4K

-24.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,005 $1,005

$756 ARS 1.1M

32.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$822 $822

$520 ARS 788.8K

58.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,860 $1,860

$1,590 ARS 2.4M

16.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,505 $1,505

$1,198 ARS 1.8M

25.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,432 $2,432

$2,713 ARS 4.1M

-10.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,185 $2,185

$1,901 ARS 2.9M

14.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,597 $3,597

$938 ARS 1.4M

283.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.41

57.25

-88.80%

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

Last update for Ames, IA: October 11, 2026

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ames, IA

$822 38.4%

Buenos Aires

$520 31.4% 36.8% $302

Groceries & Markets

Ames, IA

$436 20.4%

Buenos Aires

$283 17.1% 35.1% $153

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ames, IA

$302 14.1%

Buenos Aires

$252 15.2% 16.5% $50

Eating Out

Ames, IA

$293 13.7%

Buenos Aires

$282 17% 4% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Ames, IA

$134 6.3%

Buenos Aires

$211 12.7% 57.4% $77

Sport & Entertainment

Ames, IA

$101 4.7%

Buenos Aires

$72 4.3% 29.1% $29

Getting Around

Ames, IA

$53 2.5%

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2% 30.3% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,005 in Ames, IA and $756 in Buenos Aires. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ames, IA pays 284% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $52.0 in Ames, IA vs $66.0 in Buenos Aires. Groceries flip the comparison at $436 vs $283, with Buenos Aires cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Ames, IA

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🕒 Local time

15:24 3:24 PM

17:24 5:24 PM

2 h ahead of Ames, IA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

66,427

2,891,082 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Argentine Peso ARS $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ARS, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇦🇷 Argentine Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 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).

ARS to USD in detail →

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Ames, IA Buenos Aires 9,240 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Ames, IA
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

Ames, IA vs Buenos Aires: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires wins on cost – living expenses run 29% lower than in Ames, IA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Buenos Aires the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 284% higher in Ames, IA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,005 in Ames, IA versus $756 in Buenos Aires. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Buenos Aires runs roughly 30% less than in Ames, IA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,370 in Ames, IA versus $463 in Buenos Aires. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,656 in Buenos Aires versus $2,142 in Ames, IA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Buenos Aires but tight or insufficient in Ames, IA. The gap between the two cities makes Buenos Aires the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Buenos Aires delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,656 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Buenos Aires hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ames, IA and Buenos Aires are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Buenos Aires gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Ames, IA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.