Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Arbon and Buenos Aires

For one person, living is cheaper in Buenos Aires: $1,656 a month against $3,464 in Arbon, rent and utilities included – about $21,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Arbon
🇨🇭 Switzerland
$3,464
/mo nomad
Buenos Aires
🇦🇷 Argentina
$1,656
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,464 per month in Arbon vs $1,656 in Buenos Aires, rent included.

  • Arbon $3,464
  • Buenos Aires $1,656

A couple spends around $5,192 per month in Arbon vs $2,697 in Buenos Aires, rent included.

  • Arbon $5,192
  • Buenos Aires $2,697

A family of three spends $6,920 per month in Arbon vs $3,737 in Buenos Aires, rent included.

  • Arbon $6,920
  • Buenos Aires $3,737

Arbon costs about 109% more than Buenos Aires, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Arbon and Buenos Aires sit above the global median – Arbon by 157%, Buenos Aires by 23%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Arbon
Buenos Aires
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$29.53 CHF 24.33
$19.09 ARS 29.0K
54.69%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$144 CHF 118
$65.8 ARS 99.9K
118.16%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$18.95 CHF 15.61
$13.20 ARS 20.0K
43.56%
Cappuccino
$6.11 CHF 5.03
$3.85 ARS 5,841
58.70%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.74 CHF 4.73
$1.99 ARS 3,020
188.44%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.09 CHF 4.19
$1.60 ARS 2,430
218.13%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$9.00 CHF 7.42
$3.93 ARS 5,959
129.01%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.17 CHF 5.08
$4.61 ARS 7,003
33.84%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Arbon
Buenos Aires
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.16 CHF 1.78
$1.50 ARS 2,272
44.00%
White Bread (500g)
$3.15 CHF 2.60
$2.53 ARS 3,837
24.51%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.79 CHF 3.12
$1.61 ARS 2,445
135.40%
Eggs
$7.88 CHF 6.49
$2.84 ARS 4,316
177.46%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$25.14 CHF 20.71
$10.30 ARS 15.6K
144.08%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$28.42 CHF 23.41
$10.00 ARS 15.2K
184.20%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$41.09 CHF 33.84
$13.30 ARS 20.2K
208.95%
Apples (1kg)
$3.42 CHF 2.82
$2.88 ARS 4,366
18.75%
Banana (1kg)
$2.00 CHF 1.65
$2.20 ARS 3,334
-9.09%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.39 CHF 1.97
$1.40 ARS 2,120
70.71%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.28 CHF 4.35
$1.98 ARS 3,004
166.67%
Potato (1kg)
$2.04 CHF 1.68
$1.21 ARS 1,835
68.60%
Onion (1kg)
$2.19 CHF 1.80
$1.26 ARS 1,910
73.81%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.28 CHF 1.88
$1.71 ARS 2,592
33.33%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.22 CHF 1.01
$1.72 ARS 2,603
-29.07%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.64 CHF 8.77
$4.29 ARS 6,505
148.02%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.47 CHF 13.57
$5.70 ARS 8,645
188.95%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.12 CHF 1.75
$2.17 ARS 3,288
-2.30%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.25 CHF 1.85
$2.76 ARS 4,188
-18.48%
🚌 Getting Around
Arbon
Buenos Aires
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.81 CHF 3.96
$0.75 ARS 1,141
541.33%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$96.0 CHF 79.1
$27.27 ARS 41.4K
252.18%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$6.50 CHF 5.35
$1.57 ARS 2,375
314.01%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$4.73 CHF 3.89
$1.03 ARS 1,558
359.22%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$36.17 CHF 29.79
$7.90 ARS 12.0K
357.85%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.29 CHF 1.89
$1.42 ARS 2,160
61.27%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.5K CHF 28.4K
$27.9K ARS 42.4M
23.26%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.3K CHF 32.4K
$35.0K ARS 53.1M
12.34%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Arbon
Buenos Aires
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$275 CHF 227
$195 ARS 296.2K
41.08%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$38.11 CHF 31.39
$25.16 ARS 38.2K
51.47%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$54.4 CHF 44.78
$31.54 ARS 47.9K
72.38%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Arbon
Buenos Aires
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$90.0 CHF 74.1
$50.9 ARS 77.3K
76.75%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$39.06 CHF 32.17
$16.73 ARS 25.4K
133.47%
Cinema Ticket
$23.43 CHF 19.29
$10.34 ARS 15.7K
126.60%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Arbon
Buenos Aires
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,250 CHF 1,853
$463 ARS 703.2K
385.48%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$31.3K CHF 25.8K
$8,793 ARS 13.3M
256.28%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Arbon
Buenos Aires
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$143 CHF 118
$120 ARS 181.8K
19.44%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$65.1 CHF 53.6
$95.5 ARS 144.9K
-31.86%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$143 CHF 118
$114 ARS 173.1K
25.63%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$177 CHF 146
$139 ARS 211.4K
27.34%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Arbon
Buenos Aires
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,561 CHF 1,286
$756 ARS 1.1M
106.38%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,521 CHF 1,253
$520 ARS 788.8K
192.62%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,904 CHF 2,392
$1,590 ARS 2.4M
82.65%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,322 CHF 1,912
$1,198 ARS 1.8M
93.77%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$13.9K CHF 11.5K
$2,713 ARS 4.1M
413.71%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$13.6K CHF 11.2K
$1,901 ARS 2.9M
617.96%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Arbon
Buenos Aires
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$11.1K CHF 9,124
$938 ARS 1.4M
1081.31%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
1.9
57.25
-96.68%

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

Last update for Arbon: 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
Arbon
$1.5K
Buenos Aires
$520 65.8% $1K
Groceries & Markets
Arbon
$588
Buenos Aires
$283 51.8% $305
Eating Out
Arbon
$467
Buenos Aires
$282 39.7% $185
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Arbon
$368
Buenos Aires
$252 31.5% $116
Clothing & Footwear
Arbon
$238
Buenos Aires
$211 11.4% $27
Getting Around
Arbon
$145
Buenos Aires
$37 74.6% $108
Sport & Entertainment
Arbon
$137
Buenos Aires
$72 47.7% $65

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,561 in Arbon 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 1081% higher in Arbon, 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 $144 in Arbon 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
🇨🇭 Arbon
🇦🇷 Buenos Aires
🕒 Local time
12:42 12:42 PM
07:42 7:42 AM
5 h behind Arbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
15,853
2,891,082 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

ARS, USD, EUR to CHF – Swiss Franc Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Arbon Buenos Aires 11,350 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Arbon
  • 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
Arbon vs Buenos Aires: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Arbon and in Buenos Aires compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $3,464 in Arbon, $1,656 in Buenos Aires – roughly 109% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Arbon compared to Buenos Aires?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,197 per month in Arbon and $2,484 in Buenos Aires. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Arbon and Buenos Aires?
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.
Which city is more expensive overall: Arbon or Buenos Aires?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,464 in Arbon and $1,656 in Buenos Aires. That's a gap of about 109%.
How do commuting costs compare in Arbon and in Buenos Aires?
Public transport costs about 252% less in Buenos Aires. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Buenos Aires, where all-in costs run around $1,656, than in Arbon at $3,464. In Buenos Aires it covers expenses comfortably, while in Arbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Arbon and Buenos Aires?
It depends on your priorities. Buenos Aires has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,656 in Buenos Aires to $3,464 in Arbon. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Arbon or Buenos Aires safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Arbon and Buenos Aires?
If budget matters most, go with Buenos Aires. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Arbon makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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