Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Abha

For one person, living is cheaper in Abha: $1,060 a month against $1,656 in Buenos Aires, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Buenos Aires
🇦🇷 Argentina
$1,656
/mo nomad
Abha
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia
$1,060
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,656 per month in Buenos Aires vs $1,060 in Abha, rent included.

  • Buenos Aires $1,656
  • Abha $1,060

A couple spends around $2,697 per month in Buenos Aires vs $1,757 in Abha, rent included.

  • Buenos Aires $2,697
  • Abha $1,757

A family of three spends $3,737 per month in Buenos Aires vs $2,454 in Abha, rent included.

  • Buenos Aires $3,737
  • Abha $2,454

Buenos Aires costs about 56% more than Abha, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Buenos Aires sits 23% above the global median, while Abha is 21% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Buenos Aires
Abha
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.09 ARS 29.0K
$5.46 SAR 20.50
249.63%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$65.8 ARS 99.9K
$50.2 SAR 188
31.05%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.20 ARS 20.0K
$7.31 SAR 27.43
80.57%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$1.63 SAR 6.12
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$1.35 SAR 5.08
-
Cappuccino
$3.85 ARS 5,841
$3.18 SAR 11.92
21.07%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.99 ARS 3,020
$0.63 SAR 2.37
215.87%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.60 ARS 2,430
$0.24 SAR 0.90
566.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.93 ARS 5,959
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.61 ARS 7,003
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Buenos Aires
Abha
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.50 ARS 2,272
$1.56 SAR 5.84
-3.85%
White Bread (500g)
$2.53 ARS 3,837
$0.65 SAR 2.43
289.23%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.61 ARS 2,445
$1.90 SAR 7.12
-15.26%
Eggs
$2.84 ARS 4,316
$3.21 SAR 12.06
-11.53%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.30 ARS 15.6K
$4.57 SAR 17.15
125.38%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.00 ARS 15.2K
$7.44 SAR 27.90
34.41%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.30 ARS 20.2K
$18.32 SAR 68.8
-27.40%
Apples (1kg)
$2.88 ARS 4,366
$2.10 SAR 7.88
37.14%
Banana (1kg)
$2.20 ARS 3,334
$1.96 SAR 7.36
12.24%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.40 ARS 2,120
$1.57 SAR 5.91
-10.83%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.98 ARS 3,004
$1.56 SAR 5.84
26.92%
Potato (1kg)
$1.21 ARS 1,835
$2.25 SAR 8.46
-46.22%
Onion (1kg)
$1.26 ARS 1,910
$1.27 SAR 4.77
-0.79%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.71 ARS 2,592
$0.33 SAR 1.25
418.18%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.72 ARS 2,603
$0.47 SAR 1.78
265.96%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
-
$4.44 SAR 16.65
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$1.17 SAR 4.41
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$1.45 SAR 5.44
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.29 ARS 6,505
$9.58 SAR 35.95
-55.22%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.70 ARS 8,645
-
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.17 ARS 3,288
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.76 ARS 4,188
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Buenos Aires
Abha
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.75 ARS 1,141
$0.86 SAR 3.24
-12.79%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.27 ARS 41.4K
$37.13 SAR 139
-26.56%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.57 ARS 2,375
$2.89 SAR 10.85
-45.67%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.03 ARS 1,558
$2.59 SAR 9.74
-60.23%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.90 ARS 12.0K
$13.67 SAR 51.3
-42.21%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.42 ARS 2,160
$0.59 SAR 2.22
140.68%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.9K ARS 42.4M
$45.2K SAR 169.5K
-38.11%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$35.0K ARS 53.1M
$19.2K SAR 71.9K
82.47%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Buenos Aires
Abha
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$195 ARS 296.2K
$89.1 SAR 334
119.10%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$25.16 ARS 38.2K
$37.23 SAR 140
-32.42%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$31.54 ARS 47.9K
$75.8 SAR 284
-58.39%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Buenos Aires
Abha
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$50.9 ARS 77.3K
$92.6 SAR 348
-45.03%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.73 ARS 25.4K
$44.68 SAR 168
-62.56%
Cinema Ticket
$10.34 ARS 15.7K
$15.72 SAR 59.0
-34.22%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Buenos Aires
Abha
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$463 ARS 703.2K
$213 SAR 797
118.06%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,793 ARS 13.3M
$4,189 SAR 15.7K
109.92%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Buenos Aires
Abha
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$120 ARS 181.8K
$31.21 SAR 117
283.95%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$95.5 ARS 144.9K
$70.2 SAR 263
36.07%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$114 ARS 173.1K
$95.9 SAR 360
18.94%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$139 ARS 211.4K
$66.5 SAR 250
109.41%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Buenos Aires
Abha
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$756 ARS 1.1M
$316 SAR 1,185
139.48%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$520 ARS 788.8K
$251 SAR 941
107.26%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,590 ARS 2.4M
$528 SAR 1,983
200.99%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,198 ARS 1.8M
$572 SAR 2,148
109.37%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,713 ARS 4.1M
$932 SAR 3,497
191.18%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,901 ARS 2.9M
$1,343 SAR 5,040
41.52%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Buenos Aires
Abha
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$938 ARS 1.4M
$2,229 SAR 8,366
-57.94%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
57.25
6
854.17%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 11, 2026

Last update for Abha: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Buenos Aires
$520
Abha
$251 51.8% $269
Groceries & Markets
Buenos Aires
$283
Abha
$201 29% $82
Eating Out
Buenos Aires
$282
Abha
$107 61.9% $174
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Buenos Aires
$252
Abha
$202 19.8% $50
Clothing & Footwear
Buenos Aires
$211
Abha
$119 43.7% $92
Sport & Entertainment
Buenos Aires
$72
Abha
$124 73.3% $52
Getting Around
Buenos Aires
$37
Abha
$56 52.7% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $756 in Buenos Aires versus $316 in Abha. 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 138% higher in Abha, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $66.0 in Buenos Aires versus $50.0 in Abha. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $283 vs $201 – making Abha the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇦🇷 Buenos Aires
🇸🇦 Abha
🕒 Local time
22:23 10:23 PM
04:23 4:23 AM
6 h ahead of Buenos Aires
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,891,082 Capital
236,157
💱 Currency
Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س
Exchange rates and currency converter

SAR, USD, EUR to ARS – Argentine Peso Converter

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).

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.22 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Buenos Aires Abha 12,120 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Buenos Aires
  • Abha

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
Buenos Aires vs Abha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Buenos Aires or Abha?
Buenos Aires costs about 56% more than Abha, 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Buenos Aires and in Abha?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,484 per month in Buenos Aires and $1,591 in Abha. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Buenos Aires or Abha?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Abha, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Buenos Aires or in Abha?
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.
How do dining costs compare in Buenos Aires and in Abha?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $66.0 in Buenos Aires and $50.0 in Abha. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Buenos Aires or in Abha?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Abha, where all-in costs run around $1,060, than in Buenos Aires at $1,656. In Abha it covers expenses comfortably, while in Buenos Aires it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Buenos Aires or Abha?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Abha costs $1,060 versus $1,656 in Buenos Aires. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Buenos Aires compared to Abha?
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.
Should I move to Buenos Aires or to Abha?
If budget matters most, go with Abha. 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.

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