Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Abomey-Calavi

For one person, living is cheaper in Abomey-Calavi: $714 a month against $1,685 in Buenos Aires, rent and utilities included – about $11,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Buenos Aires
🇦🇷 Argentina
$1,685
/mo nomad
Abomey-Calavi
🇧🇯 Benin
$714
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Buenos Aires and in Abomey-Calavi

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 Abomey-Calavi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,685 per month in Buenos Aires vs $714 in Abomey-Calavi, rent included.

  • Buenos Aires $1,685
  • Abomey-Calavi $714

A couple spends around $2,742 per month in Buenos Aires vs $1,133 in Abomey-Calavi, rent included.

  • Buenos Aires $2,742
  • Abomey-Calavi $1,133

A family of three spends $3,799 per month in Buenos Aires vs $1,553 in Abomey-Calavi, rent included.

  • Buenos Aires $3,799
  • Abomey-Calavi $1,553

Buenos Aires costs about 136% more than Abomey-Calavi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Buenos Aires sits 26% above the global median, while Abomey-Calavi is 47% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Buenos Aires
Abomey-Calavi
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.73 ARS 28.4K
$5.77 F CFA 3,375
224.61%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$64.5 ARS 97.8K
$25.69 F CFA 15.0K
150.99%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.88 ARS 19.5K
$8.11 F CFA 4,745
58.82%
Cappuccino
$3.98 ARS 6,029
$4.71 F CFA 2,753
-15.50%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.05 ARS 3,103
$1.11 F CFA 647
84.68%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.55 ARS 2,349
$1.76 F CFA 1,032
-11.93%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.84 ARS 5,830
$1.76 F CFA 1,031
118.18%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.60 ARS 6,970
$5.07 F CFA 2,967
-9.27%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Buenos Aires
Abomey-Calavi
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.44 ARS 2,181
$2.19 F CFA 1,282
-34.25%
White Bread (500g)
$2.46 ARS 3,738
$0.25 F CFA 145
884.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.63 ARS 2,467
$1.96 F CFA 1,148
-16.84%
Eggs
$2.89 ARS 4,385
$2.03 F CFA 1,190
42.36%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.65 ARS 16.1K
$3.42 F CFA 1,999
211.40%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.00 ARS 15.2K
$3.79 F CFA 2,220
163.85%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.74 ARS 20.8K
$5.90 F CFA 3,453
132.88%
Apples (1kg)
$2.75 ARS 4,166
$2.21 F CFA 1,296
24.43%
Banana (1kg)
$2.18 ARS 3,300
$0.90 F CFA 526
142.22%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.45 ARS 2,205
$0.67 F CFA 389
116.42%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.99 ARS 3,013
$2.03 F CFA 1,188
-1.97%
Potato (1kg)
$1.24 ARS 1,885
$0.97 F CFA 570
27.84%
Onion (1kg)
$1.27 ARS 1,921
$0.81 F CFA 475
56.79%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.70 ARS 2,575
$0.68 F CFA 397
150.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.73 ARS 2,617
$0.89 F CFA 519
94.38%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.18 ARS 6,337
$0.44 F CFA 260
850.00%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.80 ARS 8,790
$10.66 F CFA 6,237
-45.59%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.09 ARS 3,163
$0.97 F CFA 566
115.46%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.77 ARS 4,198
$1.12 F CFA 654
147.32%
🚌 Getting Around
Buenos Aires
Abomey-Calavi
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.75 ARS 1,132
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.15 ARS 41.2K
$7.65 F CFA 4,474
254.90%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.62 ARS 2,451
$1.71 F CFA 1,003
-5.26%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.98 ARS 1,481
$1.75 F CFA 1,025
-44.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.72 ARS 11.7K
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.36 ARS 2,058
$1.21 F CFA 710
12.40%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.0K ARS 42.5M
-
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.5K ARS 52.4M
-
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Buenos Aires
Abomey-Calavi
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$216 ARS 326.9K
$119 F CFA 69.8K
80.70%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$25.61 ARS 38.8K
$19.96 F CFA 11.7K
28.31%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$31.36 ARS 47.6K
$87.0 F CFA 50.9K
-63.95%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Buenos Aires
Abomey-Calavi
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$49.82 ARS 75.6K
$34.49 F CFA 20.2K
44.45%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.06 ARS 25.9K
$5.19 F CFA 3,035
228.71%
Cinema Ticket
$10.43 ARS 15.8K
$6.09 F CFA 3,564
71.26%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Buenos Aires
Abomey-Calavi
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$466 ARS 706.7K
-
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,057 ARS 13.7M
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Buenos Aires
Abomey-Calavi
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$122 ARS 185.2K
$17.19 F CFA 10.1K
610.35%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$97.4 ARS 147.8K
$8.54 F CFA 4,998
1040.98%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$117 ARS 177.4K
$26.30 F CFA 15.4K
344.68%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$140 ARS 211.9K
$25.80 F CFA 15.1K
441.59%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Buenos Aires
Abomey-Calavi
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$763 ARS 1.2M
$101 F CFA 58.8K
659.17%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$505 ARS 766.1K
$73.8 F CFA 43.2K
584.21%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,598 ARS 2.4M
$221 F CFA 129.2K
623.66%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,185 ARS 1.8M
$278 F CFA 162.5K
326.69%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,678 ARS 4.1M
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,858 ARS 2.8M
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Buenos Aires
Abomey-Calavi
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$954 ARS 1.4M
$85.1 F CFA 49.8K
1021.92%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
57.25
0
-

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 6, 2026

Last update for Abomey-Calavi: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Buenos Aires
$505
Abomey-Calavi
$74 85.4% $431
Groceries & Markets
Buenos Aires
$284
Abomey-Calavi
$163 42.7% $121
Eating Out
Buenos Aires
$279
Abomey-Calavi
$157 43.6% $122
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Buenos Aires
$273
Abomey-Calavi
$226 17% $46
Clothing & Footwear
Buenos Aires
$214
Abomey-Calavi
$35 83.7% $179
Sport & Entertainment
Buenos Aires
$71
Abomey-Calavi
$47 34% $24
Getting Around
Buenos Aires
$37
Abomey-Calavi
$18 * 50.5% $19

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $763 in Buenos Aires versus $101 in Abomey-Calavi. 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 1022% 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 $64.0 in Buenos Aires versus $26.00 in Abomey-Calavi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $284 vs $163 – making Abomey-Calavi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇦🇷 Buenos Aires
🇧🇯 Abomey-Calavi
🕒 Local time
06:43 6:43 AM
10:43 10:43 AM
4 h ahead of Buenos Aires
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,891,082 Capital
650,000
Exchange rates and currency converter

XOF, USD, EUR to ARS – Argentine Peso Converter

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,699 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR).

West African CFA Franc exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 585 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.53 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Buenos Aires Abomey-Calavi 7,830 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Buenos Aires
  • Abomey-Calavi

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 Abomey-Calavi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Abomey-Calavi cheaper than Buenos Aires?
Yes – Buenos Aires is pricier by about 136%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,528 per month in Buenos Aires and $1,071 in Abomey-Calavi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Abomey-Calavi, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Buenos Aires and in Abomey-Calavi?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,685 in Buenos Aires and $714 in Abomey-Calavi. That's a gap of about 136%.
Is eating out cheaper in Buenos Aires or in Abomey-Calavi?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $64.0 in Buenos Aires and $26.00 in Abomey-Calavi. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Buenos Aires or in Abomey-Calavi?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Abomey-Calavi, where all-in costs run around $714, than in Buenos Aires at $1,685. In Abomey-Calavi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Buenos Aires it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Buenos Aires or Abomey-Calavi more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Abomey-Calavi – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Buenos Aires or Abomey-Calavi?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Abomey-Calavi. 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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