Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Abuja

For one person, living is cheaper in Abuja: $1,005 a month against $1,685 in Buenos Aires, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Buenos Aires
🇦🇷 Argentina
$1,685
/mo nomad
Abuja
🇳🇬 Nigeria
$1,005
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Abuja actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,685 in Buenos Aires versus $1,005 in Abuja.

  • Buenos Aires $1,685
  • Abuja $1,005

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,742 in Buenos Aires versus $1,961 in Abuja.

  • Buenos Aires $2,742
  • Abuja $1,961

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,799 in Buenos Aires versus $2,916 in Abuja.

  • Buenos Aires $3,799
  • Abuja $2,916

Living in Buenos Aires is roughly 68% more expensive than in Abuja, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Buenos Aires is 26% above, Abuja is 25% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Buenos Aires
Abuja
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.73 ARS 28.4K
$2.01 ₦2,673
831.84%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$64.5 ARS 97.8K
$30.45 ₦40.5K
111.76%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.88 ARS 19.5K
$3.90 ₦5,177
230.26%
Cappuccino
$3.98 ARS 6,029
$3.38 ₦4,496
17.75%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.05 ARS 3,103
$0.50 ₦667
310.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.55 ARS 2,349
$0.72 ₦963
115.28%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.84 ARS 5,830
$1.02 ₦1,349
276.47%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.60 ARS 6,970
$2.10 ₦2,791
119.05%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Buenos Aires
Abuja
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.44 ARS 2,181
$3.75 ₦4,975
-61.60%
White Bread (500g)
$2.46 ARS 3,738
$1.30 ₦1,726
89.23%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.63 ARS 2,467
$2.29 ₦3,045
-28.82%
Eggs
$2.89 ARS 4,385
$1.80 ₦2,390
60.56%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.65 ARS 16.1K
$10.86 ₦14.4K
-1.93%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.00 ARS 15.2K
$5.22 ₦6,931
91.57%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.74 ARS 20.8K
$5.78 ₦7,673
137.72%
Apples (1kg)
$2.75 ARS 4,166
$1.98 ₦2,631
38.89%
Banana (1kg)
$2.18 ARS 3,300
$1.44 ₦1,918
51.39%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.45 ARS 2,205
$1.54 ₦2,044
-5.84%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.99 ARS 3,013
$2.26 ₦3,002
-11.95%
Potato (1kg)
$1.24 ARS 1,885
$1.80 ₦2,385
-31.11%
Onion (1kg)
$1.27 ARS 1,921
$2.39 ₦3,172
-46.86%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.70 ARS 2,575
$0.60 ₦802
183.33%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.73 ARS 2,617
$0.38 ₦504
355.26%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.18 ARS 6,337
$1.95 ₦2,595
114.36%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.80 ARS 8,790
$5.96 ₦7,923
-2.68%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.09 ARS 3,163
$1.23 ₦1,640
69.92%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.77 ARS 4,198
$1.83 ₦2,433
51.37%
🚌 Getting Around
Buenos Aires
Abuja
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.75 ARS 1,132
$0.44 ₦580
70.45%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.15 ARS 41.2K
$32.75 ₦43.5K
-17.10%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.62 ARS 2,451
$0.63 ₦836
157.14%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.98 ARS 1,481
$0.80 ₦1,062
22.50%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.72 ARS 11.7K
$1.87 ₦2,478
312.83%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.36 ARS 2,058
$0.56 ₦741
142.86%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.0K ARS 42.5M
$26.0K ₦34.5M
7.74%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.5K ARS 52.4M
$18.1K ₦24.1M
90.55%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Buenos Aires
Abuja
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$216 ARS 326.9K
$115 ₦152.3K
88.02%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$25.61 ARS 38.8K
$6.43 ₦8,537
298.29%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$31.36 ARS 47.6K
$29.45 ₦39.1K
6.49%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Buenos Aires
Abuja
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$49.82 ARS 75.6K
$26.20 ₦34.8K
90.15%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.06 ARS 25.9K
$9.60 ₦12.8K
77.71%
Cinema Ticket
$10.43 ARS 15.8K
$6.59 ₦8,749
58.27%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Buenos Aires
Abuja
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$466 ARS 706.7K
$45.94 ₦61.0K
914.43%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,057 ARS 13.7M
$3,119 ₦4.1M
190.39%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Buenos Aires
Abuja
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$122 ARS 185.2K
$26.42 ₦35.1K
362.19%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$97.4 ARS 147.8K
$60.3 ₦80.0K
61.73%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$117 ARS 177.4K
$79.3 ₦105.3K
47.55%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$140 ARS 211.9K
$107 ₦142.3K
30.45%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Buenos Aires
Abuja
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$763 ARS 1.2M
$591 ₦785.2K
29.14%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$505 ARS 766.1K
$345 ₦458.2K
46.46%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,598 ARS 2.4M
$1,444 ₦1.9M
10.72%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,185 ARS 1.8M
$1,567 ₦2.1M
-24.41%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,678 ARS 4.1M
$717 ₦952.4K
273.56%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,858 ARS 2.8M
$384 ₦510.5K
383.47%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Buenos Aires
Abuja
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$954 ARS 1.4M
$170 ₦225.5K
462.25%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
57.25
22.5
154.44%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 6, 2026

Last update for Abuja: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Buenos Aires
$505
Abuja
$345 31.7% $160
Groceries & Markets
Buenos Aires
$284
Abuja
$218 23.4% $66
Eating Out
Buenos Aires
$279
Abuja
$83 70.4% $196
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Buenos Aires
$273
Abuja
$151 44.8% $122
Clothing & Footwear
Buenos Aires
$214
Abuja
$123 42.7% $91
Sport & Entertainment
Buenos Aires
$71
Abuja
$39 44.3% $31
Getting Around
Buenos Aires
$37
Abuja
$39 6.8% $2.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $763 in Buenos Aires and $591 in Abuja. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buenos Aires pays 462% 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: $64.0 in Buenos Aires vs $30.00 in Abuja for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $284 vs $218 per month, with Abuja cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇦🇷 Buenos Aires
🇳🇬 Abuja
🕒 Local time
02:10 2:10 AM
06:10 6:10 AM
4 h ahead of Buenos Aires
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,891,082 Capital
776,298 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

NGN, 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 = 1,701 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR).

Nigerian Naira exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,328 NGN (10,000 NGN = 7.53 USD). 1 EUR = 1,490 NGN (10,000 NGN = 6.71 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Buenos Aires Abuja 8,450 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Buenos Aires
  • Abuja

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 Abuja: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Buenos Aires and in Abuja?
Buenos Aires and Abuja differ by about 68% in total monthly costs ($1,685 vs $1,005 including rent). Abuja is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Buenos Aires or Abuja?
Average pay runs 462% higher in Buenos Aires, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Buenos Aires and in Abuja?
Rent for a central apartment: $763 in Buenos Aires versus $591 in Abuja. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city is more expensive overall: Buenos Aires or Abuja?
All in, you'll spend $1,685 per month in Buenos Aires versus $1,005 in Abuja – a 68% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How do commuting costs compare in Buenos Aires and in Abuja?
A monthly transit pass in Abuja runs roughly 21% less than in Buenos Aires. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $1,005 in Abuja versus $1,685 in Buenos Aires, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Abuja but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes Abuja the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Buenos Aires and Abuja?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Is Buenos Aires or Abuja safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Buenos Aires and Abuja are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Buenos Aires or Abuja?
Expats usually find Abuja gentler on the wallet – expenses run 68% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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