Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Aktau

For one person, living is cheaper in Aktau: $793 a month against $1,656 in Buenos Aires, rent and utilities included – about $10,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
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Buenos Aires Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Aktau
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Aktau Living Index

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Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,656

/mo nomad

Aktau

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$793

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,656 per month in Buenos Aires vs $793 in Aktau, rent included.

Buenos Aires $1,656
Aktau $793

A couple spends around $2,697 per month in Buenos Aires vs $1,317 in Aktau, rent included.

Buenos Aires $2,697
Aktau $1,317

A family of three spends $3,737 per month in Buenos Aires vs $1,842 in Aktau, rent included.

Buenos Aires $3,737
Aktau $1,842

Buenos Aires costs about 109% more than Aktau, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Buenos Aires sits 23% above the global median, while Aktau is 41% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.09 ARS 29.0K

$11.07 ₸5,005

72.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 ARS 99.9K

$43.55 ₸19.7K

51.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.20 ARS 20.0K

$10.17 ₸4,596

29.79%

Cappuccino

$3.85 ARS 5,841

$2.49 ₸1,128

54.62%

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

$1.99 ARS 3,020

$0.74 ₸333

168.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ARS 2,430

$0.48 ₸219

233.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.93 ARS 5,959

$1.30 ₸586

202.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 ARS 7,003

$1.53 ₸690

201.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 ARS 2,272

$1.41 ₸638

6.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 ARS 3,837

$0.47 ₸211

438.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 ARS 2,445

$1.91 ₸864

-15.71%

Eggs

$2.84 ARS 4,316

$1.73 ₸783

64.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.30 ARS 15.6K

$9.87 ₸4,463

4.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

$4.24 ₸1,915

135.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.30 ARS 20.2K

$8.95 ₸4,044

48.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.88 ARS 4,366

$1.53 ₸689

88.24%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 ARS 3,334

$2.24 ₸1,013

-1.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.40 ARS 2,120

$2.35 ₸1,064

-40.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 ARS 3,004

$2.80 ₸1,264

-29.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 ARS 1,835

$0.65 ₸295

86.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 ARS 1,910

$0.56 ₸254

125.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 ARS 2,592

$1.55 ₸700

10.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 ARS 2,603

$0.94 ₸424

82.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 ARS 6,505

$2.59 ₸1,172

65.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.70 ARS 8,645

$9.54 ₸4,313

-40.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 ARS 3,288

$0.72 ₸326

201.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ARS 4,188

$0.87 ₸393

217.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ARS 1,141

$0.18 ₸82.6

316.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.27 ARS 41.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.57 ARS 2,375

$1.13 ₸512

38.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ARS 1,558

$0.64 ₸290

60.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ARS 12.0K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ARS 2,160

$0.63 ₸283

125.40%

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

$27.9K ARS 42.4M

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

$35.0K ARS 53.1M

$31.4K ₸14.2M

11.28%

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

$195 ARS 296.2K

$45.69 ₸20.7K

327.23%

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

$25.16 ARS 38.2K

$7.94 ₸3,587

216.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.54 ARS 47.9K

$11.01 ₸4,979

186.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.9 ARS 77.3K

$35.98 ₸16.3K

41.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.73 ARS 25.4K

Cinema Ticket

$10.34 ARS 15.7K

$3.18 ₸1,437

225.16%

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

$463 ARS 703.2K

$143 ₸64.8K

223.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,793 ARS 13.3M

$2,621 ₸1.2M

235.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$120 ARS 181.8K

$66.8 ₸30.2K

79.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$95.5 ARS 144.9K

$40.67 ₸18.4K

134.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 ARS 173.1K

$71.7 ₸32.4K

59.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 ARS 211.4K

$89.6 ₸40.5K

55.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 ARS 1.1M

$330 ₸149.2K

129.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$520 ARS 788.8K

$196 ₸88.6K

165.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,590 ARS 2.4M

$551 ₸249.0K

188.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,198 ARS 1.8M

$393 ₸177.8K

204.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,713 ARS 4.1M

$813 ₸367.6K

233.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,901 ARS 2.9M

$659 ₸297.7K

188.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$938 ARS 1.4M

$564 ₸254.8K

66.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

308.93%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 11, 2026

Last update for Aktau: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$520 31.4%

Aktau

$196 24.7% 62.3% $324

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$283 17.1%

Aktau

$200 25.3% 29.2% $83

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$282 17%

Aktau

$163 20.6% 42% $118

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$252 15.2%

Aktau

$65 8.2% 74.3% $187

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$211 12.7%

Aktau

$121 15.3% 42.7% $90

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$72 4.3%

Aktau

$42 5.3% 40.9% $29

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2%

Aktau

$5.1 * 0.6% 86.3% $32

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $756 in Buenos Aires versus $330 in Aktau. 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 66% 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 $66.0 in Buenos Aires versus $44.00 in Aktau. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $283 vs $200 – making Aktau the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇰🇿 Aktau

🕒 Local time

08:48 8:48 AM

16:48 4:48 PM

8 h ahead of Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

273,830

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KZT, USD, EUR to ARS – Argentine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇷 Argentine Peso ($)

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).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 452 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 508 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Buenos Aires Aktau 14,040 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Buenos Aires
Aktau

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 Aktau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires costs about 109% more than Aktau, 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.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,484 per month in Buenos Aires and $1,189 in Aktau. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Aktau, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $66.0 in Buenos Aires and $44.00 in Aktau. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

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.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Aktau, where all-in costs run around $793, than in Buenos Aires at $1,656. In Aktau it covers expenses comfortably, while in Buenos Aires it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Aktau costs $793 versus $1,656 in Buenos Aires. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Aktau. 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.