Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Al-mawsil

For one person, living is cheaper in Al-mawsil: $601 a month against $1,656 in Buenos Aires, rent and utilities included – about $12,700 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
29

Cost of Living Index in Al-mawsil
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Al-mawsil Living Index

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Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,656

/mo nomad

Al-mawsil

🇮🇶 Iraq

$601

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Buenos Aires and in Al-mawsil

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 Al-mawsil actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,656 in Buenos Aires versus $601 in Al-mawsil.

Buenos Aires $1,656
Al-mawsil $601

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,697 in Buenos Aires versus $917 in Al-mawsil.

Buenos Aires $2,697
Al-mawsil $917

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,737 in Buenos Aires versus $1,233 in Al-mawsil.

Buenos Aires $3,737
Al-mawsil $1,233

Living in Buenos Aires is roughly 175% more expensive than in Al-mawsil, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Buenos Aires is 23% above, Al-mawsil is 55% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.09 ARS 29.0K

$6.46 IQD 9,767

195.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 ARS 99.9K

$10.37 IQD 15.7K

534.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.20 ARS 20.0K

$5.03 IQD 7,597

162.43%

Cappuccino

$3.85 ARS 5,841

$0.68 IQD 1,024

466.18%

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

$1.99 ARS 3,020

$0.34 IQD 519

485.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ARS 2,430

$0.14 IQD 219

1042.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.93 ARS 5,959

$0.85 IQD 1,286

362.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 ARS 7,003

$1.31 IQD 1,977

251.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 ARS 2,272

$0.63 IQD 950

138.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 ARS 3,837

$0.64 IQD 964

295.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 ARS 2,445

$0.54 IQD 816

198.15%

Eggs

$2.84 ARS 4,316

$0.94 IQD 1,424

202.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.30 ARS 15.6K

$7.10 IQD 10.7K

45.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

$3.00 IQD 4,536

233.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.30 ARS 20.2K

$7.80 IQD 11.8K

70.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.88 ARS 4,366

$0.64 IQD 970

350.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 ARS 3,334

$0.67 IQD 1,013

228.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.40 ARS 2,120

$0.51 IQD 769

174.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 ARS 3,004

$0.22 IQD 332

800.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 ARS 1,835

$0.27 IQD 408

348.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 ARS 1,910

$0.32 IQD 483

293.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 ARS 2,592

$0.61 IQD 928

180.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 ARS 2,603

$0.51 IQD 773

237.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 ARS 6,505

$1.62 IQD 2,448

164.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.70 ARS 8,645

$10.82 IQD 16.3K

-47.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 ARS 3,288

$1.41 IQD 2,124

53.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ARS 4,188

$1.88 IQD 2,838

46.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ARS 1,141

$0.40 IQD 600

87.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.27 ARS 41.4K

$19.83 IQD 30.0K

37.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.57 ARS 2,375

$1.61 IQD 2,438

-2.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ARS 1,558

$1.61 IQD 2,430

-36.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ARS 12.0K

$3.86 IQD 5,830

104.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ARS 2,160

$0.29 IQD 432

389.66%

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

$27.9K ARS 42.4M

$13.2K IQD 19.9M

111.88%

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

$35.0K ARS 53.1M

$15.0K IQD 22.7M

132.84%

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

$195 ARS 296.2K

$92.5 IQD 139.8K

111.05%

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

$25.16 ARS 38.2K

$12.26 IQD 18.5K

105.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.54 ARS 47.9K

$23.36 IQD 35.3K

35.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.9 ARS 77.3K

$36.85 IQD 55.7K

38.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.73 ARS 25.4K

$6.72 IQD 10.2K

148.96%

Cinema Ticket

$10.34 ARS 15.7K

$6.74 IQD 10.2K

53.41%

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

$463 ARS 703.2K

$307 IQD 463.9K

50.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,793 ARS 13.3M

$588 IQD 888.5K

1395.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$120 ARS 181.8K

$16.19 IQD 24.5K

640.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$95.5 ARS 144.9K

$13.44 IQD 20.3K

610.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 ARS 173.1K

$59.1 IQD 89.3K

93.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 ARS 211.4K

$15.72 IQD 23.8K

786.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 ARS 1.1M

$176 IQD 265.7K

330.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$520 ARS 788.8K

$130 IQD 196.5K

299.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,590 ARS 2.4M

$381 IQD 575.7K

317.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,198 ARS 1.8M

$305 IQD 461.0K

292.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,713 ARS 4.1M

$745 IQD 1.1M

264.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,901 ARS 2.9M

$587 IQD 887.1K

223.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$938 ARS 1.4M

$537 IQD 811.7K

74.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

2.53

2162.85%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 11, 2026

Last update for Al-mawsil: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$520 31.4%

Al-mawsil

$130 21.6% 75% $390

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$283 17.1%

Al-mawsil

$131 21.8% 53.7% $152

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$282 17%

Al-mawsil

$84 13.9% 70.3% $198

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$252 15.2%

Al-mawsil

$128 21.3% 49.1% $124

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$211 12.7%

Al-mawsil

$47 7.8% 77.7% $164

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$72 4.3%

Al-mawsil

$50 8.4% 29.7% $21

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2%

Al-mawsil

$31 5.2% 16% $5.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $756 in Buenos Aires and $176 in Al-mawsil. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buenos Aires pays 75% 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: $66.0 in Buenos Aires vs $10.00 in Al-mawsil for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $131 per month, with Al-mawsil cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇮🇶 Al-mawsil

🕒 Local time

17:49 5:49 PM

23:49 11:49 PM

6 h ahead of Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

1,683,000

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IQD, USD, EUR to ARS – Argentine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇷 Argentine Peso ($)

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,706 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR).

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,699 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Buenos Aires Al-mawsil 13,120 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Buenos Aires
Al-mawsil

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 Al-mawsil: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al-mawsil is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 175% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 75% 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $756 in Buenos Aires versus $176 in Al-mawsil. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $463 in Buenos Aires versus $307 in Al-mawsil. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 116% higher in Buenos Aires. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $601 in Al-mawsil versus $1,656 in Buenos Aires, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Al-mawsil but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes Al-mawsil the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Al-mawsil is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Buenos Aires, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Buenos Aires and Al-mawsil are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Al-mawsil gentler on the wallet – expenses run 175% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.