Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Al-Rumaitha

For one person, living is cheaper in Al-Rumaitha: $650 a month against $1,656 in Buenos Aires, rent and utilities included – about $12,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
Learn more

Buenos Aires Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Al-Rumaitha
Learn more

Al-Rumaitha Living Index

Jump to prices

Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,656

/mo nomad

Al-Rumaitha

🇮🇶 Iraq

$650

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,656 in Buenos Aires versus $650 in Al-Rumaitha.

Buenos Aires $1,656
Al-Rumaitha $650

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,697 in Buenos Aires versus $1,027 in Al-Rumaitha.

Buenos Aires $2,697
Al-Rumaitha $1,027

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,737 in Buenos Aires versus $1,403 in Al-Rumaitha.

Buenos Aires $3,737
Al-Rumaitha $1,403

Living in Buenos Aires is roughly 155% more expensive than in Al-Rumaitha, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Buenos Aires is 23% above, Al-Rumaitha is 52% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.09 ARS 29.0K

$3.62 IQD 5,465

427.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 ARS 99.9K

$23.11 IQD 34.9K

184.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.20 ARS 20.0K

$7.08 IQD 10.7K

86.44%

Cappuccino

$3.85 ARS 5,841

$2.33 IQD 3,523

65.24%

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

$1.99 ARS 3,020

$0.31 IQD 471

541.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ARS 2,430

$0.19 IQD 286

742.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.93 ARS 5,959

$2.91 IQD 4,398

35.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 ARS 7,003

$2.60 IQD 3,936

77.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 ARS 2,272

$0.86 IQD 1,298

74.42%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 ARS 3,837

$0.78 IQD 1,185

224.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 ARS 2,445

$1.37 IQD 2,063

17.52%

Eggs

$2.84 ARS 4,316

$1.58 IQD 2,392

79.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.30 ARS 15.6K

$4.09 IQD 6,174

151.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

$3.61 IQD 5,449

177.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.30 ARS 20.2K

$12.06 IQD 18.2K

10.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.88 ARS 4,366

$0.92 IQD 1,384

213.04%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 ARS 3,334

$0.95 IQD 1,428

131.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.40 ARS 2,120

$0.84 IQD 1,268

66.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 ARS 3,004

$0.66 IQD 1,002

200.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 ARS 1,835

$0.56 IQD 844

116.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 ARS 1,910

$0.56 IQD 849

125.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 ARS 2,592

$0.56 IQD 839

205.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 ARS 2,603

$0.47 IQD 717

265.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 ARS 6,505

$1.63 IQD 2,468

163.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.70 ARS 8,645

$10.70 IQD 16.2K

-46.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 ARS 3,288

$1.40 IQD 2,120

55.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ARS 4,188

$1.78 IQD 2,691

55.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ARS 1,141

$0.42 IQD 639

78.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.27 ARS 41.4K

$22.08 IQD 33.4K

23.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.57 ARS 2,375

$1.80 IQD 2,724

-12.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ARS 1,558

$1.34 IQD 2,031

-23.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ARS 12.0K

$4.81 IQD 7,268

64.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ARS 2,160

$0.51 IQD 766

178.43%

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

$27.9K ARS 42.4M

$14.9K IQD 22.6M

87.06%

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

$35.0K ARS 53.1M

$16.9K IQD 25.5M

107.20%

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

$195 ARS 296.2K

$88.6 IQD 133.9K

120.32%

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

$25.16 ARS 38.2K

$12.11 IQD 18.3K

107.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.54 ARS 47.9K

$24.88 IQD 37.6K

26.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.9 ARS 77.3K

$37.29 IQD 56.3K

36.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.73 ARS 25.4K

$3.39 IQD 5,120

393.51%

Cinema Ticket

$10.34 ARS 15.7K

$9.20 IQD 13.9K

12.39%

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

$463 ARS 703.2K

$128 IQD 193.8K

261.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,793 ARS 13.3M

$2,684 IQD 4.1M

227.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$120 ARS 181.8K

$20.77 IQD 31.4K

476.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$95.5 ARS 144.9K

$21.12 IQD 31.9K

352.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 ARS 173.1K

$46.80 IQD 70.7K

143.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 ARS 211.4K

$30.79 IQD 46.5K

352.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 ARS 1.1M

$178 IQD 269.0K

324.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$520 ARS 788.8K

$128 IQD 194.1K

304.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,590 ARS 2.4M

$373 IQD 564.1K

325.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,198 ARS 1.8M

$308 IQD 465.9K

288.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,713 ARS 4.1M

$629 IQD 951.1K

331.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,901 ARS 2.9M

$532 IQD 803.7K

257.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$938 ARS 1.4M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

3.33

1619.22%

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-Rumaitha: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$520 31.4%

Al-Rumaitha

$128 19.8% 75.3% $391

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$283 17.1%

Al-Rumaitha

$154 23.7% 45.5% $129

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$282 17%

Al-Rumaitha

$100 15.4% 64.5% $182

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$252 15.2%

Al-Rumaitha

$126 19.3% 50.1% $126

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$211 12.7%

Al-Rumaitha

$54 8.3% 74.5% $157

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$72 4.3%

Al-Rumaitha

$56 8.6% 22.2% $16

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2%

Al-Rumaitha

$32 5% 12.7% $4.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $756 in Buenos Aires and $178 in Al-Rumaitha. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $66.0 in Buenos Aires vs $23.00 in Al-Rumaitha for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $154 per month, with Al-Rumaitha cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇮🇶 Al-Rumaitha

🕒 Local time

13:36 1:36 PM

19:36 7:36 PM

6 h ahead of Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

115,431

💱 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-Rumaitha 13,070 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Buenos Aires
Al-Rumaitha

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-Rumaitha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al-Rumaitha is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 155% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,484 in Buenos Aires and $975 in Al-Rumaitha to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $756 in Buenos Aires versus $178 in Al-Rumaitha. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,656 per month in Buenos Aires versus $650 in Al-Rumaitha – a 155% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Al-Rumaitha runs roughly 24% less than in Buenos Aires. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $650 in Al-Rumaitha versus $1,656 in Buenos Aires, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Al-Rumaitha but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes Al-Rumaitha the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Al-Rumaitha 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-Rumaitha 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-Rumaitha gentler on the wallet – expenses run 155% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.