Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Almaty

For one person, living is cheaper in Almaty: $1,387 a month against $1,685 in Buenos Aires, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

81

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
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Buenos Aires Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
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Almaty Living Index

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Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,685

/mo nomad

Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,387

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,685 per month in Buenos Aires vs $1,387 in Almaty, rent included.

Buenos Aires $1,685
Almaty $1,387

A couple spends around $2,742 per month in Buenos Aires vs $2,135 in Almaty, rent included.

Buenos Aires $2,742
Almaty $2,135

A family of three spends $3,799 per month in Buenos Aires vs $2,883 in Almaty, rent included.

Buenos Aires $3,799
Almaty $2,883

Buenos Aires costs about 22% more than Almaty, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Buenos Aires and Almaty sit above the global median – Buenos Aires by 26%, Almaty by 3%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.73 ARS 28.4K

$13.31 ₸6,034

40.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 ARS 97.8K

$43.37 ₸19.7K

48.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.88 ARS 19.5K

$8.80 ₸3,988

46.36%

Cappuccino

$3.98 ARS 6,029

$3.30 ₸1,497

20.61%

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

$2.05 ARS 3,103

$1.37 ₸620

49.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 ARS 2,349

$0.90 ₸409

72.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.84 ARS 5,830

$3.13 ₸1,419

22.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 ARS 6,970

$4.10 ₸1,860

12.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 ARS 2,181

$1.66 ₸754

-13.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 ARS 3,738

$0.90 ₸406

173.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 ARS 2,467

$2.06 ₸933

-20.87%

Eggs

$2.89 ARS 4,385

$2.37 ₸1,074

21.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.65 ARS 16.1K

$12.64 ₸5,730

-15.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

$6.62 ₸3,000

51.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.74 ARS 20.8K

$10.87 ₸4,928

26.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ARS 4,166

$1.86 ₸845

47.85%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 ARS 3,300

$2.37 ₸1,075

-8.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 ARS 2,205

$2.99 ₸1,358

-51.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ARS 3,013

$2.83 ₸1,282

-29.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ARS 1,885

$0.77 ₸347

61.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 ARS 1,921

$0.58 ₸264

118.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 ARS 2,575

$1.59 ₸723

6.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 ARS 2,617

$0.99 ₸449

74.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.18 ARS 6,337

$2.54 ₸1,153

64.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.80 ARS 8,790

$11.04 ₸5,005

-47.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 ARS 3,163

$1.21 ₸550

72.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 ARS 4,198

$2.41 ₸1,093

14.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ARS 1,132

$0.25 ₸113

200.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.15 ARS 41.2K

$21.84 ₸9,901

24.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.62 ARS 2,451

$1.28 ₸581

26.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 ARS 1,481

$0.64 ₸291

53.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.72 ARS 11.7K

$10.74 ₸4,870

-28.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ARS 2,058

$0.69 ₸314

97.10%

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

$28.0K ARS 42.5M

$22.3K ₸10.1M

25.75%

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

$34.5K ARS 52.4M

$29.3K ₸13.3M

17.70%

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

$216 ARS 326.9K

$87.8 ₸39.8K

145.64%

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

$25.61 ARS 38.8K

$10.83 ₸4,909

136.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.36 ARS 47.6K

$17.40 ₸7,887

80.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.82 ARS 75.6K

$69.7 ₸31.6K

-28.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 ARS 25.9K

$26.58 ₸12.1K

-35.82%

Cinema Ticket

$10.43 ARS 15.8K

$6.68 ₸3,031

56.14%

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

$466 ARS 706.7K

$446 ₸202.2K

4.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,057 ARS 13.7M

$11.9K ₸5.4M

-23.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$122 ARS 185.2K

$93.7 ₸42.5K

30.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$97.4 ARS 147.8K

$46.91 ₸21.3K

107.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ARS 177.4K

$143 ₸64.7K

-18.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 ARS 211.9K

$133 ₸60.5K

4.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$763 ARS 1.2M

$773 ₸350.6K

-1.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$505 ARS 766.1K

$497 ₸225.5K

1.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,598 ARS 2.4M

$1,390 ₸630.4K

14.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,185 ARS 1.8M

$880 ₸398.9K

34.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,678 ARS 4.1M

$2,546 ₸1.2M

5.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,858 ARS 2.8M

$1,506 ₸683.0K

23.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$954 ARS 1.4M

$834 ₸377.9K

14.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

20.65

177.24%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 6, 2026

Last update for Almaty: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$505 30.4%

Almaty

$497 36.4% 1.6% $7.8

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$284 17.1%

Almaty

$251 18.4% 11.6% $33

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$279 16.8%

Almaty

$205 15% 26.4% $74

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$273 16.4%

Almaty

$116 8.5% 57.4% $157

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$214 12.9%

Almaty

$188 13.7% 12.5% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$71 4.3%

Almaty

$83 6.1% 17.5% $12

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2%

Almaty

$27 2% 25.4% $9.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $763 in Buenos Aires versus $773 in Almaty. 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 14% 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 $43.00 in Almaty. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $284 vs $251 – making Almaty the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇰🇿 Almaty

🕒 Local time

00:04 12:04 AM

09:04 9:04 AM

9 h ahead of Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

1,475,400

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.88 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,701 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 453 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 509 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Buenos Aires Almaty 16,090 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Buenos Aires
Almaty

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 Almaty: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Buenos Aires is pricier by about 22%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,528 per month in Buenos Aires and $2,080 in Almaty. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Almaty, 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 $64.0 in Buenos Aires and $43.00 in Almaty. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,685 in Buenos Aires and $1,387 in Almaty. That's a gap of about 22%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Almaty, where all-in costs run around $1,387, than in Buenos Aires at $1,685. In Almaty it covers expenses comfortably, while in Buenos Aires it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Almaty – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Almaty. 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.