Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Arbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Buenos Aires: $1,656 a month against $3,464 in Arbon, rent and utilities included – about $21,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
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Buenos Aires Living Index
167

Cost of Living Index in Arbon
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Arbon Living Index

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Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,656

/mo nomad

Arbon

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,464

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,656 per month in Buenos Aires vs $3,464 in Arbon, rent included.

Buenos Aires $1,656
Arbon $3,464

A couple spends around $2,697 per month in Buenos Aires vs $5,192 in Arbon, rent included.

Buenos Aires $2,697
Arbon $5,192

A family of three spends $3,737 per month in Buenos Aires vs $6,920 in Arbon, rent included.

Buenos Aires $3,737
Arbon $6,920

Buenos Aires is about 52% cheaper than Arbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Buenos Aires and Arbon sit above the global median – Buenos Aires by 23%, Arbon by 157%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.09 ARS 29.0K

$29.53 CHF 24.33

-35.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 ARS 99.9K

$144 CHF 118

-54.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.20 ARS 20.0K

$18.95 CHF 15.61

-30.34%

Cappuccino

$3.85 ARS 5,841

$6.11 CHF 5.03

-36.99%

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

$1.99 ARS 3,020

$5.74 CHF 4.73

-65.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ARS 2,430

$5.09 CHF 4.19

-68.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.93 ARS 5,959

$9.00 CHF 7.42

-56.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 ARS 7,003

$6.17 CHF 5.08

-25.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 ARS 2,272

$2.16 CHF 1.78

-30.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 ARS 3,837

$3.15 CHF 2.60

-19.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 ARS 2,445

$3.79 CHF 3.12

-57.52%

Eggs

$2.84 ARS 4,316

$7.88 CHF 6.49

-63.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.30 ARS 15.6K

$25.14 CHF 20.71

-59.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

$28.42 CHF 23.41

-64.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.30 ARS 20.2K

$41.09 CHF 33.84

-67.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.88 ARS 4,366

$3.42 CHF 2.82

-15.79%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 ARS 3,334

$2.00 CHF 1.65

10.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.40 ARS 2,120

$2.39 CHF 1.97

-41.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 ARS 3,004

$5.28 CHF 4.35

-62.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 ARS 1,835

$2.04 CHF 1.68

-40.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 ARS 1,910

$2.19 CHF 1.80

-42.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 ARS 2,592

$2.28 CHF 1.88

-25.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 ARS 2,603

$1.22 CHF 1.01

40.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 ARS 6,505

$10.64 CHF 8.77

-59.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.70 ARS 8,645

$16.47 CHF 13.57

-65.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 ARS 3,288

$2.12 CHF 1.75

2.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ARS 4,188

$2.25 CHF 1.85

22.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ARS 1,141

$4.81 CHF 3.96

-84.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.27 ARS 41.4K

$96.0 CHF 79.1

-71.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.57 ARS 2,375

$6.50 CHF 5.35

-75.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ARS 1,558

$4.73 CHF 3.89

-78.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ARS 12.0K

$36.17 CHF 29.79

-78.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ARS 2,160

$2.29 CHF 1.89

-37.99%

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

$27.9K ARS 42.4M

$34.5K CHF 28.4K

-18.87%

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

$35.0K ARS 53.1M

$39.3K CHF 32.4K

-10.99%

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

$195 ARS 296.2K

$275 CHF 227

-29.12%

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

$25.16 ARS 38.2K

$38.11 CHF 31.39

-33.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.54 ARS 47.9K

$54.4 CHF 44.78

-41.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.9 ARS 77.3K

$90.0 CHF 74.1

-43.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.73 ARS 25.4K

$39.06 CHF 32.17

-57.17%

Cinema Ticket

$10.34 ARS 15.7K

$23.43 CHF 19.29

-55.87%

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

$463 ARS 703.2K

$2,250 CHF 1,853

-79.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,793 ARS 13.3M

$31.3K CHF 25.8K

-71.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$120 ARS 181.8K

$143 CHF 118

-16.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$95.5 ARS 144.9K

$65.1 CHF 53.6

46.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 ARS 173.1K

$143 CHF 118

-20.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 ARS 211.4K

$177 CHF 146

-21.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 ARS 1.1M

$1,561 CHF 1,286

-51.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$520 ARS 788.8K

$1,521 CHF 1,253

-65.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,590 ARS 2.4M

$2,904 CHF 2,392

-45.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,198 ARS 1.8M

$2,322 CHF 1,912

-48.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,713 ARS 4.1M

$13.9K CHF 11.5K

-80.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,901 ARS 2.9M

$13.6K CHF 11.2K

-86.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$938 ARS 1.4M

$11.1K CHF 9,124

-91.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

1.9

2913.16%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 11, 2026

Last update for Arbon: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$520 31.4%

Arbon

$1.5K 43.9% 193% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$283 17.1%

Arbon

$588 17% 108% $305

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$282 17%

Arbon

$467 13.5% 65.8% $185

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$252 15.2%

Arbon

$368 10.6% 46% $116

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$211 12.7%

Arbon

$238 6.9% 12.8% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$72 4.3%

Arbon

$137 4% 91.1% $65

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2%

Arbon

$145 4.2% 293% $108

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $756 in Buenos Aires versus $1,561 in Arbon. 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 1081% higher in Arbon, 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 $144 in Arbon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $283 vs $588 – making Buenos Aires the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇨🇭 Arbon

🕒 Local time

08:31 8:31 AM

13:31 1:31 PM

5 h ahead of Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

15,853

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CHF, USD, EUR to ARS – Argentine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇷 Argentine Peso ($)

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,706 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.824 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.926 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Buenos Aires Arbon 11,350 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Buenos Aires
Arbon

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 Arbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,656 in Buenos Aires, $3,464 in Arbon – roughly 109% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,484 per month in Buenos Aires and $5,197 in Arbon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,656 in Buenos Aires and $3,464 in Arbon. That's a gap of about 109%.

Public transport costs about 252% less in Buenos Aires. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Buenos Aires, where all-in costs run around $1,656, than in Arbon at $3,464. In Buenos Aires it covers expenses comfortably, while in Arbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Buenos Aires has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,656 in Buenos Aires to $3,464 in Arbon. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Buenos Aires. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Arbon makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.