Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Arlington, VA

For one person, living is cheaper in Buenos Aires: $1,656 a month against $3,568 in Arlington, VA, rent and utilities included – about $22,900 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
174

Cost of Living Index in Arlington, VA
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Arlington, VA Living Index

Jump to prices

Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,656

/mo nomad

Arlington, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,568

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Buenos Aires and in Arlington, VA

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

A single person spends $1,656 per month in Buenos Aires vs $3,568 in Arlington, VA, rent included.

Buenos Aires $1,656
Arlington, VA $3,568

A couple spends around $2,697 per month in Buenos Aires vs $5,411 in Arlington, VA, rent included.

Buenos Aires $2,697
Arlington, VA $5,411

A family of three spends $3,737 per month in Buenos Aires vs $7,255 in Arlington, VA, rent included.

Buenos Aires $3,737
Arlington, VA $7,255

Buenos Aires is about 54% cheaper than Arlington, VA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Buenos Aires and Arlington, VA sit above the global median – Buenos Aires by 23%, Arlington, VA by 164%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.09 ARS 29.0K

$23.97 $23.97

-20.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 ARS 99.9K

$99.0 $99.0

-33.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.20 ARS 20.0K

$10.85 $10.85

21.66%

Cappuccino

$3.85 ARS 5,841

$5.97 $5.97

-35.51%

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

$1.99 ARS 3,020

$3.09 $3.09

-35.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ARS 2,430

$2.42 $2.42

-33.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.93 ARS 5,959

$7.97 $7.97

-50.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 ARS 7,003

$8.93 $8.93

-48.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 ARS 2,272

$1.25 $1.25

20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 ARS 3,837

$4.35 $4.35

-41.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 ARS 2,445

$5.46 $5.46

-70.51%

Eggs

$2.84 ARS 4,316

$5.24 $5.24

-45.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.30 ARS 15.6K

$21.58 $21.58

-52.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

$15.93 $15.93

-37.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.30 ARS 20.2K

$23.20 $23.20

-42.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.88 ARS 4,366

$5.70 $5.70

-49.47%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 ARS 3,334

$1.83 $1.83

20.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.40 ARS 2,120

$4.62 $4.62

-69.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 ARS 3,004

$5.87 $5.87

-66.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 ARS 1,835

$3.21 $3.21

-62.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 ARS 1,910

$3.77 $3.77

-66.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 ARS 2,592

$2.33 $2.33

-26.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 ARS 2,603

$2.47 $2.47

-30.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 ARS 6,505

$10.36 $10.36

-58.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.70 ARS 8,645

$16.94 $16.94

-66.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 ARS 3,288

$2.89 $2.89

-24.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ARS 4,188

$2.90 $2.90

-4.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ARS 1,141

$2.79 $2.79

-73.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.27 ARS 41.4K

$122 $122

-77.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.57 ARS 2,375

$4.08 $4.08

-61.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ARS 1,558

$1.23 $1.23

-16.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ARS 12.0K

$25.15 $25.15

-68.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ARS 2,160

$1.01 $1.01

40.59%

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

$27.9K ARS 42.4M

$34.3K $34.3K

-18.52%

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

$35.0K ARS 53.1M

$25.3K $25.3K

38.48%

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

$195 ARS 296.2K

$165 $165

18.22%

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

$25.16 ARS 38.2K

$50.7 $50.7

-50.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.54 ARS 47.9K

$60.8 $60.8

-48.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.9 ARS 77.3K

$70.2 $70.2

-27.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.73 ARS 25.4K

$18.96 $18.96

-11.76%

Cinema Ticket

$10.34 ARS 15.7K

$16.37 $16.37

-36.84%

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

$463 ARS 703.2K

$1,612 $1,612

-71.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,793 ARS 13.3M

$35.9K $35.9K

-75.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$120 ARS 181.8K

$55.1 $55.1

117.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$95.5 ARS 144.9K

$62.6 $62.6

52.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 ARS 173.1K

$103 $103

10.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 ARS 211.4K

$161 $161

-13.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 ARS 1.1M

$2,488 $2,488

-69.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$520 ARS 788.8K

$1,987 $1,987

-73.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,590 ARS 2.4M

$4,810 $4,810

-66.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,198 ARS 1.8M

$3,596 $3,596

-66.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,713 ARS 4.1M

$6,380 $6,380

-57.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,901 ARS 2.9M

$4,983 $4,983

-61.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$938 ARS 1.4M

$6,625 $6,625

-85.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

6.79

743.15%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 11, 2026

Last update for Arlington, VA: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$520 31.4%

Arlington, VA

$2K 55.7% 282% $1.5K

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$283 17.1%

Arlington, VA

$510 14.3% 80.2% $227

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$282 17%

Arlington, VA

$376 10.5% 33.3% $94

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$252 15.2%

Arlington, VA

$277 7.8% 9.8% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$211 12.7%

Arlington, VA

$172 4.8% 18.4% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$72 4.3%

Arlington, VA

$103 2.9% 43.7% $31

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2%

Arlington, VA

$143 4% 288% $106

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $756 in Buenos Aires versus $2,488 in Arlington, VA. 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 607% higher in Arlington, VA, 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 $99.0 in Arlington, VA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $283 vs $510 – making Buenos Aires the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇺🇸 Arlington, VA

🕒 Local time

20:27 8:27 PM

19:27 7:27 PM

1 h behind Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

365,438

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Buenos Aires Arlington, VA 8,390 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Buenos Aires
Arlington, VA

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 Arlington, VA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arlington, VA costs about 115% more than Buenos Aires, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. 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 $5,352 in Arlington, VA. 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.

Groceries cost about 80% more in Arlington, VA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $66.0 in Buenos Aires and $99.0 in Arlington, VA. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Buenos Aires, where all-in costs run around $1,656, than in Arlington, VA at $3,568. In Buenos Aires it covers expenses comfortably, while in Arlington, VA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Buenos Aires costs $1,656 versus $3,568 in Arlington, VA. 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 Buenos Aires. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Arlington, VA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.