Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Baabda

For one person, living is cheaper in Baabda: $1,008 a month against $1,656 in Buenos Aires, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
Learn more

Buenos Aires Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Baabda
Learn more

Baabda Living Index

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Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,656

/mo nomad

Baabda

🇱🇧 Lebanon

$1,008

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,656 in Buenos Aires versus $1,008 in Baabda.

Buenos Aires $1,656
Baabda $1,008

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,697 in Buenos Aires versus $1,611 in Baabda.

Buenos Aires $2,697
Baabda $1,611

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,737 in Buenos Aires versus $2,213 in Baabda.

Buenos Aires $3,737
Baabda $2,213

Living in Buenos Aires is roughly 64% more expensive than in Baabda, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Buenos Aires is 23% above, Baabda is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.09 ARS 29.0K

$11.98 LBP 1.1M

59.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 ARS 99.9K

$68.0 LBP 6.1M

-3.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.20 ARS 20.0K

$10.08 LBP 901.9K

30.95%

Cappuccino

$3.85 ARS 5,841

$4.60 LBP 411.8K

-16.30%

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

$1.99 ARS 3,020

$2.40 LBP 214.7K

-17.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ARS 2,430

$0.85 LBP 76.3K

88.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.93 ARS 5,959

$4.92 LBP 440.0K

-20.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 ARS 7,003

$4.79 LBP 428.4K

-3.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 ARS 2,272

$1.97 LBP 176.3K

-23.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 ARS 3,837

$0.91 LBP 81.9K

178.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 ARS 2,445

$2.34 LBP 209.0K

-31.20%

Eggs

$2.84 ARS 4,316

$3.67 LBP 328.8K

-22.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.30 ARS 15.6K

$10.96 LBP 980.6K

-6.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

$10.50 LBP 940.1K

-4.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.30 ARS 20.2K

$14.97 LBP 1.3M

-11.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.88 ARS 4,366

$3.03 LBP 271.5K

-4.95%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 ARS 3,334

$1.71 LBP 153.5K

28.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.40 ARS 2,120

$1.69 LBP 150.8K

-17.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 ARS 3,004

$1.51 LBP 135.5K

31.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 ARS 1,835

$1.26 LBP 112.6K

-3.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 ARS 1,910

$1.60 LBP 143.3K

-21.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 ARS 2,592

$1.20 LBP 107.7K

42.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 ARS 2,603

$0.73 LBP 65.0K

135.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 ARS 6,505

$3.02 LBP 270.6K

42.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.70 ARS 8,645

$11.16 LBP 999.2K

-48.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 ARS 3,288

$1.28 LBP 114.9K

69.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ARS 4,188

$2.48 LBP 221.7K

11.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ARS 1,141

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.27 ARS 41.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.57 ARS 2,375

$4.93 LBP 441.6K

-68.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ARS 1,558

$2.30 LBP 205.9K

-55.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ARS 12.0K

$22.28 LBP 2.0M

-64.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ARS 2,160

$1.05 LBP 93.7K

35.24%

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

$27.9K ARS 42.4M

$53.3K LBP 4.8B

-47.52%

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

$35.0K ARS 53.1M

$32.7K LBP 2.9B

7.08%

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

$195 ARS 296.2K

$236 LBP 21.2M

-17.44%

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

$25.16 ARS 38.2K

$22.34 LBP 2.0M

12.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.54 ARS 47.9K

$37.79 LBP 3.4M

-16.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.9 ARS 77.3K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.73 ARS 25.4K

Cinema Ticket

$10.34 ARS 15.7K

$10.08 LBP 901.9K

2.58%

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

$463 ARS 703.2K

$686 LBP 61.4M

-32.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,793 ARS 13.3M

$10.6K LBP 952.0M

-17.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$120 ARS 181.8K

$68.9 LBP 6.2M

74.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$95.5 ARS 144.9K

$50.2 LBP 4.5M

90.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 ARS 173.1K

$139 LBP 12.4M

-17.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 ARS 211.4K

$118 LBP 10.6M

17.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 ARS 1.1M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$520 ARS 788.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,590 ARS 2.4M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,198 ARS 1.8M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,713 ARS 4.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,901 ARS 2.9M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$938 ARS 1.4M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

420.45%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 11, 2026

Last update for Baabda: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$520 31.4%

Baabda

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$283 17.1%

Baabda

$277 27.5% 2.2% $6.1

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$282 17%

Baabda

$228 22.7% 18.9% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$252 15.2%

Baabda

$297 29.4% 17.7% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$211 12.7%

Baabda

$169 16.8% 19.6% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$72 4.3%

Baabda

$20 * 2% 71.9% $51

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2%

Baabda

$16 * 1.6% 55.5% $21

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $66.0 in Buenos Aires vs $68.0 in Baabda. Groceries flip the comparison at $283 vs $277, with Baabda cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇱🇧 Baabda

🕒 Local time

20:18 8:18 PM

02:18 2:18 AM

6 h ahead of Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

9,000

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

Lebanese Pound LBP ل.ل

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR

1,000,000 LBP = 11.17 USD

1,000,000 LBP = 9.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LBP, 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).

Lebanese Pound exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 89,500 LBP (100,000 LBP = 1.12 USD). 1 EUR = 100,618 LBP (1,000,000 LBP = 9.94 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Buenos Aires Baabda 12,380 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Buenos Aires
Baabda

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 Baabda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires and Baabda differ by about 64% in total monthly costs ($1,656 vs $1,008 including rent). Baabda is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,484 in Buenos Aires and $1,512 in Baabda 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.

Childcare runs $463 in Buenos Aires versus $686 in Baabda. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Baabda – a meal for two runs $68.0 versus $66.0 in Buenos Aires. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,008 in Baabda versus $1,656 in Buenos Aires, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Baabda but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes Baabda the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Buenos Aires and Baabda 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 Baabda gentler on the wallet – expenses run 64% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.