Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Ballsh

For one person, living is cheaper in Ballsh: $1,214 a month against $1,685 in Buenos Aires, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

81

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
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Buenos Aires Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Ballsh
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Ballsh Living Index

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Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,685

/mo nomad

Ballsh

🇦🇱 Albania

$1,214

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,685 per month in Buenos Aires vs $1,214 in Ballsh, rent included.

Buenos Aires $1,685
Ballsh $1,214

A couple spends around $2,742 per month in Buenos Aires vs $1,852 in Ballsh, rent included.

Buenos Aires $2,742
Ballsh $1,852

A family of three spends $3,799 per month in Buenos Aires vs $2,490 in Ballsh, rent included.

Buenos Aires $3,799
Ballsh $2,490

Buenos Aires costs about 39% more than Ballsh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Buenos Aires sits 26% above the global median, while Ballsh is 9% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.73 ARS 28.4K

$9.99 ALL 813

87.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 ARS 97.8K

$55.1 ALL 4,482

17.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.88 ARS 19.5K

$7.22 ALL 587

78.39%

Cappuccino

$3.98 ARS 6,029

$2.33 ALL 189

70.82%

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

$2.05 ARS 3,103

$1.42 ALL 116

44.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 ARS 2,349

$0.85 ALL 69.1

82.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.84 ARS 5,830

$3.56 ALL 290

7.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 ARS 6,970

$4.14 ALL 337

11.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 ARS 2,181

$2.30 ALL 187

-37.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 ARS 3,738

$1.18 ALL 96.4

108.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 ARS 2,467

$2.43 ALL 198

-32.92%

Eggs

$2.89 ARS 4,385

$3.79 ALL 308

-23.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.65 ARS 16.1K

$12.96 ALL 1,054

-17.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

$9.41 ALL 766

6.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.74 ARS 20.8K

$16.85 ALL 1,371

-18.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ARS 4,166

$1.93 ALL 157

42.49%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 ARS 3,300

$2.42 ALL 197

-9.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 ARS 2,205

$2.16 ALL 176

-32.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ARS 3,013

$1.84 ALL 149

8.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ARS 1,885

$1.02 ALL 82.9

21.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 ARS 1,921

$1.31 ALL 107

-3.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 ARS 2,575

$1.44 ALL 117

18.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 ARS 2,617

$0.75 ALL 61.2

130.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.18 ARS 6,337

$4.72 ALL 384

-11.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.80 ARS 8,790

$10.52 ALL 856

-44.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 ARS 3,163

$1.59 ALL 129

31.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 ARS 4,198

$2.01 ALL 164

37.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ARS 1,132

$0.47 ALL 38.18

59.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.15 ARS 41.2K

$19.41 ALL 1,579

39.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.62 ARS 2,451

$3.81 ALL 310

-57.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 ARS 1,481

$3.80 ALL 309

-74.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.72 ARS 11.7K

$18.85 ALL 1,534

-59.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ARS 2,058

$2.28 ALL 185

-40.35%

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

$28.0K ARS 42.5M

$34.1K ALL 2.8M

-17.84%

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

$34.5K ARS 52.4M

$36.2K ALL 2.9M

-4.53%

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

$216 ARS 326.9K

$99.2 ALL 8,074

117.22%

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

$25.61 ARS 38.8K

$18.74 ALL 1,524

36.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.36 ARS 47.6K

$20.45 ALL 1,664

53.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.82 ARS 75.6K

$55.9 ALL 4,549

-10.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 ARS 25.9K

Cinema Ticket

$10.43 ARS 15.8K

$10.13 ALL 824

2.96%

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

$466 ARS 706.7K

$351 ALL 28.6K

32.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,057 ARS 13.7M

$8,230 ALL 669.6K

10.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$122 ARS 185.2K

$50.0 ALL 4,069

144.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$97.4 ARS 147.8K

$48.21 ALL 3,922

102.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ARS 177.4K

$120 ALL 9,755

-2.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 ARS 211.9K

$113 ALL 9,212

23.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$763 ARS 1.2M

$473 ALL 38.5K

61.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$505 ARS 766.1K

$331 ALL 26.9K

52.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,598 ARS 2.4M

$721 ALL 58.7K

121.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,185 ARS 1.8M

$469 ALL 38.2K

152.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,678 ARS 4.1M

$1,863 ALL 151.6K

43.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,858 ARS 2.8M

$1,217 ALL 99.0K

52.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$954 ARS 1.4M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

5.39

962.15%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 6, 2026

Last update for Ballsh: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$505 30.4%

Ballsh

$331 27.7% 34.5% $174

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$284 17.1%

Ballsh

$292 24.4% 2.7% $7.6

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$279 16.8%

Ballsh

$165 13.8% 41% $114

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$273 16.4%

Ballsh

$138 11.6% 49.2% $134

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$214 12.9%

Ballsh

$149 12.5% 30.4% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$71 4.3%

Ballsh

$76 6.4% 7.8% $5.5

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2%

Ballsh

$44 3.7% 20.4% $7.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $763 in Buenos Aires versus $473 in Ballsh. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $64.0 in Buenos Aires versus $55.0 in Ballsh. Groceries tell a different story – $284 in Buenos Aires vs $292 in Ballsh – so Buenos Aires wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇦🇱 Ballsh

🕒 Local time

07:07 7:07 AM

12:07 12:07 PM

5 h ahead of Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

7,000

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

Albanian Lek ALL L

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR

100 ALL = 1.23 USD

100 ALL = 1.1 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ALL, 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 = 1,699 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR).

Albanian Lek exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 81.36 ALL (100 ALL = 1.23 USD). 1 EUR = 91.17 ALL (100 ALL = 1.1 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Buenos Aires Ballsh 11,560 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Buenos Aires
Ballsh

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 Ballsh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Buenos Aires is pricier by about 39%, 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 $1,821 in Ballsh. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Interestingly, groceries are about 3% cheaper in Buenos Aires – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $64.0 in Buenos Aires and $55.0 in Ballsh. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Ballsh, where all-in costs run around $1,214, than in Buenos Aires at $1,685. In Ballsh it covers expenses comfortably, while in Buenos Aires it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ballsh – 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 Ballsh. 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.