Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Big Bend

For one person, living is cheaper in Big Bend: $716 a month against $1,685 in Buenos Aires, rent and utilities included – about $11,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

81

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
Learn more

Buenos Aires Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Big Bend
Learn more

Big Bend Living Index

Jump to prices

Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,685

/mo nomad

Big Bend

🇸🇿 Eswatini

$716

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Buenos Aires and in Big Bend

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

A single person spends $1,685 per month in Buenos Aires vs $716 in Big Bend, rent included.

Buenos Aires $1,685
Big Bend $716

A couple spends around $2,742 per month in Buenos Aires vs $1,428 in Big Bend, rent included.

Buenos Aires $2,742
Big Bend $1,428

A family of three spends $3,799 per month in Buenos Aires vs $2,141 in Big Bend, rent included.

Buenos Aires $3,799
Big Bend $2,141

Buenos Aires costs about 136% more than Big Bend, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Buenos Aires sits 26% above the global median, while Big Bend is 47% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.73 ARS 28.4K

$4.04 SZL 66.6

363.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 ARS 97.8K

$27.58 SZL 455

133.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.88 ARS 19.5K

$5.05 SZL 83.3

155.05%

Cappuccino

$3.98 ARS 6,029

$1.53 SZL 25.22

160.13%

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

$2.05 ARS 3,103

$0.77 SZL 12.61

166.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 ARS 2,349

$0.41 SZL 6.78

278.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.84 ARS 5,830

$1.54 SZL 25.31

149.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 ARS 6,970

$1.65 SZL 27.25

178.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 ARS 2,181

$1.21 SZL 19.92

19.01%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 ARS 3,738

$0.83 SZL 13.63

196.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 ARS 2,467

$1.60 SZL 26.42

1.87%

Eggs

$2.89 ARS 4,385

$4.77 SZL 78.6

-39.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.65 ARS 16.1K

$17.98 SZL 296

-40.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

$12.07 SZL 199

-17.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.74 ARS 20.8K

$4.84 SZL 79.8

183.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ARS 4,166

$4.23 SZL 69.7

-34.99%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 ARS 3,300

$0.62 SZL 10.23

251.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 ARS 2,205

$1.88 SZL 31.04

-22.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ARS 3,013

$1.26 SZL 20.69

57.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ARS 1,885

$2.37 SZL 39.14

-47.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 ARS 1,921

$2.12 SZL 34.94

-40.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 ARS 2,575

$0.93 SZL 15.37

82.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 ARS 2,617

$0.93 SZL 15.32

86.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.18 ARS 6,337

$5.84 SZL 96.2

-28.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.80 ARS 8,790

$3.58 SZL 59.0

62.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 ARS 3,163

$0.63 SZL 10.32

231.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 ARS 4,198

$0.89 SZL 14.62

211.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ARS 1,132

$1.20 SZL 19.74

-37.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.15 ARS 41.2K

$23.94 SZL 395

13.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.62 ARS 2,451

$1.81 SZL 29.84

-10.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 ARS 1,481

$1.50 SZL 24.70

-34.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.72 ARS 11.7K

$3.71 SZL 61.2

108.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ARS 2,058

$1.13 SZL 18.57

20.35%

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

$28.0K ARS 42.5M

$12.4K SZL 204.0K

126.38%

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

$34.5K ARS 52.4M

$18.6K SZL 306.3K

85.84%

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

$216 ARS 326.9K

$129 SZL 2,125

67.24%

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

$25.61 ARS 38.8K

$24.47 SZL 403

4.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.36 ARS 47.6K

$24.73 SZL 408

26.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.82 ARS 75.6K

$18.35 SZL 302

171.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 ARS 25.9K

$2.47 SZL 40.70

590.69%

Cinema Ticket

$10.43 ARS 15.8K

$3.12 SZL 51.4

234.29%

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

$466 ARS 706.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,057 ARS 13.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$122 ARS 185.2K

$36.95 SZL 609

230.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$97.4 ARS 147.8K

$24.81 SZL 409

292.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ARS 177.4K

$37.05 SZL 611

215.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 ARS 211.9K

$55.2 SZL 910

153.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$763 ARS 1.2M

$110 SZL 1,805

597.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$505 ARS 766.1K

$74.4 SZL 1,227

578.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,598 ARS 2.4M

$1,095 SZL 18.0K

46.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,185 ARS 1.8M

$737 SZL 12.2K

60.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,678 ARS 4.1M

$200 SZL 3,291

1241.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,858 ARS 2.8M

$144 SZL 2,379

1187.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$954 ARS 1.4M

$808 SZL 13.3K

18.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

536.11%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 6, 2026

Last update for Big Bend: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$505 30.4%

Big Bend

$74 10.4% 85.3% $431

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$284 17.1%

Big Bend

$252 35.1% 11.4% $32

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$279 16.8%

Big Bend

$82 11.4% 70.8% $197

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$273 16.4%

Big Bend

$178 24.8% 34.7% $94

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$214 12.9%

Big Bend

$69 9.7% 67.7% $145

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$71 4.3%

Big Bend

$25 3.4% 65.2% $46

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2%

Big Bend

$38 5.3% 3.8% $1.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $763 in Buenos Aires versus $110 in Big Bend. 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 18% 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 $28.00 in Big Bend. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $284 vs $252 – making Big Bend the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇸🇿 Big Bend

🕒 Local time

02:10 2:10 AM

07:10 7:10 AM

5 h ahead of Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

6,433

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

Eswatini Lilangeni SZL L

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR

100 SZL = 6.07 USD

100 SZL = 5.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SZL, 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).

Eswatini Lilangeni exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 SZL (100 SZL = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.49 SZL (100 SZL = 5.41 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Buenos Aires Big Bend 8,390 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Buenos Aires
Big Bend

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 Big Bend: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,685 in Buenos Aires, $716 in Big Bend – roughly 136% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,528 per month in Buenos Aires and $1,073 in Big Bend. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 13% less in Big Bend. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 13% more in Buenos Aires, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Big Bend, where all-in costs run around $716, than in Buenos Aires at $1,685. In Big Bend it covers expenses comfortably, while in Buenos Aires 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 $716 in Big Bend to $1,685 in Buenos Aires. 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 Big Bend. 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.