Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Bloomington, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Buenos Aires: $1,646 a month against $2,258 in Bloomington, IL, rent and utilities included – about $7,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
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Buenos Aires Living Index
109

Cost of Living Index in Bloomington, IL
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Bloomington, IL Living Index

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Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,646

/mo nomad

Bloomington, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,258

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Buenos Aires and in Bloomington, IL

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

A single person spends $1,646 per month in Buenos Aires vs $2,258 in Bloomington, IL, rent included.

Buenos Aires $1,646
Bloomington, IL $2,258

A couple spends around $2,680 per month in Buenos Aires vs $3,264 in Bloomington, IL, rent included.

Buenos Aires $2,680
Bloomington, IL $3,264

A family of three spends $3,714 per month in Buenos Aires vs $4,270 in Bloomington, IL, rent included.

Buenos Aires $3,714
Bloomington, IL $4,270

Buenos Aires is about 27% cheaper than Bloomington, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Buenos Aires and Bloomington, IL sit above the global median – Buenos Aires by 21%, Bloomington, IL by 67%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.81 ARS 27.0K

$17.84 $17.84

-0.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.2 ARS 98.9K

$78.4 $78.4

-16.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.12 ARS 19.9K

$11.98 $11.98

9.52%

Cappuccino

$3.86 ARS 5,863

$5.24 $5.24

-26.34%

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

$2.06 ARS 3,133

$2.42 $2.42

-14.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 ARS 2,542

$1.69 $1.69

-0.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.10 ARS 6,218

$5.65 $5.65

-27.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.73 ARS 7,181

$7.18 $7.18

-34.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 ARS 2,285

$1.09 $1.09

38.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.60 ARS 3,950

$2.32 $2.32

12.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 ARS 2,380

$4.24 $4.24

-62.97%

Eggs

$2.73 ARS 4,144

$3.71 $3.71

-26.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.86 ARS 16.5K

$13.39 $13.39

-18.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.07 ARS 15.3K

$7.76 $7.76

29.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.22 ARS 20.1K

$17.30 $17.30

-23.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.80 ARS 4,255

$3.55 $3.55

-21.13%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 ARS 3,170

$1.62 $1.62

29.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 ARS 2,194

$5.55 $5.55

-73.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 ARS 3,040

$3.46 $3.46

-42.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 ARS 1,826

$3.40 $3.40

-64.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 ARS 1,821

$2.66 $2.66

-54.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.69 ARS 2,569

$2.71 $2.71

-37.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 ARS 2,711

$2.81 $2.81

-36.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.00 ARS 6,074

$7.80 $7.80

-48.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.53 ARS 8,388

$15.05 $15.05

-63.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 ARS 3,219

$1.93 $1.93

9.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ARS 4,212

$3.20 $3.20

-13.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 ARS 1,049

$1.23 $1.23

-43.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.90 ARS 42.3K

$40.70 $40.70

-31.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.63 ARS 2,471

$3.40 $3.40

-52.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.97 ARS 1,478

$1.57 $1.57

-38.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 ARS 12.0K

$40.78 $40.78

-80.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ARS 2,156

$0.95 $0.95

49.47%

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

$23.3K ARS 35.4M

$27.3K $27.3K

-14.39%

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

$31.9K ARS 48.5M

$25.4K $25.4K

25.72%

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

$199 ARS 302.7K

$196 $196

1.71%

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

$23.36 ARS 35.4K

$69.5 $69.5

-66.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.44 ARS 47.7K

$76.1 $76.1

-58.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.81 ARS 75.6K

$59.8 $59.8

-16.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.63 ARS 25.2K

Cinema Ticket

$10.80 ARS 16.4K

$10.13 $10.13

6.61%

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

$462 ARS 701.7K

$1,426 $1,426

-67.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,790 ARS 13.3M

$23.8K $23.8K

-63.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$120 ARS 181.6K

$58.9 $58.9

103.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$94.6 ARS 143.6K

$40.53 $40.53

133.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 ARS 176.4K

$86.6 $86.6

34.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$137 ARS 208.6K

$121 $121

13.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$750 ARS 1.1M

$1,275 $1,275

-41.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$514 ARS 780.5K

$970 $970

-47.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,567 ARS 2.4M

$1,784 $1,784

-12.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,196 ARS 1.8M

$1,439 $1,439

-16.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,632 ARS 4.0M

$1,485 $1,485

77.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,874 ARS 2.8M

$1,309 $1,309

43.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$924 ARS 1.4M

$4,544 $4,544

-79.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

6.72

751.93%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 19, 2026

Last update for Bloomington, IL: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$514 31.3%

Bloomington, IL

$970 43% 88.7% $456

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$285 17.3%

Bloomington, IL

$370 16.4% 30% $85

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$273 16.6%

Bloomington, IL

$301 13.3% 10% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$254 15.5%

Bloomington, IL

$342 15.1% 34.4% $87

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$211 12.8%

Bloomington, IL

$138 6.1% 34.4% $73

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$71 4.3%

Bloomington, IL

$80 3.6% 12.1% $8.7

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.3%

Bloomington, IL

$57 2.5% 53% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $750 in Buenos Aires versus $1,275 in Bloomington, IL. 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 392% higher in Bloomington, IL, 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 $65.0 in Buenos Aires versus $78.0 in Bloomington, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $285 vs $370 – making Buenos Aires the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇺🇸 Bloomington, IL

🕒 Local time

00:51 12:51 AM

22:51 10:51 PM

2 h behind Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

69,247

💱 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 22, 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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

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Buenos Aires Bloomington, IL 8,920 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Buenos Aires
Bloomington, IL

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 Bloomington, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bloomington, IL costs about 37% more than Buenos Aires, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,468 per month in Buenos Aires and $3,387 in Bloomington, IL. 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.

Kindergarten costs $462 per month in Buenos Aires and $1,426 in Bloomington, IL. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 30% more in Bloomington, IL, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Buenos Aires, where all-in costs run around $1,646, than in Bloomington, IL at $2,258. In Buenos Aires it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bloomington, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Buenos Aires costs $1,646 versus $2,258 in Bloomington, IL. 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, Bloomington, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.