Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Bulawayo

For one person, living is cheaper in Bulawayo: $763 a month against $1,685 in Buenos Aires, rent and utilities included – about $11,100 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
37

Cost of Living Index in Bulawayo
Learn more

Bulawayo Living Index

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Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,685

/mo nomad

Bulawayo

🇿🇼 Zimbabwe

$763

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,685 in Buenos Aires versus $763 in Bulawayo.

Buenos Aires $1,685
Bulawayo $763

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,742 in Buenos Aires versus $1,192 in Bulawayo.

Buenos Aires $2,742
Bulawayo $1,192

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,799 in Buenos Aires versus $1,622 in Bulawayo.

Buenos Aires $3,799
Bulawayo $1,622

Living in Buenos Aires is roughly 121% more expensive than in Bulawayo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Buenos Aires is 26% above, Bulawayo is 43% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.73 ARS 28.4K

$4.58 ZWL 122

308.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 ARS 97.8K

$30.29 ZWL 809

112.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.88 ARS 19.5K

$4.89 ZWL 131

163.39%

Cappuccino

$3.98 ARS 6,029

$2.09 ZWL 55.9

90.43%

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

$2.05 ARS 3,103

$0.52 ZWL 13.86

294.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 ARS 2,349

$0.37 ZWL 9.85

318.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.84 ARS 5,830

$1.47 ZWL 39.14

161.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 ARS 6,970

$2.03 ZWL 54.2

126.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 ARS 2,181

$1.66 ZWL 44.28

-13.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 ARS 3,738

$1.01 ZWL 27.05

143.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 ARS 2,467

$1.55 ZWL 41.32

5.16%

Eggs

$2.89 ARS 4,385

$1.91 ZWL 50.9

51.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.65 ARS 16.1K

$9.59 ZWL 256

11.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

$4.02 ZWL 107

148.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.74 ARS 20.8K

$4.46 ZWL 119

208.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ARS 4,166

$1.85 ZWL 49.29

48.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 ARS 3,300

$1.60 ZWL 42.68

36.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 ARS 2,205

$2.42 ZWL 64.8

-40.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ARS 3,013

$1.04 ZWL 27.89

91.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ARS 1,885

$1.28 ZWL 34.19

-3.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 ARS 1,921

$1.39 ZWL 37.02

-8.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 ARS 2,575

$1.10 ZWL 29.29

54.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 ARS 2,617

$0.75 ZWL 19.93

130.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.18 ARS 6,337

$1.54 ZWL 41.04

171.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.80 ARS 8,790

$5.10 ZWL 136

13.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 ARS 3,163

$1.35 ZWL 36.15

54.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 ARS 4,198

$1.85 ZWL 49.48

49.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ARS 1,132

$0.77 ZWL 20.65

-2.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.15 ARS 41.2K

$30.55 ZWL 816

-11.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.62 ARS 2,451

$2.94 ZWL 78.6

-44.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 ARS 1,481

$1.95 ZWL 52.1

-49.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.72 ARS 11.7K

$5.04 ZWL 135

53.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ARS 2,058

$1.64 ZWL 43.75

-17.07%

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

$28.0K ARS 42.5M

$24.6K ZWL 656.4K

13.99%

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

$34.5K ARS 52.4M

$24.6K ZWL 657.7K

40.24%

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

$216 ARS 326.9K

$95.3 ZWL 2,547

126.11%

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

$25.61 ARS 38.8K

$17.21 ZWL 460

48.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.36 ARS 47.6K

$105 ZWL 2,816

-70.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.82 ARS 75.6K

$31.62 ZWL 845

57.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 ARS 25.9K

$20.07 ZWL 536

-15.00%

Cinema Ticket

$10.43 ARS 15.8K

$9.86 ZWL 263

5.78%

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

$466 ARS 706.7K

$231 ZWL 6,175

101.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,057 ARS 13.7M

$3,512 ZWL 93.8K

157.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$122 ARS 185.2K

$20.96 ZWL 560

482.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$97.4 ARS 147.8K

$11.58 ZWL 309

741.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ARS 177.4K

$45.58 ZWL 1,217

156.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 ARS 211.9K

$58.0 ZWL 1,548

141.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$763 ARS 1.2M

$176 ZWL 4,695

334.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$505 ARS 766.1K

$107 ZWL 2,863

371.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,598 ARS 2.4M

$414 ZWL 11.1K

285.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,185 ARS 1.8M

$325 ZWL 8,679

264.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,678 ARS 4.1M

$2,053 ZWL 54.8K

30.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,858 ARS 2.8M

$2,046 ZWL 54.7K

-9.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$954 ARS 1.4M

$306 ZWL 8,161

212.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

281.67%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 6, 2026

Last update for Bulawayo: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$505 30.4%

Bulawayo

$107 14.2% 78.8% $398

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$284 17.1%

Bulawayo

$177 23.5% 37.7% $107

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$279 16.8%

Bulawayo

$91 12.1% 67.2% $188

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$273 16.4%

Bulawayo

$218 29% 20% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$214 12.9%

Bulawayo

$61 8.1% 71.4% $153

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$71 4.3%

Bulawayo

$51 6.8% 27.4% $19

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2%

Bulawayo

$46 6.2% 26.5% $9.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $763 in Buenos Aires and $176 in Bulawayo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buenos Aires pays 212% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $64.0 in Buenos Aires vs $30.00 in Bulawayo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $284 vs $177 per month, with Bulawayo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇿🇼 Bulawayo

🕒 Local time

08:50 8:50 AM

13:50 1:50 PM

5 h ahead of Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

653,337

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

Zimbabwean Dollar ZWL $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR

100 ZWL = 3.74 USD

100 ZWL = 3.34 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZWL, 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).

Zimbabwean Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 26.71 ZWL (100 ZWL = 3.74 USD). 1 EUR = 29.93 ZWL (100 ZWL = 3.34 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Buenos Aires Bulawayo 8,490 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Buenos Aires
Bulawayo

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 Bulawayo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires and Bulawayo differ by about 121% in total monthly costs ($1,685 vs $763 including rent). Bulawayo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 212% higher in Buenos Aires, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $763 in Buenos Aires versus $176 in Bulawayo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $466 in Buenos Aires versus $231 in Bulawayo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 60% higher in Buenos Aires. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $763 in Bulawayo versus $1,685 in Buenos Aires, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Bulawayo but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes Bulawayo 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 Bulawayo 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 Bulawayo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 121% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.