Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Calarasi

For one person, living is cheaper in Calarasi: $882 a month against $1,656 in Buenos Aires, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
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Buenos Aires Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Calarasi
Learn more

Calarasi Living Index

Jump to prices

Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,656

/mo nomad

Calarasi

🇷🇴 Romania

$882

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,656 in Buenos Aires versus $882 in Calarasi.

Buenos Aires $1,656
Calarasi $882

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,697 in Buenos Aires versus $1,363 in Calarasi.

Buenos Aires $2,697
Calarasi $1,363

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,737 in Buenos Aires versus $1,844 in Calarasi.

Buenos Aires $3,737
Calarasi $1,844

Living in Buenos Aires is roughly 88% more expensive than in Calarasi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Buenos Aires is 23% above, Calarasi is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.09 ARS 29.0K

$8.90 RON 42.12

114.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 ARS 99.9K

$33.15 RON 157

98.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.20 ARS 20.0K

$7.57 RON 35.83

74.37%

Cappuccino

$3.85 ARS 5,841

$2.07 RON 9.81

85.99%

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

$1.99 ARS 3,020

$1.78 RON 8.42

11.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ARS 2,430

$1.63 RON 7.70

-1.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.93 ARS 5,959

$1.59 RON 7.52

147.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 ARS 7,003

$1.44 RON 6.79

220.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 ARS 2,272

$1.45 RON 6.85

3.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 ARS 3,837

$0.90 RON 4.24

181.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 ARS 2,445

$1.49 RON 7.06

8.05%

Eggs

$2.84 ARS 4,316

$2.80 RON 13.26

1.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.30 ARS 15.6K

$7.71 RON 36.46

33.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

$4.17 RON 19.71

139.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.30 ARS 20.2K

$8.28 RON 39.16

60.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.88 ARS 4,366

$1.07 RON 5.06

169.16%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 ARS 3,334

$1.38 RON 6.55

59.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.40 ARS 2,120

$1.22 RON 5.80

14.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 ARS 3,004

$1.45 RON 6.84

36.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 ARS 1,835

$0.40 RON 1.89

202.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 ARS 1,910

$0.65 RON 3.06

93.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 ARS 2,592

$0.43 RON 2.05

297.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 ARS 2,603

$0.75 RON 3.55

129.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 ARS 6,505

$6.31 RON 29.87

-32.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.70 ARS 8,645

$4.11 RON 19.43

38.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 ARS 3,288

$0.98 RON 4.64

121.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ARS 4,188

$1.42 RON 6.73

94.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ARS 1,141

$0.41 RON 1.92

82.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.27 ARS 41.4K

$12.57 RON 59.5

116.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.57 ARS 2,375

$0.66 RON 3.13

137.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ARS 1,558

$0.62 RON 2.93

66.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ARS 12.0K

$6.09 RON 28.82

29.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ARS 2,160

$1.62 RON 7.68

-12.35%

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

$27.9K ARS 42.4M

$28.2K RON 133.6K

-1.00%

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

$35.0K ARS 53.1M

$24.8K RON 117.5K

40.81%

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

$195 ARS 296.2K

$164 RON 778

18.72%

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

$25.16 ARS 38.2K

$6.30 RON 29.82

299.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.54 ARS 47.9K

$6.51 RON 30.81

384.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.9 ARS 77.3K

$46.84 RON 222

8.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.73 ARS 25.4K

$51.8 RON 245

-67.70%

Cinema Ticket

$10.34 ARS 15.7K

$8.23 RON 38.94

25.64%

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

$463 ARS 703.2K

$404 RON 1,913

14.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,793 ARS 13.3M

$5,678 RON 26.9K

54.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$120 ARS 181.8K

$71.6 RON 339

67.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$95.5 ARS 144.9K

$21.03 RON 99.5

354.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 ARS 173.1K

$91.2 RON 432

25.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 ARS 211.4K

$97.0 RON 459

43.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 ARS 1.1M

$312 RON 1,476

142.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$520 ARS 788.8K

$190 RON 898

173.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,590 ARS 2.4M

$419 RON 1,981

279.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,198 ARS 1.8M

$325 RON 1,539

268.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,713 ARS 4.1M

$1,206 RON 5,706

124.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,901 ARS 2.9M

$949 RON 4,490

100.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$938 ARS 1.4M

$729 RON 3,449

28.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

7.85

629.30%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 11, 2026

Last update for Calarasi: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$520 31.4%

Calarasi

$190 21.5% 63.5% $330

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$283 17.1%

Calarasi

$164 18.6% 42% $119

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$282 17%

Calarasi

$143 16.2% 49.1% $138

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$252 15.2%

Calarasi

$177 20.1% 29.6% $75

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$211 12.7%

Calarasi

$126 14.3% 40.1% $85

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$72 4.3%

Calarasi

$63 7.2% 11.6% $8.3

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2%

Calarasi

$18 2% 51.5% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $756 in Buenos Aires and $312 in Calarasi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buenos Aires pays 29% 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: $66.0 in Buenos Aires vs $33.00 in Calarasi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $164 per month, with Calarasi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇷🇴 Calarasi

🕒 Local time

03:55 3:55 AM

09:55 9:55 AM

6 h ahead of Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

65,181

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, USD, EUR to ARS – Argentine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇷 Argentine Peso ($)

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,706 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Buenos Aires Calarasi 12,300 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Buenos Aires
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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 Calarasi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires and Calarasi differ by about 88% in total monthly costs ($1,656 vs $882 including rent). Calarasi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 29% 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: $756 in Buenos Aires versus $312 in Calarasi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $463 in Buenos Aires versus $404 in Calarasi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 72% higher in Buenos Aires. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $882 in Calarasi versus $1,656 in Buenos Aires, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Calarasi but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes Calarasi 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 Calarasi 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 Calarasi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 88% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.