Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Cham

For one person, living is cheaper in Buenos Aires: $1,646 a month against $3,527 in Cham, rent and utilities included – about $22,600 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
171

Cost of Living Index in Cham
Learn more

Cham Living Index

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Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,646

/mo nomad

Cham

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,527

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,646 in Buenos Aires versus $3,527 in Cham.

Buenos Aires $1,646
Cham $3,527

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,680 in Buenos Aires versus $5,432 in Cham.

Buenos Aires $2,680
Cham $5,432

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,714 in Buenos Aires versus $7,337 in Cham.

Buenos Aires $3,714
Cham $7,337

Living in Buenos Aires costs roughly 53% less than in Cham, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Buenos Aires 21% above, Cham 160% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.81 ARS 27.0K

$30.40 CHF 25.04

-41.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.2 ARS 98.9K

$122 CHF 101

-46.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.12 ARS 19.9K

$18.19 CHF 14.98

-27.87%

Cappuccino

$3.86 ARS 5,863

$6.17 CHF 5.09

-37.44%

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

$2.06 ARS 3,133

$5.52 CHF 4.55

-62.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 ARS 2,542

$4.81 CHF 3.96

-65.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.10 ARS 6,218

$8.62 CHF 7.10

-52.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.73 ARS 7,181

$6.60 CHF 5.44

-28.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 ARS 2,285

$2.14 CHF 1.76

-29.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.60 ARS 3,950

$3.80 CHF 3.13

-31.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 ARS 2,380

$3.86 CHF 3.18

-59.33%

Eggs

$2.73 ARS 4,144

$7.26 CHF 5.98

-62.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.86 ARS 16.5K

$26.70 CHF 21.99

-59.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.07 ARS 15.3K

$28.37 CHF 23.37

-64.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.22 ARS 20.1K

$42.48 CHF 34.98

-68.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.80 ARS 4,255

$4.22 CHF 3.48

-33.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 ARS 3,170

$2.12 CHF 1.75

-1.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 ARS 2,194

$3.28 CHF 2.70

-55.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 ARS 3,040

$4.59 CHF 3.78

-56.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 ARS 1,826

$2.42 CHF 1.99

-50.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 ARS 1,821

$2.16 CHF 1.78

-44.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.69 ARS 2,569

$2.46 CHF 2.03

-31.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 ARS 2,711

$1.16 CHF 0.95

54.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.00 ARS 6,074

$10.98 CHF 9.05

-63.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.53 ARS 8,388

$12.73 CHF 10.48

-56.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 ARS 3,219

$2.78 CHF 2.29

-23.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ARS 4,212

$3.14 CHF 2.59

-11.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 ARS 1,049

$4.95 CHF 4.08

-86.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.90 ARS 42.3K

$149 CHF 122

-81.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.63 ARS 2,471

$5.29 CHF 4.36

-69.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.97 ARS 1,478

$3.40 CHF 2.80

-71.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 ARS 12.0K

$61.7 CHF 50.8

-87.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ARS 2,156

$2.32 CHF 1.91

-38.79%

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

$23.3K ARS 35.4M

$39.0K CHF 32.1K

-40.21%

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

$31.9K ARS 48.5M

$39.1K CHF 32.2K

-18.22%

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

$199 ARS 302.7K

$279 CHF 230

-28.51%

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

$23.36 ARS 35.4K

$30.94 CHF 25.48

-24.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.44 ARS 47.7K

$55.9 CHF 46.04

-43.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.81 ARS 75.6K

$90.5 CHF 74.5

-44.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.63 ARS 25.2K

$49.67 CHF 40.90

-66.52%

Cinema Ticket

$10.80 ARS 16.4K

$25.71 CHF 21.18

-57.99%

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

$462 ARS 701.7K

$1,791 CHF 1,475

-74.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,790 ARS 13.3M

$32.2K CHF 26.5K

-72.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$120 ARS 181.6K

$143 CHF 118

-16.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$94.6 ARS 143.6K

$58.7 CHF 48.31

61.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 ARS 176.4K

$168 CHF 138

-30.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$137 ARS 208.6K

$253 CHF 208

-45.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$750 ARS 1.1M

$1,739 CHF 1,432

-56.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$514 ARS 780.5K

$1,475 CHF 1,214

-65.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,567 ARS 2.4M

$2,977 CHF 2,452

-47.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,196 ARS 1.8M

$2,600 CHF 2,142

-54.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,632 ARS 4.0M

$16.9K CHF 13.9K

-84.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,874 ARS 2.8M

$13.3K CHF 10.9K

-85.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$924 ARS 1.4M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

2.07

2665.70%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 19, 2026

Last update for Cham: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$514 31.3%

Cham

$1.5K 41.8% 187% $960

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$285 17.3%

Cham

$604 17.1% 112% $319

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$273 16.6%

Cham

$470 13.3% 71.9% $196

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$254 15.5%

Cham

$366 10.4% 43.9% $112

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$211 12.8%

Cham

$280 7.9% 33% $69

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$71 4.3%

Cham

$142 4% 98.8% $71

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.3%

Cham

$191 5.4% 413% $154

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $750 in Buenos Aires and $1,739 in Cham. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $65.0 in Buenos Aires vs $122 in Cham for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $285 vs $604 per month, with Buenos Aires cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇨🇭 Cham

🕒 Local time

15:25 3:25 PM

20:25 8:25 PM

5 h ahead of Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

17,060

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CHF, USD, EUR to ARS – Argentine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇷 Argentine Peso ($)

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,706 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.824 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.926 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Buenos Aires Cham 11,270 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Buenos Aires
Cham

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 Cham: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires and Cham differ by about 114% in total monthly costs ($1,646 vs $3,527 including rent). Buenos Aires is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,468 in Buenos Aires and $5,290 in Cham to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $750 in Buenos Aires versus $1,739 in Cham. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $462 in Buenos Aires versus $1,791 in Cham. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 112% higher in Cham. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,646 in Buenos Aires versus $3,527 in Cham, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Buenos Aires but tight or insufficient in Cham. The gap between the two cities makes Buenos Aires 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 Cham 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 Buenos Aires gentler on the wallet – expenses run 114% less than in Cham. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.