Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Craiova

For one person, living is cheaper in Craiova: $1,187 a month against $1,685 in Buenos Aires, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

81

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
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Buenos Aires Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Craiova
Learn more

Craiova Living Index

Jump to prices

Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,685

/mo nomad

Craiova

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,187

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,685 in Buenos Aires versus $1,187 in Craiova.

Buenos Aires $1,685
Craiova $1,187

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,742 in Buenos Aires versus $1,763 in Craiova.

Buenos Aires $2,742
Craiova $1,763

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,799 in Buenos Aires versus $2,338 in Craiova.

Buenos Aires $3,799
Craiova $2,338

Living in Buenos Aires is roughly 42% more expensive than in Craiova, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Buenos Aires is 26% above, Craiova is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.73 ARS 28.4K

$7.53 RON 35.62

148.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 ARS 97.8K

$41.41 RON 196

55.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.88 ARS 19.5K

$7.20 RON 34.05

78.89%

Cappuccino

$3.98 ARS 6,029

$2.62 RON 12.40

51.91%

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

$2.05 ARS 3,103

$2.21 RON 10.44

-7.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 ARS 2,349

$1.80 RON 8.51

-13.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.84 ARS 5,830

$2.36 RON 11.14

62.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 ARS 6,970

$3.46 RON 16.35

32.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 ARS 2,181

$1.32 RON 6.26

9.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 ARS 3,738

$0.87 RON 4.09

182.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 ARS 2,467

$1.38 RON 6.54

18.12%

Eggs

$2.89 ARS 4,385

$3.41 RON 16.12

-15.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.65 ARS 16.1K

$7.11 RON 33.61

49.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

$6.46 RON 30.57

54.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.74 ARS 20.8K

$11.35 RON 53.7

21.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ARS 4,166

$1.04 RON 4.90

164.42%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 ARS 3,300

$1.44 RON 6.82

51.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 ARS 2,205

$1.46 RON 6.90

-0.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ARS 3,013

$1.83 RON 8.66

8.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ARS 1,885

$0.77 RON 3.64

61.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 ARS 1,921

$0.84 RON 4.00

51.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 ARS 2,575

$0.69 RON 3.24

146.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 ARS 2,617

$0.75 RON 3.56

130.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.18 ARS 6,337

$6.36 RON 30.08

-34.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.80 ARS 8,790

$6.27 RON 29.66

-7.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 ARS 3,163

$1.20 RON 5.66

74.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 ARS 4,198

$1.47 RON 6.96

88.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ARS 1,132

$0.82 RON 3.87

-8.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.15 ARS 41.2K

$25.32 RON 120

7.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.62 ARS 2,451

$0.64 RON 3.04

153.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 ARS 1,481

$0.61 RON 2.89

60.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.72 ARS 11.7K

$6.40 RON 30.25

20.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ARS 2,058

$1.92 RON 9.09

-29.17%

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

$28.0K ARS 42.5M

$28.0K RON 132.6K

-0.06%

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

$34.5K ARS 52.4M

$26.2K RON 124.0K

31.70%

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

$216 ARS 326.9K

$214 RON 1,011

0.84%

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

$25.61 ARS 38.8K

$9.61 RON 45.43

166.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.36 ARS 47.6K

$11.51 RON 54.5

172.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.82 ARS 75.6K

$44.51 RON 211

11.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 ARS 25.9K

$21.43 RON 101

-20.39%

Cinema Ticket

$10.43 ARS 15.8K

$7.46 RON 35.30

39.81%

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

$466 ARS 706.7K

$421 RON 1,992

10.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,057 ARS 13.7M

$8,039 RON 38.0K

12.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$122 ARS 185.2K

$63.1 RON 298

93.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$97.4 ARS 147.8K

$50.9 RON 241

91.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ARS 177.4K

$82.9 RON 392

41.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 ARS 211.9K

$102 RON 481

37.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$763 ARS 1.2M

$503 RON 2,379

51.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$505 ARS 766.1K

$391 RON 1,851

29.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,598 ARS 2.4M

$874 RON 4,132

82.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,185 ARS 1.8M

$602 RON 2,845

96.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,678 ARS 4.1M

$2,655 RON 12.6K

0.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,858 ARS 2.8M

$2,024 RON 9,575

-8.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$954 ARS 1.4M

$941 RON 4,449

1.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

6.84

736.99%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 6, 2026

Last update for Craiova: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$505 30.4%

Craiova

$391 32.7% 22.5% $114

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$284 17.1%

Craiova

$195 16.3% 31.4% $89

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$279 16.8%

Craiova

$148 12.4% 46.9% $131

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$273 16.4%

Craiova

$235 19.7% 13.8% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$214 12.9%

Craiova

$134 11.2% 37.3% $80

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$71 4.3%

Craiova

$59 5% 15.9% $11

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2%

Craiova

$32 2.7% 11.9% $4.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $763 in Buenos Aires and $503 in Craiova. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buenos Aires pays 1% 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 $41.00 in Craiova for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $284 vs $195 per month, with Craiova cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇷🇴 Craiova

🕒 Local time

02:31 2:31 AM

08:31 8:31 AM

6 h ahead of Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

269,506

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.189 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,701 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.3 RON (1 RON = 0.189 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Buenos Aires Craiova 12,060 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Buenos Aires
Craiova

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 Craiova: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires and Craiova differ by about 42% in total monthly costs ($1,685 vs $1,187 including rent). Craiova is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 1% 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 $503 in Craiova. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $466 in Buenos Aires versus $421 in Craiova. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 46% higher in Buenos Aires. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,187 in Craiova versus $1,685 in Buenos Aires, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Craiova but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes Craiova 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 Craiova 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 Craiova gentler on the wallet – expenses run 42% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.