Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Dhahran

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhahran: $1,317 a month against $1,656 in Buenos Aires, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
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Buenos Aires Living Index
64

Cost of Living Index in Dhahran
Learn more

Dhahran Living Index

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Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,656

/mo nomad

Dhahran

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,317

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,656 in Buenos Aires versus $1,317 in Dhahran.

Buenos Aires $1,656
Dhahran $1,317

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,697 in Buenos Aires versus $1,671 in Dhahran.

Buenos Aires $2,697
Dhahran $1,671

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,737 in Buenos Aires versus $2,026 in Dhahran.

Buenos Aires $3,737
Dhahran $2,026

Living in Buenos Aires is roughly 26% more expensive than in Dhahran, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Buenos Aires is 23% above, Dhahran is 2% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.09 ARS 29.0K

$5.30 SAR 19.90

260.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 ARS 99.9K

$39.17 SAR 147

67.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.20 ARS 20.0K

$6.35 SAR 23.81

107.87%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.81 SAR 6.80

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 SAR 5.96

Cappuccino

$3.85 ARS 5,841

$4.01 SAR 15.03

-3.99%

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

$1.99 ARS 3,020

$0.74 SAR 2.76

168.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ARS 2,430

$0.19 SAR 0.70

742.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.93 ARS 5,959

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 ARS 7,003

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 ARS 2,272

$1.65 SAR 6.18

-9.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 ARS 3,837

$0.97 SAR 3.62

160.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 ARS 2,445

$1.97 SAR 7.41

-18.27%

Eggs

$2.84 ARS 4,316

$3.87 SAR 14.54

-26.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.30 ARS 15.6K

$8.59 SAR 32.23

19.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

$10.92 SAR 40.97

-8.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.30 ARS 20.2K

$13.89 SAR 52.1

-4.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.88 ARS 4,366

$2.15 SAR 8.07

33.95%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 ARS 3,334

$1.39 SAR 5.21

58.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.40 ARS 2,120

$1.78 SAR 6.69

-21.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 ARS 3,004

$1.80 SAR 6.74

10.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 ARS 1,835

$1.50 SAR 5.61

-19.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 ARS 1,910

$0.96 SAR 3.61

31.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 ARS 2,592

$1.97 SAR 7.39

-13.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 ARS 2,603

$0.85 SAR 3.19

102.35%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.81 SAR 18.03

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 SAR 6.15

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 SAR 9.22

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 ARS 6,505

$5.57 SAR 20.92

-22.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.70 ARS 8,645

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 ARS 3,288

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ARS 4,188

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ARS 1,141

$0.83 SAR 3.11

-9.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.27 ARS 41.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.57 ARS 2,375

$1.36 SAR 5.12

15.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ARS 1,558

$3.25 SAR 12.21

-68.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ARS 12.0K

$9.52 SAR 35.73

-17.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ARS 2,160

$0.65 SAR 2.44

118.46%

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

$27.9K ARS 42.4M

$53.2K SAR 199.7K

-47.49%

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

$35.0K ARS 53.1M

$20.7K SAR 77.6K

69.05%

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

$195 ARS 296.2K

$59.0 SAR 221

230.79%

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

$25.16 ARS 38.2K

$42.19 SAR 158

-40.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.54 ARS 47.9K

$64.9 SAR 244

-51.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.9 ARS 77.3K

$195 SAR 731

-73.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.73 ARS 25.4K

$93.5 SAR 351

-82.11%

Cinema Ticket

$10.34 ARS 15.7K

$10.56 SAR 39.62

-2.08%

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

$463 ARS 703.2K

$65.3 SAR 245

609.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,793 ARS 13.3M

$13.3K SAR 49.8K

-33.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$120 ARS 181.8K

$50.6 SAR 190

137.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$95.5 ARS 144.9K

$41.79 SAR 157

128.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 ARS 173.1K

$76.9 SAR 289

48.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 ARS 211.4K

$90.4 SAR 339

54.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 ARS 1.1M

$361 SAR 1,355

109.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$520 ARS 788.8K

$453 SAR 1,700

14.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,590 ARS 2.4M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,198 ARS 1.8M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,713 ARS 4.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,901 ARS 2.9M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$938 ARS 1.4M

$2,785 SAR 10.5K

-66.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

4.5

1172.22%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 11, 2026

Last update for Dhahran: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$520 31.4%

Dhahran

$453 34.4% 12.8% $67

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$283 17.1%

Dhahran

$231 17.6% 18.4% $52

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$282 17%

Dhahran

$113 8.6% 59.8% $169

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$252 15.2%

Dhahran

$166 12.6% 34.1% $86

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$211 12.7%

Dhahran

$117 8.9% 44.6% $94

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$72 4.3%

Dhahran

$216 16.4% 201% $144

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2%

Dhahran

$21 * 1.6% 43.4% $16

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $756 in Buenos Aires and $361 in Dhahran. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dhahran pays 197% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $66.0 in Buenos Aires vs $39.00 in Dhahran for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $231 per month, with Dhahran cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇸🇦 Dhahran

🕒 Local time

23:06 11:06 PM

05:06 5:06 AM

6 h ahead of Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

120,521

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SAR, USD, EUR to ARS – Argentine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇷 Argentine Peso ($)

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,706 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR).

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.22 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

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Buenos Aires Dhahran 13,240 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

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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 Dhahran: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires and Dhahran differ by about 26% in total monthly costs ($1,656 vs $1,317 including rent). Dhahran is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 197% lower in Dhahran. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $756 in Buenos Aires versus $361 in Dhahran. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $463 in Buenos Aires versus $65.3 in Dhahran. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Dhahran – a meal for two runs $39.00 versus $66.0 in Buenos Aires. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,317 in Dhahran versus $1,656 in Buenos Aires, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Dhahran but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes Dhahran 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 Dhahran 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 Dhahran gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.