Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Durban

For one person, living is cheaper in Durban: $1,160 a month against $1,685 in Buenos Aires, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 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
55

Cost of Living Index in Durban
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Durban Living Index

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Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,685

/mo nomad

Durban

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,160

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,685 in Buenos Aires versus $1,160 in Durban.

Buenos Aires $1,685
Durban $1,160

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,742 in Buenos Aires versus $1,785 in Durban.

Buenos Aires $2,742
Durban $1,785

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,799 in Buenos Aires versus $2,411 in Durban.

Buenos Aires $3,799
Durban $2,411

Living in Buenos Aires is roughly 45% more expensive than in Durban, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Buenos Aires is 26% above, Durban is 13% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.73 ARS 28.4K

$8.01 R 133

133.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 ARS 97.7K

$38.89 R 645

65.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.88 ARS 19.5K

$6.13 R 102

110.11%

Cappuccino

$3.98 ARS 6,027

$2.64 R 43.85

50.76%

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

$2.05 ARS 3,102

$1.13 R 18.77

81.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 ARS 2,348

$0.91 R 15.07

70.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.84 ARS 5,828

$2.44 R 40.47

57.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 ARS 6,968

$2.56 R 42.52

79.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 ARS 2,180

$1.21 R 20.12

19.01%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 ARS 3,737

$0.93 R 15.43

164.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 ARS 2,466

$1.49 R 24.70

9.40%

Eggs

$2.89 ARS 4,384

$2.35 R 38.98

22.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.65 ARS 16.1K

$8.20 R 136

29.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

$5.28 R 87.6

89.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.74 ARS 20.8K

$7.04 R 117

95.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ARS 4,165

$1.97 R 32.66

39.59%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 ARS 3,299

$1.95 R 32.39

11.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 ARS 2,204

$1.96 R 32.56

-26.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ARS 3,012

$1.67 R 27.66

19.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ARS 1,884

$1.53 R 25.40

-18.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 ARS 1,920

$1.43 R 23.79

-11.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 ARS 2,574

$1.16 R 19.21

46.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 ARS 2,616

$1.20 R 19.97

44.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.18 ARS 6,335

$3.56 R 59.0

17.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.80 ARS 8,787

$4.68 R 77.6

23.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 ARS 3,162

$1.38 R 22.96

51.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 ARS 4,197

$1.91 R 31.66

45.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ARS 1,131

$1.75 R 28.97

-57.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.15 ARS 41.2K

$21.37 R 354

27.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.62 ARS 2,450

$0.44 R 7.24

268.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 ARS 1,480

$0.71 R 11.78

38.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.72 ARS 11.7K

$7.68 R 127

0.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ARS 2,057

$1.54 R 25.48

-11.69%

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

$28.0K ARS 42.5M

$35.0K R 580.7K

-19.99%

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

$34.5K ARS 52.3M

$31.1K R 515.2K

11.17%

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

$216 ARS 326.8K

$144 R 2,384

49.95%

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

$25.61 ARS 38.8K

$35.56 R 590

-27.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.36 ARS 47.5K

$38.72 R 642

-19.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.82 ARS 75.5K

$31.39 R 521

58.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 ARS 25.9K

$8.72 R 145

95.64%

Cinema Ticket

$10.43 ARS 15.8K

$7.31 R 121

42.68%

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

$466 ARS 706.5K

$307 R 5,089

51.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,057 ARS 13.7M

$7,645 R 126.8K

18.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$122 ARS 185.1K

$52.9 R 878

130.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$97.4 ARS 147.7K

$30.31 R 503

221.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ARS 177.3K

$97.3 R 1,614

20.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 ARS 211.8K

$82.0 R 1,360

70.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$763 ARS 1.2M

$467 R 7,748

63.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$505 ARS 765.8K

$396 R 6,571

27.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,598 ARS 2.4M

$835 R 13.9K

91.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,185 ARS 1.8M

$777 R 12.9K

52.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,678 ARS 4.1M

$879 R 14.6K

204.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,858 ARS 2.8M

$585 R 9,697

217.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$954 ARS 1.4M

$1,246 R 20.7K

-23.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

11.78

385.99%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 6, 2026

Last update for Durban: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$505 30.4%

Durban

$396 34.6% 21.6% $109

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$284 17.1%

Durban

$193 16.9% 32% $91

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$279 16.8%

Durban

$140 12.2% 49.9% $139

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$273 16.4%

Durban

$218 19.1% 20% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$214 12.9%

Durban

$118 10.3% 44.9% $96

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$71 4.3%

Durban

$46 4% 34.9% $25

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2%

Durban

$32 2.8% 11.7% $4.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $763 in Buenos Aires and $467 in Durban. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Durban pays 31% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $64.0 in Buenos Aires vs $39.00 in Durban for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $284 vs $193 per month, with Durban cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇿🇦 Durban

🕒 Local time

04:15 4:15 AM

09:15 9:15 AM

5 h ahead of Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

3,442,361

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.6 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.03 USD

100 ZAR = 5.38 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to ARS – Argentine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇷 Argentine Peso ($)

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,516 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.6 USD). 1 EUR = 1,700 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 16.59 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.03 USD). 1 EUR = 18.6 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.38 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Buenos Aires Durban 8,140 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Buenos Aires
Durban

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 Durban: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires and Durban differ by about 45% in total monthly costs ($1,685 vs $1,160 including rent). Durban is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 31% lower in Durban. 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: $763 in Buenos Aires versus $467 in Durban. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $466 in Buenos Aires versus $307 in Durban. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 47% higher in Buenos Aires. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,160 in Durban versus $1,685 in Buenos Aires, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Durban but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes Durban 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 Durban 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 Durban gentler on the wallet – expenses run 45% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.