Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Fort Madison, IA

For one person, living is cheaper in Buenos Aires: $1,646 a month against $2,559 in Fort Madison, IA, rent and utilities included – about $11,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
Learn more

Buenos Aires Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Fort Madison, IA
Learn more

Fort Madison, IA Living Index

Jump to prices

Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,646

/mo nomad

Fort Madison, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,559

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Buenos Aires and in Fort Madison, IA

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 Fort Madison, IA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,646 in Buenos Aires versus $2,559 in Fort Madison, IA.

Buenos Aires $1,646
Fort Madison, IA $2,559

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,680 in Buenos Aires versus $3,754 in Fort Madison, IA.

Buenos Aires $2,680
Fort Madison, IA $3,754

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,714 in Buenos Aires versus $4,950 in Fort Madison, IA.

Buenos Aires $3,714
Fort Madison, IA $4,950

Living in Buenos Aires costs roughly 36% less than in Fort Madison, IA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Buenos Aires 21% above, Fort Madison, IA 89% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.81 ARS 27.0K

$19.82 $19.82

-10.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.2 ARS 98.9K

$76.2 $76.2

-14.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.12 ARS 19.9K

$11.40 $11.40

15.09%

Cappuccino

$3.86 ARS 5,863

$5.49 $5.49

-29.69%

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

$2.06 ARS 3,133

$2.63 $2.63

-21.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 ARS 2,542

$1.98 $1.98

-15.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.10 ARS 6,218

$6.13 $6.13

-33.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.73 ARS 7,181

$7.37 $7.37

-35.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 ARS 2,285

$1.05 $1.05

43.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.60 ARS 3,950

$3.45 $3.45

-24.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 ARS 2,380

$4.30 $4.30

-63.49%

Eggs

$2.73 ARS 4,144

$4.15 $4.15

-34.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.86 ARS 16.5K

$12.60 $12.60

-13.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.07 ARS 15.3K

$11.33 $11.33

-11.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.22 ARS 20.1K

$17.07 $17.07

-22.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.80 ARS 4,255

$4.89 $4.89

-42.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 ARS 3,170

$1.58 $1.58

32.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 ARS 2,194

$4.23 $4.23

-65.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 ARS 3,040

$4.82 $4.82

-58.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 ARS 1,826

$2.84 $2.84

-57.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 ARS 1,821

$2.94 $2.94

-59.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.69 ARS 2,569

$2.14 $2.14

-21.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 ARS 2,711

$2.21 $2.21

-19.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.00 ARS 6,074

$10.10 $10.10

-60.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.53 ARS 8,388

$15.04 $15.04

-63.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 ARS 3,219

$1.68 $1.68

26.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ARS 4,212

$3.00 $3.00

-7.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 ARS 1,049

$2.27 $2.27

-69.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.90 ARS 42.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.63 ARS 2,471

$3.33 $3.33

-51.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.97 ARS 1,478

$1.76 $1.76

-44.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 ARS 12.0K

$31.70 $31.70

-75.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ARS 2,156

$0.92 $0.92

54.35%

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

$23.3K ARS 35.4M

$26.6K $26.6K

-12.11%

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

$31.9K ARS 48.5M

$23.8K $23.8K

34.12%

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

$199 ARS 302.7K

$201 $201

-0.99%

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

$23.36 ARS 35.4K

$59.0 $59.0

-60.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.44 ARS 47.7K

$71.0 $71.0

-55.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.81 ARS 75.6K

$41.05 $41.05

21.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.63 ARS 25.2K

Cinema Ticket

$10.80 ARS 16.4K

$14.14 $14.14

-23.62%

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

$462 ARS 701.7K

$1,439 $1,439

-67.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,790 ARS 13.3M

$23.7K $23.7K

-62.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$120 ARS 181.6K

$53.8 $53.8

122.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$94.6 ARS 143.6K

$40.89 $40.89

131.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 ARS 176.4K

$88.0 $88.0

32.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$137 ARS 208.6K

$115 $115

19.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$750 ARS 1.1M

$1,582 $1,582

-52.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$514 ARS 780.5K

$1,287 $1,287

-60.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,567 ARS 2.4M

$2,533 $2,533

-38.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,196 ARS 1.8M

$2,141 $2,141

-44.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,632 ARS 4.0M

$2,414 $2,414

9.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,874 ARS 2.8M

$2,589 $2,589

-27.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$924 ARS 1.4M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

6.57

771.39%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 19, 2026

Last update for Fort Madison, IA: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$514 31.3%

Fort Madison, IA

$1.3K 50.3% 150% $773

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$285 17.3%

Fort Madison, IA

$393 15.4% 38.2% $109

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$273 16.6%

Fort Madison, IA

$322 12.6% 18% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$254 15.5%

Fort Madison, IA

$331 13% 30.3% $77

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$211 12.8%

Fort Madison, IA

$134 5.2% 36.5% $77

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$71 4.3%

Fort Madison, IA

$69 2.7% 2.9% $2.1

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.3%

Fort Madison, IA

$21 * 0.8% 42.9% $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 $750 in Buenos Aires and $1,582 in Fort Madison, IA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $65.0 in Buenos Aires vs $76.0 in Fort Madison, IA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $285 vs $393 per month, with Buenos Aires cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇺🇸 Fort Madison, IA

🕒 Local time

14:05 2:05 PM

12:05 12:05 PM

2 h behind Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

10,270

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Buenos Aires Fort Madison, IA 9,020 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Buenos Aires
Fort Madison, IA

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 Fort Madison, IA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires and Fort Madison, IA differ by about 55% in total monthly costs ($1,646 vs $2,559 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 $3,838 in Fort Madison, IA 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 $1,582 in Fort Madison, IA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $462 in Buenos Aires versus $1,439 in Fort Madison, IA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Buenos Aires – a meal for two runs $65.0 versus $76.0 in Fort Madison, IA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,646 in Buenos Aires versus $2,559 in Fort Madison, IA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Buenos Aires but tight or insufficient in Fort Madison, IA. 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 Fort Madison, IA 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 55% less than in Fort Madison, IA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.