Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Goma

For one person, living is cheaper in Goma: $430 a month against $1,656 in Buenos Aires, rent and utilities included – about $14,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
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Buenos Aires Living Index

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Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,656

/mo nomad

Goma

🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo

$430

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,656 in Buenos Aires versus $430 in Goma.

Buenos Aires $1,656
Goma $430

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,697 in Buenos Aires versus $751 in Goma.

Buenos Aires $2,697
Goma $751

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,737 in Buenos Aires versus $1,071 in Goma.

Buenos Aires $3,737
Goma $1,071

Living in Buenos Aires is roughly 285% more expensive than in Goma, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Buenos Aires is 23% above, Goma is 68% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.09 ARS 29.0K

$14.95 CDF 33.9K

27.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 ARS 99.9K

$45.52 CDF 103.1K

44.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.20 ARS 20.0K

$10.19 CDF 23.1K

29.54%

Cappuccino

$3.85 ARS 5,841

$3.51 CDF 7,960

9.69%

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

$1.99 ARS 3,020

$1.03 CDF 2,331

93.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ARS 2,430

$1.01 CDF 2,292

58.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.93 ARS 5,959

$1.19 CDF 2,685

230.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 ARS 7,003

$5.03 CDF 11.4K

-8.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 ARS 2,272

$0.98 CDF 2,211

53.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 ARS 3,837

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 ARS 2,445

$1.22 CDF 2,758

31.97%

Eggs

$2.84 ARS 4,316

$1.60 CDF 3,625

77.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.30 ARS 15.6K

$6.03 CDF 13.7K

70.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

$2.57 CDF 5,814

289.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.30 ARS 20.2K

$5.02 CDF 11.4K

164.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.88 ARS 4,366

$1.97 CDF 4,470

46.19%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 ARS 3,334

Oranges (1kg)

$1.40 ARS 2,120

$1.52 CDF 3,448

-7.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 ARS 3,004

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 ARS 1,835

$0.51 CDF 1,165

137.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 ARS 1,910

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 ARS 2,592

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 ARS 2,603

$0.69 CDF 1,552

149.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 ARS 6,505

Wine (Bottle)

$5.70 ARS 8,645

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 ARS 3,288

$2.02 CDF 4,567

7.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ARS 4,188

$2.52 CDF 5,698

9.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ARS 1,141

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.27 ARS 41.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.57 ARS 2,375

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ARS 1,558

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ARS 12.0K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ARS 2,160

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

$27.9K ARS 42.4M

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

$35.0K ARS 53.1M

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

$195 ARS 296.2K

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

$25.16 ARS 38.2K

$14.71 CDF 33.3K

71.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.54 ARS 47.9K

$60.4 CDF 136.9K

-47.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.9 ARS 77.3K

$30.38 CDF 68.8K

67.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.73 ARS 25.4K

Cinema Ticket

$10.34 ARS 15.7K

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

$463 ARS 703.2K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,793 ARS 13.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$120 ARS 181.8K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$95.5 ARS 144.9K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 ARS 173.1K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 ARS 211.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 ARS 1.1M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$520 ARS 788.8K

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

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 11, 2026

Last update for Goma: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$520 31.4%

Goma

–

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$283 17.1%

Goma

–

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$282 17%

Goma

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$252 15.2%

Goma

–

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$211 12.7%

Goma

–

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$72 4.3%

Goma

–

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2%

Goma

–

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $66.0 in Buenos Aires vs $46.00 in Goma for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $108 per month, with Goma cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇨🇩 Goma

🕒 Local time

04:25 4:25 AM

09:25 9:25 AM

5 h ahead of Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

2,000,000

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

Congolese Franc CDF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR

10,000 CDF = 4.41 USD

10,000 CDF = 3.93 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CDF, USD, EUR to ARS – Argentine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇷 Argentine Peso ($)

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,706 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR).

Congolese Franc exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 2,265 CDF (10,000 CDF = 4.41 USD). 1 EUR = 2,547 CDF (10,000 CDF = 3.93 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

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Between locations

Buenos Aires Goma 9,690 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Buenos Aires
Goma

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 Goma: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires and Goma differ by about 285% in total monthly costs ($1,656 vs $430 including rent). Goma is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,484 in Buenos Aires and $645 in Goma 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.

Dining out is cheaper in Goma – a meal for two runs $46.00 versus $66.0 in Buenos Aires. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,656 per month in Buenos Aires versus $430 in Goma – a 285% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $430 in Goma versus $1,656 in Buenos Aires, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Goma but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes Goma 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 Goma 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 Goma gentler on the wallet – expenses run 285% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.