Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Ialoveni

For one person, living is cheaper in Ialoveni: $806 a month against $1,656 in Buenos Aires, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
Learn more

Buenos Aires Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Ialoveni
Learn more

Ialoveni Living Index

Jump to prices

Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,656

/mo nomad

Ialoveni

🇲🇩 Moldova

$806

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,656 in Buenos Aires versus $806 in Ialoveni.

Buenos Aires $1,656
Ialoveni $806

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,697 in Buenos Aires versus $1,296 in Ialoveni.

Buenos Aires $2,697
Ialoveni $1,296

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,737 in Buenos Aires versus $1,786 in Ialoveni.

Buenos Aires $3,737
Ialoveni $1,786

Living in Buenos Aires is roughly 106% more expensive than in Ialoveni, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Buenos Aires is 23% above, Ialoveni is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.09 ARS 29.0K

$8.21 MDL 146

132.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 ARS 99.9K

$28.89 MDL 513

127.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.20 ARS 20.0K

$10.54 MDL 187

25.24%

Cappuccino

$3.85 ARS 5,841

$2.19 MDL 38.89

75.80%

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

$1.99 ARS 3,020

$1.23 MDL 21.76

61.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ARS 2,430

$0.80 MDL 14.24

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.93 ARS 5,959

$2.18 MDL 38.76

80.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 ARS 7,003

$2.28 MDL 40.54

102.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 ARS 2,272

$1.29 MDL 22.88

16.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 ARS 3,837

$0.65 MDL 11.50

289.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 ARS 2,445

$0.65 MDL 11.48

147.69%

Eggs

$2.84 ARS 4,316

$2.72 MDL 48.37

4.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.30 ARS 15.6K

$6.74 MDL 120

52.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

$5.04 MDL 89.6

98.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.30 ARS 20.2K

$4.93 MDL 87.6

169.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.88 ARS 4,366

$0.97 MDL 17.26

196.91%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 ARS 3,334

$1.90 MDL 33.68

15.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.40 ARS 2,120

$2.12 MDL 37.62

-33.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 ARS 3,004

$2.30 MDL 40.84

-13.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 ARS 1,835

$0.72 MDL 12.80

68.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 ARS 1,910

$0.52 MDL 9.31

142.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 ARS 2,592

$1.34 MDL 23.82

27.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 ARS 2,603

$0.87 MDL 15.48

97.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 ARS 6,505

$3.39 MDL 60.3

26.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.70 ARS 8,645

$4.68 MDL 83.0

21.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 ARS 3,288

$1.21 MDL 21.43

79.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ARS 4,188

$1.96 MDL 34.75

40.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ARS 1,141

$0.33 MDL 5.85

127.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.27 ARS 41.4K

$6.91 MDL 123

294.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.57 ARS 2,375

$2.21 MDL 39.19

-28.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ARS 1,558

$0.26 MDL 4.62

296.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ARS 12.0K

$4.95 MDL 88.0

59.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ARS 2,160

$1.63 MDL 28.89

-12.88%

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

$27.9K ARS 42.4M

$29.5K MDL 524.2K

-5.31%

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

$35.0K ARS 53.1M

$24.5K MDL 435.2K

42.71%

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

$195 ARS 296.2K

$190 MDL 3,378

2.61%

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

$25.16 ARS 38.2K

$9.47 MDL 168

165.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.54 ARS 47.9K

$11.08 MDL 197

184.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.9 ARS 77.3K

$27.86 MDL 495

82.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.73 ARS 25.4K

$10.96 MDL 195

52.65%

Cinema Ticket

$10.34 ARS 15.7K

$7.42 MDL 132

39.35%

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

$463 ARS 703.2K

$111 MDL 1,966

318.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,793 ARS 13.3M

$5,128 MDL 91.1K

71.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$120 ARS 181.8K

$44.77 MDL 795

167.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$95.5 ARS 144.9K

$27.67 MDL 491

245.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 ARS 173.1K

$84.7 MDL 1,505

34.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 ARS 211.4K

$95.0 MDL 1,686

46.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 ARS 1.1M

$168 MDL 2,975

351.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$520 ARS 788.8K

$112 MDL 1,996

362.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,590 ARS 2.4M

$356 MDL 6,325

346.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,198 ARS 1.8M

$368 MDL 6,529

225.94%

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

$591 MDL 10.5K

58.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

615.63%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 11, 2026

Last update for Ialoveni: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$520 31.4%

Ialoveni

$112 14% 78.4% $407

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$283 17.1%

Ialoveni

$168 20.8% 40.8% $116

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$282 17%

Ialoveni

$147 18.3% 47.8% $135

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$252 15.2%

Ialoveni

$211 26.1% 16.3% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$211 12.7%

Ialoveni

$113 14.1% 46.2% $97

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$72 4.3%

Ialoveni

$43 5.3% 40.4% $29

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2%

Ialoveni

$12 1.5% 68.3% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $756 in Buenos Aires and $168 in Ialoveni. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buenos Aires pays 59% 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: $66.0 in Buenos Aires vs $29.00 in Ialoveni for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $168 per month, with Ialoveni cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇲🇩 Ialoveni

🕒 Local time

23:35 11:35 PM

05:35 5:35 AM

6 h ahead of Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

15,300

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

Moldovan Leu MDL L

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR

100 MDL = 5.63 USD

100 MDL = 5.01 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MDL, 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).

Moldovan Leu exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 17.76 MDL (100 MDL = 5.63 USD). 1 EUR = 19.97 MDL (100 MDL = 5.01 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Buenos Aires Ialoveni 12,540 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Buenos Aires
Ialoveni

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 Ialoveni: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires and Ialoveni differ by about 106% in total monthly costs ($1,656 vs $806 including rent). Ialoveni is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 59% 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: $756 in Buenos Aires versus $168 in Ialoveni. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $463 in Buenos Aires versus $111 in Ialoveni. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 69% higher in Buenos Aires. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $806 in Ialoveni versus $1,656 in Buenos Aires, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ialoveni but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes Ialoveni 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 Ialoveni 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 Ialoveni gentler on the wallet – expenses run 106% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.