Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Isiolo

For one person, living is cheaper in Isiolo: $544 a month against $1,646 in Buenos Aires, rent and utilities included – about $13,200 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
26

Cost of Living Index in Isiolo
Learn more

Isiolo Living Index

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Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,646

/mo nomad

Isiolo

🇰🇪 Kenya

$544

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,646 in Buenos Aires versus $544 in Isiolo.

Buenos Aires $1,646
Isiolo $544

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,680 in Buenos Aires versus $891 in Isiolo.

Buenos Aires $2,680
Isiolo $891

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,714 in Buenos Aires versus $1,239 in Isiolo.

Buenos Aires $3,714
Isiolo $1,239

Living in Buenos Aires is roughly 202% more expensive than in Isiolo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Buenos Aires is 21% above, Isiolo is 60% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.81 ARS 27.0K

$6.25 KES 811

184.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.2 ARS 98.9K

$35.04 KES 4,543

85.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.12 ARS 19.9K

$6.40 KES 829

105.00%

Cappuccino

$3.86 ARS 5,863

$2.69 KES 349

43.49%

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

$2.06 ARS 3,133

$0.66 KES 84.9

212.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 ARS 2,542

$0.56 KES 73.0

200.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.10 ARS 6,218

$2.29 KES 297

79.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.73 ARS 7,181

$2.64 KES 342

79.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 ARS 2,285

$0.89 KES 116

69.66%

White Bread (500g)

$2.60 ARS 3,950

$0.57 KES 73.4

356.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 ARS 2,380

$1.91 KES 248

-17.80%

Eggs

$2.73 ARS 4,144

$1.68 KES 218

62.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.86 ARS 16.5K

$10.78 KES 1,398

0.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.07 ARS 15.3K

$6.48 KES 840

55.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.22 ARS 20.1K

$6.22 KES 807

112.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.80 ARS 4,255

$3.30 KES 427

-15.15%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 ARS 3,170

$1.05 KES 136

99.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 ARS 2,194

$2.03 KES 263

-28.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 ARS 3,040

$1.15 KES 149

73.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 ARS 1,826

$1.12 KES 145

7.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 ARS 1,821

$1.08 KES 140

11.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.69 ARS 2,569

$0.73 KES 94.9

131.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 ARS 2,711

$0.75 KES 96.7

138.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.00 ARS 6,074

$3.52 KES 457

13.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.53 ARS 8,388

$11.43 KES 1,482

-51.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 ARS 3,219

$2.32 KES 300

-8.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ARS 4,212

$2.69 KES 349

3.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 ARS 1,049

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.90 ARS 42.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.63 ARS 2,471

$1.52 KES 197

7.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.97 ARS 1,478

$1.52 KES 197

-36.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 ARS 12.0K

$2.86 KES 371

175.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ARS 2,156

$1.61 KES 209

-11.80%

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

$23.3K ARS 35.4M

$21.8K KES 2.8M

6.93%

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

$31.9K ARS 48.5M

$20.2K KES 2.6M

58.15%

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

$199 ARS 302.7K

$56.5 KES 7,319

253.32%

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

$23.36 ARS 35.4K

$14.95 KES 1,939

56.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.44 ARS 47.7K

$34.44 KES 4,465

-8.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.81 ARS 75.6K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.63 ARS 25.2K

Cinema Ticket

$10.80 ARS 16.4K

$7.75 KES 1,004

39.35%

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

$462 ARS 701.7K

$249 KES 32.3K

85.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,790 ARS 13.3M

$12.4K KES 1.6M

-29.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$120 ARS 181.6K

$27.88 KES 3,615

329.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$94.6 ARS 143.6K

$29.53 KES 3,829

220.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 ARS 176.4K

$71.4 KES 9,256

62.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$137 ARS 208.6K

$58.6 KES 7,592

134.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$750 ARS 1.1M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$514 ARS 780.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,567 ARS 2.4M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,196 ARS 1.8M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,632 ARS 4.0M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,874 ARS 2.8M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$924 ARS 1.4M

$777 KES 100.7K

19.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

14.71

289.19%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 19, 2026

Last update for Isiolo: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$514 31.3%

Isiolo

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$285 17.3%

Isiolo

$206 37.9% 27.6% $78

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$273 16.6%

Isiolo

$123 22.6% 54.9% $150

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$254 15.5%

Isiolo

$106 19.5% 58.4% $148

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$211 12.8%

Isiolo

$84 15.5% 60% $126

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$71 4.3%

Isiolo

$15 * 2.9% 78.3% $56

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.3%

Isiolo

$9.1 * 1.7% 75.5% $28

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

Cost Breakdown

Buenos Aires pays 19% 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: $65.0 in Buenos Aires vs $35.00 in Isiolo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $285 vs $206 per month, with Isiolo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇰🇪 Isiolo

🕒 Local time

10:09 10:09 AM

16:09 4:09 PM

6 h ahead of Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

45,989

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR

1,000 KES = 7.71 USD

1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KES, USD, EUR to ARS – Argentine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇷 Argentine Peso ($)

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,706 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR).

Kenyan Shilling exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 130 KES (1,000 KES = 7.71 USD). 1 EUR = 146 KES (1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Buenos Aires Isiolo 10,580 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Buenos Aires
Isiolo

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 Isiolo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires and Isiolo differ by about 202% in total monthly costs ($1,646 vs $544 including rent). Isiolo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 19% 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.

Childcare runs $462 in Buenos Aires versus $249 in Isiolo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Isiolo – a meal for two runs $35.00 versus $65.0 in Buenos Aires. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $544 in Isiolo versus $1,646 in Buenos Aires, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Isiolo but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes Isiolo 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 Isiolo 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 Isiolo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 202% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.