Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Kempton Park

For one person, living is cheaper in Kempton Park: $1,209 a month against $1,656 in Buenos Aires, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Buenos Aires
🇦🇷 Argentina
$1,656
/mo nomad
Kempton Park
🇿🇦 South Africa
$1,209
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Buenos Aires and in Kempton Park

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,656 in Buenos Aires versus $1,209 in Kempton Park.

  • Buenos Aires $1,656
  • Kempton Park $1,209

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,697 in Buenos Aires versus $1,854 in Kempton Park.

  • Buenos Aires $2,697
  • Kempton Park $1,854

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,737 in Buenos Aires versus $2,498 in Kempton Park.

  • Buenos Aires $3,737
  • Kempton Park $2,498

Living in Buenos Aires is roughly 37% more expensive than in Kempton Park, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Buenos Aires is 23% above, Kempton Park is 10% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Buenos Aires
Kempton Park
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.09 ARS 29.0K
$8.85 R 146
115.71%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$65.8 ARS 99.9K
$36.72 R 605
79.19%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.20 ARS 20.0K
$5.84 R 96.1
126.03%
Cappuccino
$3.85 ARS 5,841
$2.39 R 39.33
61.09%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.99 ARS 3,020
$1.08 R 17.80
84.26%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.60 ARS 2,430
$0.83 R 13.70
92.77%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.93 ARS 5,959
$2.38 R 39.19
65.13%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.61 ARS 7,003
$2.74 R 45.08
68.25%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Buenos Aires
Kempton Park
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.50 ARS 2,272
$1.28 R 21.17
17.19%
White Bread (500g)
$2.53 ARS 3,837
$1.08 R 17.78
134.26%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.61 ARS 2,445
$1.77 R 29.09
-9.04%
Eggs
$2.84 ARS 4,316
$2.49 R 41.09
14.06%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.30 ARS 15.6K
$8.60 R 142
19.77%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.00 ARS 15.2K
$5.21 R 85.8
91.94%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.30 ARS 20.2K
$8.76 R 144
51.83%
Apples (1kg)
$2.88 ARS 4,366
$1.85 R 30.44
55.68%
Banana (1kg)
$2.20 ARS 3,334
$1.64 R 27.06
34.15%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.40 ARS 2,120
$1.78 R 29.39
-21.35%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.98 ARS 3,004
$2.04 R 33.58
-2.94%
Potato (1kg)
$1.21 ARS 1,835
$1.64 R 27.01
-26.22%
Onion (1kg)
$1.26 ARS 1,910
$1.65 R 27.21
-23.64%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.71 ARS 2,592
$1.22 R 20.07
40.16%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.72 ARS 2,603
$1.26 R 20.80
36.51%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.29 ARS 6,505
$3.22 R 53.1
33.23%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.70 ARS 8,645
$5.32 R 87.7
7.14%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.17 ARS 3,288
$1.62 R 26.68
33.95%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.76 ARS 4,188
$2.38 R 39.24
15.97%
🚌 Getting Around
Buenos Aires
Kempton Park
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.75 ARS 1,141
$1.53 R 25.21
-50.98%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.27 ARS 41.4K
$60.5 R 997
-54.92%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.57 ARS 2,375
$0.29 R 4.76
441.38%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.03 ARS 1,558
$0.82 R 13.43
25.61%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.90 ARS 12.0K
$14.67 R 242
-46.15%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.42 ARS 2,160
$1.48 R 24.41
-4.05%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.9K ARS 42.4M
$34.7K R 571.6K
-19.45%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$35.0K ARS 53.1M
$31.6K R 521.1K
10.57%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Buenos Aires
Kempton Park
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$195 ARS 296.2K
$180 R 2,959
8.69%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$25.16 ARS 38.2K
$38.44 R 633
-34.55%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$31.54 ARS 47.9K
$36.30 R 598
-13.11%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Buenos Aires
Kempton Park
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$50.9 ARS 77.3K
$37.47 R 617
35.90%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.73 ARS 25.4K
$10.58 R 174
58.13%
Cinema Ticket
$10.34 ARS 15.7K
$8.02 R 132
28.93%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Buenos Aires
Kempton Park
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$463 ARS 703.2K
$256 R 4,218
81.00%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,793 ARS 13.3M
$5,474 R 90.2K
60.64%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Buenos Aires
Kempton Park
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$120 ARS 181.8K
$52.8 R 870
126.99%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$95.5 ARS 144.9K
$31.58 R 520
202.34%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$114 ARS 173.1K
$91.2 R 1,502
25.14%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$139 ARS 211.4K
$84.2 R 1,388
65.40%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Buenos Aires
Kempton Park
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$756 ARS 1.1M
$301 R 4,960
151.20%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$520 ARS 788.8K
$365 R 6,010
42.49%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,590 ARS 2.4M
$734 R 12.1K
116.62%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,198 ARS 1.8M
$734 R 12.1K
63.24%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,713 ARS 4.1M
$862 R 14.2K
214.92%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,901 ARS 2.9M
$666 R 11.0K
185.45%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Buenos Aires
Kempton Park
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$938 ARS 1.4M
$625 R 10.3K
50.14%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
57.25
11.25
408.89%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 11, 2026

Last update for Kempton Park: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Buenos Aires
$520
Kempton Park
$365 29.8% $155
Groceries & Markets
Buenos Aires
$283
Kempton Park
$207 26.9% $76
Eating Out
Buenos Aires
$282
Kempton Park
$142 49.6% $140
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Buenos Aires
$252
Kempton Park
$254 1% $2.5
Clothing & Footwear
Buenos Aires
$211
Kempton Park
$117 44.6% $94
Sport & Entertainment
Buenos Aires
$72
Kempton Park
$54 25.3% $18
Getting Around
Buenos Aires
$37
Kempton Park
$71 91.9% $34

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $756 in Buenos Aires and $301 in Kempton Park. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buenos Aires pays 50% 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 $37.00 in Kempton Park for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $207 per month, with Kempton Park cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇦🇷 Buenos Aires
🇿🇦 Kempton Park
🕒 Local time
04:57 4:57 AM
09:57 9:57 AM
5 h ahead of Buenos Aires
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,891,082 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to ARS – Argentine Peso Converter

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).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Buenos Aires Kempton Park 8,120 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Buenos Aires
  • Kempton Park

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 Kempton Park: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Buenos Aires and in Kempton Park?
Buenos Aires and Kempton Park differ by about 37% in total monthly costs ($1,656 vs $1,209 including rent). Kempton Park is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Buenos Aires or Kempton Park?
Average pay runs 50% 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Buenos Aires and in Kempton Park?
Rent for a central apartment: $756 in Buenos Aires versus $301 in Kempton Park. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Buenos Aires and Kempton Park?
Childcare runs $463 in Buenos Aires versus $256 in Kempton Park. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 37% higher in Buenos Aires. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $1,000 per month?
At $1,209 in Kempton Park versus $1,656 in Buenos Aires, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kempton Park but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes Kempton Park the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Buenos Aires and Kempton Park?
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.
Is Buenos Aires or Kempton Park safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Buenos Aires and Kempton Park are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Buenos Aires or Kempton Park?
Expats usually find Kempton Park gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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