Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Leova

For one person, living is cheaper in Leova: $1,355 a month against $1,685 in Buenos Aires, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

81

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
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Buenos Aires Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Leova
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Leova Living Index

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Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,685

/mo nomad

Leova

🇲🇩 Moldova

$1,355

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,685 in Buenos Aires versus $1,355 in Leova.

Buenos Aires $1,685
Leova $1,355

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,742 in Buenos Aires versus $2,116 in Leova.

Buenos Aires $2,742
Leova $2,116

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,799 in Buenos Aires versus $2,876 in Leova.

Buenos Aires $3,799
Leova $2,876

Living in Buenos Aires is roughly 24% more expensive than in Leova, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Buenos Aires 26% above, Leova 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.73 ARS 28.4K

$10.65 MDL 189

75.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 ARS 97.8K

$34.19 MDL 606

88.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.88 ARS 19.5K

$9.46 MDL 168

36.15%

Cappuccino

$3.98 ARS 6,029

$0.86 MDL 15.27

362.79%

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

$2.05 ARS 3,103

$0.49 MDL 8.77

318.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 ARS 2,349

$0.39 MDL 6.84

297.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.84 ARS 5,830

$2.62 MDL 46.35

46.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 ARS 6,970

$2.74 MDL 48.59

67.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 ARS 2,181

$1.74 MDL 30.91

-17.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 ARS 3,738

$1.55 MDL 27.44

58.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 ARS 2,467

$1.34 MDL 23.76

21.64%

Eggs

$2.89 ARS 4,385

$1.33 MDL 23.59

117.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.65 ARS 16.1K

$13.92 MDL 247

-23.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

$2.28 MDL 40.39

338.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.74 ARS 20.8K

$4.02 MDL 71.3

241.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ARS 4,166

$1.36 MDL 24.17

102.21%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 ARS 3,300

$0.88 MDL 15.60

147.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 ARS 2,205

$0.98 MDL 17.38

47.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ARS 3,013

$1.11 MDL 19.68

79.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ARS 1,885

$1.50 MDL 26.65

-17.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 ARS 1,921

$0.59 MDL 10.50

115.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 ARS 2,575

$0.44 MDL 7.74

286.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 ARS 2,617

$0.99 MDL 17.57

74.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.18 ARS 6,337

$4.74 MDL 84.0

-11.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.80 ARS 8,790

$15.20 MDL 269

-61.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 ARS 3,163

$1.16 MDL 20.50

80.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 ARS 4,198

$2.70 MDL 47.88

2.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ARS 1,132

$0.41 MDL 7.32

82.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.15 ARS 41.2K

$28.96 MDL 513

-6.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.62 ARS 2,451

$2.79 MDL 49.37

-41.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 ARS 1,481

$0.55 MDL 9.68

78.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.72 ARS 11.7K

$3.38 MDL 59.9

128.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ARS 2,058

$1.37 MDL 24.34

-0.73%

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

$28.0K ARS 42.5M

$33.7K MDL 596.7K

-16.81%

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

$34.5K ARS 52.4M

$35.4K MDL 626.7K

-2.36%

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

$216 ARS 326.9K

$189 MDL 3,358

13.78%

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

$25.61 ARS 38.8K

$5.80 MDL 103

341.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.36 ARS 47.6K

$21.20 MDL 376

47.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.82 ARS 75.6K

$83.8 MDL 1,485

-40.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 ARS 25.9K

$11.12 MDL 197

53.42%

Cinema Ticket

$10.43 ARS 15.8K

$4.66 MDL 82.6

123.82%

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

$466 ARS 706.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,057 ARS 13.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$122 ARS 185.2K

$85.3 MDL 1,512

43.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$97.4 ARS 147.8K

$55.3 MDL 981

76.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ARS 177.4K

$97.9 MDL 1,735

19.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 ARS 211.9K

$115 MDL 2,038

21.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$763 ARS 1.2M

$654 MDL 11.6K

16.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$505 ARS 766.1K

$545 MDL 9,651

-7.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,598 ARS 2.4M

$1,509 MDL 26.7K

5.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,185 ARS 1.8M

$1,102 MDL 19.5K

7.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,678 ARS 4.1M

$2,533 MDL 44.9K

5.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,858 ARS 2.8M

$1,920 MDL 34.0K

-3.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$954 ARS 1.4M

$653 MDL 11.6K

46.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

7.19

696.24%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 6, 2026

Last update for Leova: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$505 30.4%

Leova

$545 39.3% 7.8% $39

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$284 17.1%

Leova

$191 13.8% 32.6% $93

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$279 16.8%

Leova

$146 10.5% 47.7% $133

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$273 16.4%

Leova

$216 15.6% 20.6% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$214 12.9%

Leova

$159 11.5% 25.8% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$71 4.3%

Leova

$93 6.7% 31.7% $22

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2%

Leova

$36 2.6% 1.4% $0.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $763 in Buenos Aires and $654 in Leova. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buenos Aires pays 46% 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: $64.0 in Buenos Aires vs $34.00 in Leova for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $284 vs $191 per month, with Leova cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇲🇩 Leova

🕒 Local time

08:18 8:18 AM

14:18 2:18 PM

6 h ahead of Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

10,900

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

Moldovan Leu MDL L

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR

100 MDL = 5.64 USD

100 MDL = 5.04 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,699 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR).

Moldovan Leu exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 17.72 MDL (100 MDL = 5.64 USD). 1 EUR = 19.86 MDL (100 MDL = 5.04 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Buenos Aires Leova 12,490 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Buenos Aires
Leova

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 Leova: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires and Leova differ by about 24% in total monthly costs ($1,685 vs $1,355 including rent). Leova is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 46% 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: $763 in Buenos Aires versus $654 in Leova. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Leova – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $64.0 in Buenos Aires. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

A monthly transit pass in Leova runs roughly 7% less than in Buenos Aires. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,355 in Leova versus $1,685 in Buenos Aires, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Leova but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes Leova 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 Leova 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 Leova gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.