Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Lexington, KY

For one person, living is cheaper in Buenos Aires: $1,685 a month against $2,173 in Lexington, KY, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

81

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
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Buenos Aires Living Index
106

Cost of Living Index in Lexington, KY
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Lexington, KY Living Index

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Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,685

/mo nomad

Lexington, KY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,173

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Buenos Aires and in Lexington, KY

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,685 in Buenos Aires versus $2,173 in Lexington, KY.

Buenos Aires $1,685
Lexington, KY $2,173

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,742 in Buenos Aires versus $3,265 in Lexington, KY.

Buenos Aires $2,742
Lexington, KY $3,265

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,799 in Buenos Aires versus $4,356 in Lexington, KY.

Buenos Aires $3,799
Lexington, KY $4,356

Living in Buenos Aires costs roughly 22% less than in Lexington, KY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Buenos Aires 26% above, Lexington, KY 62% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.73 ARS 28.4K

$13.14 $13.14

42.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 ARS 97.8K

$57.5 $57.5

12.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.88 ARS 19.5K

$9.14 $9.14

40.92%

Cappuccino

$3.98 ARS 6,029

$5.13 $5.13

-22.42%

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

$2.05 ARS 3,103

$2.53 $2.53

-18.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 ARS 2,349

$2.06 $2.06

-24.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.84 ARS 5,830

$4.99 $4.99

-23.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 ARS 6,970

$5.97 $5.97

-22.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 ARS 2,181

$0.78 $0.78

84.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 ARS 3,738

$2.88 $2.88

-14.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 ARS 2,467

$3.98 $3.98

-59.05%

Eggs

$2.89 ARS 4,385

$3.68 $3.68

-21.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.65 ARS 16.1K

$10.19 $10.19

4.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

$10.17 $10.17

-1.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.74 ARS 20.8K

$14.52 $14.52

-5.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ARS 4,166

$5.49 $5.49

-49.91%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 ARS 3,300

$1.52 $1.52

43.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 ARS 2,205

$5.49 $5.49

-73.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ARS 3,013

$4.41 $4.41

-54.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ARS 1,885

$4.14 $4.14

-70.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 ARS 1,921

$3.07 $3.07

-58.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 ARS 2,575

$2.08 $2.08

-18.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 ARS 2,617

$3.18 $3.18

-45.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.18 ARS 6,337

$8.44 $8.44

-50.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.80 ARS 8,790

$13.02 $13.02

-55.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 ARS 3,163

$2.69 $2.69

-22.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 ARS 4,198

$4.31 $4.31

-35.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ARS 1,132

$1.02 $1.02

-26.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.15 ARS 41.2K

$29.70 $29.70

-8.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.62 ARS 2,451

$4.92 $4.92

-67.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 ARS 1,481

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.72 ARS 11.7K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ARS 2,058

$1.00 $1.00

36.00%

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

$28.0K ARS 42.5M

$37.0K $37.0K

-24.35%

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

$34.5K ARS 52.4M

$25.2K $25.2K

36.76%

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

$216 ARS 326.9K

$188 $188

14.57%

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

$25.61 ARS 38.8K

$106 $106

-75.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.36 ARS 47.6K

$74.6 $74.6

-57.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.82 ARS 75.6K

$39.07 $39.07

27.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 ARS 25.9K

$30.41 $30.41

-43.90%

Cinema Ticket

$10.43 ARS 15.8K

$15.25 $15.25

-31.61%

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

$466 ARS 706.7K

$2,222 $2,222

-79.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,057 ARS 13.7M

$24.9K $24.9K

-63.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$122 ARS 185.2K

$51.3 $51.3

138.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$97.4 ARS 147.8K

$31.32 $31.32

211.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ARS 177.4K

$117 $117

-0.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 ARS 211.9K

$151 $151

-7.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$763 ARS 1.2M

$1,147 $1,147

-33.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$505 ARS 766.1K

$929 $929

-45.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,598 ARS 2.4M

$2,058 $2,058

-22.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,185 ARS 1.8M

$1,589 $1,589

-25.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,678 ARS 4.1M

$2,118 $2,118

26.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,858 ARS 2.8M

$2,077 $2,077

-10.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$954 ARS 1.4M

$4,029 $4,029

-76.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

6.82

739.44%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 6, 2026

Last update for Lexington, KY: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$505 30.4%

Lexington, KY

$929 42.3% 83.9% $424

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$284 17.1%

Lexington, KY

$386 17.5% 35.8% $102

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$279 16.8%

Lexington, KY

$249 11.3% 10.6% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$273 16.4%

Lexington, KY

$369 16.8% 35.4% $96

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$214 12.9%

Lexington, KY

$158 7.2% 26.2% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$71 4.3%

Lexington, KY

$70 3.2% 1.6% $1.1

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2%

Lexington, KY

$39 * 1.8% 5.7% $2.1

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $763 in Buenos Aires and $1,147 in Lexington, KY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lexington, KY pays 322% 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 $57.0 in Lexington, KY. Groceries flip the comparison at $284 vs $386, with Buenos Aires cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇺🇸 Lexington, KY

🕒 Local time

08:35 8:35 AM

07:35 7:35 AM

1 h behind Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

322,570

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

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Between locations

Buenos Aires Lexington, KY 8,510 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Buenos Aires
Lexington, KY

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 Lexington, KY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires and Lexington, KY differ by about 29% in total monthly costs ($1,685 vs $2,173 including rent). Buenos Aires is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 322% lower in Lexington, KY. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $763 in Buenos Aires versus $1,147 in Lexington, KY. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $466 in Buenos Aires versus $2,222 in Lexington, KY. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 36% higher in Lexington, KY. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,685 in Buenos Aires versus $2,173 in Lexington, KY, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Buenos Aires but tight or insufficient in Lexington, KY. The gap between the two cities makes Buenos Aires 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 Lexington, KY 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 Buenos Aires gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Lexington, KY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.