Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Lome

For one person, living is cheaper in Lome: $557 a month against $1,685 in Buenos Aires, rent and utilities included – about $13,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

81

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
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Buenos Aires Living Index
52

Cost of Living Index in Lome
Learn more

Lome Living Index

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Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,685

/mo nomad

Lome

🇹🇬 Togo

$557

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,685 in Buenos Aires versus $557 in Lome.

Buenos Aires $1,685
Lome $557

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,742 in Buenos Aires versus $980 in Lome.

Buenos Aires $2,742
Lome $980

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,799 in Buenos Aires versus $1,404 in Lome.

Buenos Aires $3,799
Lome $1,404

Living in Buenos Aires is roughly 203% more expensive than in Lome, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Buenos Aires is 26% above, Lome is 58% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.73 ARS 28.4K

$2.94 F CFA 1,718

537.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 ARS 97.8K

$30.61 F CFA 17.9K

110.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.88 ARS 19.5K

$5.64 F CFA 3,301

128.37%

Cappuccino

$3.98 ARS 6,029

$5.65 F CFA 3,307

-29.56%

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

$2.05 ARS 3,103

$4.22 F CFA 2,470

-51.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 ARS 2,349

$0.70 F CFA 407

121.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.84 ARS 5,830

$0.96 F CFA 560

300.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 ARS 6,970

$1.74 F CFA 1,018

164.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 ARS 2,181

$2.22 F CFA 1,302

-35.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 ARS 3,738

$1.36 F CFA 795

80.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 ARS 2,467

$1.49 F CFA 872

9.40%

Eggs

$2.89 ARS 4,385

$2.04 F CFA 1,194

41.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.65 ARS 16.1K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.74 ARS 20.8K

$5.70 F CFA 3,334

141.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ARS 4,166

$2.92 F CFA 1,710

-5.82%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 ARS 3,300

$1.67 F CFA 976

30.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 ARS 2,205

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ARS 3,013

$2.55 F CFA 1,489

-21.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ARS 1,885

$1.75 F CFA 1,024

-29.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 ARS 1,921

$1.18 F CFA 692

7.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 ARS 2,575

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 ARS 2,617

$0.83 F CFA 487

108.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.18 ARS 6,337

Wine (Bottle)

$5.80 ARS 8,790

$4.85 F CFA 2,835

19.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 ARS 3,163

$1.09 F CFA 640

91.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 ARS 4,198

$1.40 F CFA 820

97.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ARS 1,132

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.15 ARS 41.2K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.62 ARS 2,451

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 ARS 1,481

$1.22 F CFA 714

-19.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.72 ARS 11.7K

$4.24 F CFA 2,482

82.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ARS 2,058

$1.23 F CFA 720

10.57%

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

$28.0K ARS 42.5M

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

$34.5K ARS 52.4M

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

$216 ARS 326.9K

$146 F CFA 85.6K

47.41%

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

$25.61 ARS 38.8K

$21.33 F CFA 12.5K

20.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.36 ARS 47.6K

$42.15 F CFA 24.7K

-25.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.82 ARS 75.6K

$60.5 F CFA 35.4K

-17.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 ARS 25.9K

$8.77 F CFA 5,132

94.53%

Cinema Ticket

$10.43 ARS 15.8K

$4.22 F CFA 2,467

147.16%

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

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$97.4 ARS 147.8K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ARS 177.4K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 ARS 211.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$763 ARS 1.2M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$505 ARS 766.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,598 ARS 2.4M

$1,196 F CFA 699.6K

33.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,185 ARS 1.8M

$294 F CFA 172.2K

302.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,678 ARS 4.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,858 ARS 2.8M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$954 ARS 1.4M

$295 F CFA 172.7K

223.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 6, 2026

Last update for Lome: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$505 30.4%

Lome

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$284 17.1%

Lome

$140 * 25% 50.7% $144

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$279 16.8%

Lome

$136 24.3% 51.2% $143

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$273 16.4%

Lome

$210 37.4% 23.1% $63

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$214 12.9%

Lome

- * 0% 100%

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$71 4.3%

Lome

$69 12.3% 2.5% $1.8

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2%

Lome

$6.1 * 1.1% 83.3% $31

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

Cost Breakdown

Buenos Aires pays 223% 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 $31.00 in Lome for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $284 vs $140 per month, with Lome cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇹🇬 Lome

🕒 Local time

05:51 5:51 AM

08:51 8:51 AM

3 h ahead of Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

837,437 Capital

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

West African CFA Franc XOF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR

1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XOF = 1.52 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XOF, 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 = 1,701 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR).

West African CFA Franc exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 585 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.52 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Buenos Aires Lome 7,710 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Buenos Aires
Lome

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 Lome: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires and Lome differ by about 203% in total monthly costs ($1,685 vs $557 including rent). Lome is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 223% 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.

Dining out is cheaper in Lome – a meal for two runs $31.00 versus $64.0 in Buenos Aires. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,685 per month in Buenos Aires versus $557 in Lome – a 203% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $557 in Lome versus $1,685 in Buenos Aires, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Lome but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes Lome 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 Lome 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 Lome gentler on the wallet – expenses run 203% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.