Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Mahabad

For one person, living is cheaper in Mahabad: $522 a month against $1,656 in Buenos Aires, rent and utilities included – about $13,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
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Buenos Aires Living Index
26

Cost of Living Index in Mahabad
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Mahabad Living Index

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Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,656

/mo nomad

Mahabad

🇮🇷 Iran

$522

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,656 in Buenos Aires versus $522 in Mahabad.

Buenos Aires $1,656
Mahabad $522

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,697 in Buenos Aires versus $849 in Mahabad.

Buenos Aires $2,697
Mahabad $849

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,737 in Buenos Aires versus $1,177 in Mahabad.

Buenos Aires $3,737
Mahabad $1,177

Living in Buenos Aires is roughly 217% more expensive than in Mahabad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Buenos Aires is 23% above, Mahabad is 61% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.09 ARS 29.0K

$2.97 $2.97

542.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 ARS 99.9K

$17.06 $17.06

285.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.20 ARS 20.0K

$4.06 $4.06

225.12%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.80 $0.80

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.08 $1.08

Cappuccino

$3.85 ARS 5,841

$1.13 $1.13

240.71%

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

$1.99 ARS 3,020

$0.52 $0.52

282.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ARS 2,430

$0.94 $0.94

70.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.93 ARS 5,959

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 ARS 7,003

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 ARS 2,272

$0.65 $0.65

130.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 ARS 3,837

$0.51 $0.51

396.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 ARS 2,445

$2.07 $2.07

-22.22%

Eggs

$2.84 ARS 4,316

$1.18 $1.18

140.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.30 ARS 15.6K

$4.30 $4.30

139.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

$3.21 $3.21

211.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.30 ARS 20.2K

$7.58 $7.58

75.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.88 ARS 4,366

$1.00 $1.00

188.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 ARS 3,334

$1.55 $1.55

41.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.40 ARS 2,120

$0.86 $0.86

62.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 ARS 3,004

$0.61 $0.61

224.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 ARS 1,835

$0.54 $0.54

124.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 ARS 1,910

$0.47 $0.47

168.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 ARS 2,592

$0.53 $0.53

222.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 ARS 2,603

$0.26 $0.26

561.54%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.92 $0.92

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 $0.52

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 $1.34

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 ARS 6,505

$2.14 $2.14

100.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.70 ARS 8,645

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 ARS 3,288

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ARS 4,188

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ARS 1,141

$0.15 $0.15

400.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.27 ARS 41.4K

$8.76 $8.76

211.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.57 ARS 2,375

$0.44 $0.44

256.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ARS 1,558

$0.29 $0.29

255.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ARS 12.0K

$2.87 $2.87

175.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ARS 2,160

$0.10 $0.10

1320.00%

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

$27.9K ARS 42.4M

$47.7K $47.7K

-41.44%

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

$35.0K ARS 53.1M

$47.6K $47.6K

-26.60%

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

$195 ARS 296.2K

$12.32 $12.32

1484.42%

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

$25.16 ARS 38.2K

$1.58 $1.58

1492.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.54 ARS 47.9K

$3.76 $3.76

738.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.9 ARS 77.3K

$18.63 $18.63

173.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.73 ARS 25.4K

$11.75 $11.75

42.38%

Cinema Ticket

$10.34 ARS 15.7K

$1.97 $1.97

424.87%

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

$463 ARS 703.2K

$106 $106

335.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,793 ARS 13.3M

$2,234 $2,234

293.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$120 ARS 181.8K

$23.20 $23.20

416.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$95.5 ARS 144.9K

$28.48 $28.48

235.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 ARS 173.1K

$96.3 $96.3

18.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 ARS 211.4K

$71.4 $71.4

95.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 ARS 1.1M

$264 $264

186.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$520 ARS 788.8K

$211 $211

146.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,590 ARS 2.4M

$728 $728

118.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,198 ARS 1.8M

$408 $408

193.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,713 ARS 4.1M

$1,131 $1,131

139.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,901 ARS 2.9M

$530 $530

258.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$938 ARS 1.4M

$253 $253

270.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

24.3

135.60%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 11, 2026

Last update for Mahabad: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$520 31.4%

Mahabad

$211 40.5% 59.4% $309

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$283 17.1%

Mahabad

$105 20.1% 63% $178

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$282 17%

Mahabad

$55 10.6% 80.4% $226

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$252 15.2%

Mahabad

$18 3.4% 93% $234

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$211 12.7%

Mahabad

$99 18.9% 53.2% $112

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$72 4.3%

Mahabad

$23 4.3% 68.5% $49

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2%

Mahabad

$11 2.2% 69.5% $26

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $756 in Buenos Aires and $264 in Mahabad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buenos Aires pays 271% 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 $17.00 in Mahabad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $105 per month, with Mahabad cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇮🇷 Mahabad

🕒 Local time

21:24 9:24 PM

03:54 3:54 AM

6 h 30 min ahead of Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

208,541

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,706 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

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Between locations

Buenos Aires Mahabad 13,350 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Buenos Aires
Mahabad

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 Mahabad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires and Mahabad differ by about 217% in total monthly costs ($1,656 vs $522 including rent). Mahabad is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 271% 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: $756 in Buenos Aires versus $264 in Mahabad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $463 in Buenos Aires versus $106 in Mahabad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 170% higher in Buenos Aires. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $522 in Mahabad versus $1,656 in Buenos Aires, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Mahabad but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes Mahabad 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 Mahabad 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 Mahabad gentler on the wallet – expenses run 217% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.