Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Maharagama

For one person, living is cheaper in Maharagama: $133 a month against $1,656 in Buenos Aires, rent and utilities included – about $18,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
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Buenos Aires Living Index

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Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,656

/mo nomad

Maharagama

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$133

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,656 in Buenos Aires versus $133 in Maharagama.

Buenos Aires $1,656
Maharagama $133

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,697 in Buenos Aires versus $250 in Maharagama.

Buenos Aires $2,697
Maharagama $250

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,737 in Buenos Aires versus $367 in Maharagama.

Buenos Aires $3,737
Maharagama $367

Living in Buenos Aires is roughly 1143% more expensive than in Maharagama, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Buenos Aires is 23% above, Maharagama is 90% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.09 ARS 29.0K

$5.39 LKR 1,785

254.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 ARS 99.9K

$20.20 LKR 6,690

225.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.20 ARS 20.0K

$6.82 LKR 2,260

93.55%

Cappuccino

$3.85 ARS 5,841

$2.12 LKR 701

81.60%

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

$1.99 ARS 3,020

$0.59 LKR 196

237.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ARS 2,430

$0.29 LKR 94.8

451.72%

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

$0.93 LKR 307

61.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 ARS 3,837

$0.25 LKR 83.2

912.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 ARS 2,445

$0.49 LKR 162

228.57%

Eggs

$2.84 ARS 4,316

$1.49 LKR 494

90.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.30 ARS 15.6K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.30 ARS 20.2K

Apples (1kg)

$2.88 ARS 4,366

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 ARS 3,334

Oranges (1kg)

$1.40 ARS 2,120

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 ARS 3,004

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 ARS 1,835

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 ARS 1,910

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 ARS 2,592

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 ARS 2,603

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 ARS 6,505

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

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.27 ARS 41.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.57 ARS 2,375

$0.44 LKR 146

256.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ARS 1,558

$0.47 LKR 155

119.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ARS 12.0K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ARS 2,160

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

$27.9K ARS 42.4M

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

$35.0K ARS 53.1M

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

$195 ARS 296.2K

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

$25.16 ARS 38.2K

$4.63 LKR 1,534

443.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.54 ARS 47.9K

$13.62 LKR 4,510

131.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.9 ARS 77.3K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.73 ARS 25.4K

Cinema Ticket

$10.34 ARS 15.7K

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

$463 ARS 703.2K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,793 ARS 13.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$120 ARS 181.8K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$95.5 ARS 144.9K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 ARS 173.1K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 ARS 211.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 ARS 1.1M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$520 ARS 788.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,590 ARS 2.4M

$197 LKR 65.3K

706.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,198 ARS 1.8M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,713 ARS 4.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,901 ARS 2.9M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$938 ARS 1.4M

$244 LKR 80.7K

284.98%

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 11, 2026

Last update for Maharagama: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$520 31.4%

Maharagama

–

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$283 17.1%

Maharagama

–

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$282 17%

Maharagama

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$252 15.2%

Maharagama

–

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$211 12.7%

Maharagama

–

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$72 4.3%

Maharagama

–

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2%

Maharagama

–

Cost Breakdown

Buenos Aires pays 285% 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 $20.00 in Maharagama for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $20.00 per month, with Maharagama cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇱🇰 Maharagama

🕒 Local time

06:34 6:34 AM

15:04 3:04 PM

8 h 30 min ahead of Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

196,400

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LKR, 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).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 331 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD). 1 EUR = 372 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

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Buenos Aires Maharagama 14,760 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

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Maharagama

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 Maharagama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires and Maharagama differ by about 1143% in total monthly costs ($1,656 vs $133 including rent). Maharagama is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 285% 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 Maharagama – a meal for two runs $20.00 versus $66.0 in Buenos Aires. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,656 per month in Buenos Aires versus $133 in Maharagama – a 1143% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $133 in Maharagama versus $1,656 in Buenos Aires, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Maharagama but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes Maharagama 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 Maharagama 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 Maharagama gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1143% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.