Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Mashhad

For one person, living is cheaper in Mashhad: $485 a month against $1,685 in Buenos Aires, rent and utilities included – about $14,400 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
23

Cost of Living Index in Mashhad
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Mashhad Living Index

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Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,685

/mo nomad

Mashhad

🇮🇷 Iran

$485

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,685 in Buenos Aires versus $485 in Mashhad.

Buenos Aires $1,685
Mashhad $485

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,742 in Buenos Aires versus $770 in Mashhad.

Buenos Aires $2,742
Mashhad $770

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,799 in Buenos Aires versus $1,055 in Mashhad.

Buenos Aires $3,799
Mashhad $1,055

Living in Buenos Aires is roughly 248% more expensive than in Mashhad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Buenos Aires is 26% above, Mashhad is 64% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.73 ARS 28.4K

$3.03 $3.03

518.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 ARS 97.8K

$18.20 $18.20

254.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.88 ARS 19.5K

$4.89 $4.89

163.39%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.59 $0.59

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 $0.98

Cappuccino

$3.98 ARS 6,029

$1.09 $1.09

265.14%

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

$2.05 ARS 3,103

$0.43 $0.43

376.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 ARS 2,349

$0.26 $0.26

496.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.84 ARS 5,830

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 ARS 6,970

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 ARS 2,181

$0.62 $0.62

132.26%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 ARS 3,738

$0.19 $0.19

1194.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 ARS 2,467

$2.03 $2.03

-19.70%

Eggs

$2.89 ARS 4,385

$1.10 $1.10

162.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.65 ARS 16.1K

$2.16 $2.16

393.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

$2.77 $2.77

261.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.74 ARS 20.8K

$10.45 $10.45

31.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ARS 4,166

$0.96 $0.96

186.46%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 ARS 3,300

$1.51 $1.51

44.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 ARS 2,205

$0.78 $0.78

85.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ARS 3,013

$0.57 $0.57

249.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ARS 1,885

$0.53 $0.53

133.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 ARS 1,921

$0.47 $0.47

170.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 ARS 2,575

$0.48 $0.48

254.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 ARS 2,617

$0.29 $0.29

496.55%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.88 $0.88

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 $0.74

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 $0.97

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.18 ARS 6,337

$3.03 $3.03

37.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.80 ARS 8,790

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 ARS 3,163

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 ARS 4,198

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ARS 1,132

$0.02 $0.02

3650.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.15 ARS 41.2K

$3.72 $3.72

629.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.62 ARS 2,451

$0.19 $0.19

752.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 ARS 1,481

$0.49 $0.49

100.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.72 ARS 11.7K

$1.96 $1.96

293.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ARS 2,058

$0.82 $0.82

65.85%

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

$28.0K ARS 42.5M

$60.2K $60.2K

-53.48%

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

$34.5K ARS 52.4M

$66.2K $66.2K

-47.81%

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

$216 ARS 326.9K

$13.58 $13.58

1487.41%

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

$25.61 ARS 38.8K

$2.67 $2.67

859.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.36 ARS 47.6K

$27.42 $27.42

14.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.82 ARS 75.6K

$19.38 $19.38

157.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 ARS 25.9K

$14.98 $14.98

13.89%

Cinema Ticket

$10.43 ARS 15.8K

$2.03 $2.03

413.79%

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

$466 ARS 706.7K

$40.02 $40.02

1064.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,057 ARS 13.7M

$622 $622

1354.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$122 ARS 185.2K

$19.92 $19.92

513.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$97.4 ARS 147.8K

$38.69 $38.69

151.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ARS 177.4K

$93.5 $93.5

25.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 ARS 211.9K

$68.6 $68.6

103.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$763 ARS 1.2M

$213 $213

258.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$505 ARS 766.1K

$148 $148

241.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,598 ARS 2.4M

$400 $400

300.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,185 ARS 1.8M

$272 $272

335.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,678 ARS 4.1M

$1,125 $1,125

138.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,858 ARS 2.8M

$689 $689

169.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$954 ARS 1.4M

$252 $252

278.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

21.5

166.28%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 6, 2026

Last update for Mashhad: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$505 30.4%

Mashhad

$148 31.1% 70.7% $357

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$284 17.1%

Mashhad

$100 21% 64.8% $184

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$279 16.8%

Mashhad

$55 11.5% 80.4% $224

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$273 16.4%

Mashhad

$44 9.2% 84% $229

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$214 12.9%

Mashhad

$99 20.9% 53.6% $115

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$71 4.3%

Mashhad

$23 4.9% 66.8% $47

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2%

Mashhad

$6.4 1.4% 82.4% $30

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $763 in Buenos Aires and $213 in Mashhad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buenos Aires pays 278% 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 $18.00 in Mashhad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $284 vs $100 per month, with Mashhad cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇮🇷 Mashhad

🕒 Local time

08:21 8:21 AM

14:51 2:51 PM

6 h 30 min ahead of Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

3,001,184

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

USD 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).

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

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Buenos Aires Mashhad 14,500 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Buenos Aires
Mashhad

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 Mashhad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires and Mashhad differ by about 248% in total monthly costs ($1,685 vs $485 including rent). Mashhad is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 278% 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 $213 in Mashhad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $466 in Buenos Aires versus $40.02 in Mashhad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 184% higher in Buenos Aires. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $485 in Mashhad versus $1,685 in Buenos Aires, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Mashhad but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes Mashhad 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 Mashhad 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 Mashhad gentler on the wallet – expenses run 248% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.