Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Medias

For one person, living is cheaper in Medias: $1,082 a month against $1,656 in Buenos Aires, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 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
53

Cost of Living Index in Medias
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Medias Living Index

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Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,656

/mo nomad

Medias

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,082

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,656 in Buenos Aires versus $1,082 in Medias.

Buenos Aires $1,656
Medias $1,082

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,697 in Buenos Aires versus $1,668 in Medias.

Buenos Aires $2,697
Medias $1,668

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,737 in Buenos Aires versus $2,254 in Medias.

Buenos Aires $3,737
Medias $2,254

Living in Buenos Aires is roughly 53% more expensive than in Medias, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Buenos Aires is 23% above, Medias is 20% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.09 ARS 29.0K

$11.00 RON 52.1

73.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 ARS 99.9K

$53.1 RON 251

24.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.20 ARS 20.0K

$7.16 RON 33.88

84.36%

Cappuccino

$3.85 ARS 5,841

$3.62 RON 17.12

6.35%

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

$1.99 ARS 3,020

$2.44 RON 11.57

-18.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ARS 2,430

$2.14 RON 10.14

-25.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.93 ARS 5,959

$3.09 RON 14.60

27.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 ARS 7,003

$3.37 RON 15.96

36.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 ARS 2,272

$1.28 RON 6.05

17.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 ARS 3,837

$1.44 RON 6.79

75.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 ARS 2,445

$1.79 RON 8.46

-10.06%

Eggs

$2.84 ARS 4,316

$3.44 RON 16.27

-17.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.30 ARS 15.6K

$8.63 RON 40.85

19.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

$6.79 RON 32.15

47.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.30 ARS 20.2K

$12.40 RON 58.7

7.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.88 ARS 4,366

$1.53 RON 7.24

88.24%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 ARS 3,334

$1.46 RON 6.90

50.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.40 ARS 2,120

$1.58 RON 7.45

-11.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 ARS 3,004

$2.60 RON 12.32

-23.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 ARS 1,835

$0.83 RON 3.91

45.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 ARS 1,910

$0.85 RON 4.04

48.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 ARS 2,592

$0.90 RON 4.25

90.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 ARS 2,603

$0.76 RON 3.59

126.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 ARS 6,505

$5.92 RON 28.03

-27.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.70 ARS 8,645

$7.16 RON 33.86

-20.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 ARS 3,288

$1.18 RON 5.56

83.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ARS 4,188

$1.87 RON 8.87

47.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ARS 1,141

$0.76 RON 3.60

-1.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.27 ARS 41.4K

$21.20 RON 100

28.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.57 ARS 2,375

$0.64 RON 3.01

145.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ARS 1,558

$0.66 RON 3.12

56.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ARS 12.0K

$6.70 RON 31.69

17.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ARS 2,160

$1.41 RON 6.66

0.71%

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

$27.9K ARS 42.4M

$28.8K RON 136.5K

-3.12%

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

$35.0K ARS 53.1M

$25.6K RON 120.9K

36.82%

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

$195 ARS 296.2K

$177 RON 838

10.20%

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

$25.16 ARS 38.2K

$7.69 RON 36.39

227.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.54 ARS 47.9K

$9.07 RON 42.92

247.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.9 ARS 77.3K

$38.04 RON 180

33.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.73 ARS 25.4K

$20.64 RON 97.6

-18.94%

Cinema Ticket

$10.34 ARS 15.7K

$6.49 RON 30.69

59.32%

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

$463 ARS 703.2K

$454 RON 2,146

2.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,793 ARS 13.3M

$7,061 RON 33.4K

24.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$120 ARS 181.8K

$51.2 RON 242

134.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$95.5 ARS 144.9K

$35.26 RON 167

170.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 ARS 173.1K

$75.7 RON 358

50.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 ARS 211.4K

$89.6 RON 424

55.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 ARS 1.1M

$392 RON 1,854

93.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$520 ARS 788.8K

$281 RON 1,329

85.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,590 ARS 2.4M

$593 RON 2,806

168.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,198 ARS 1.8M

$449 RON 2,126

166.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,713 ARS 4.1M

$1,878 RON 8,887

44.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,901 ARS 2.9M

$1,322 RON 6,253

43.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$938 ARS 1.4M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

7.2

695.14%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 11, 2026

Last update for Medias: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$520 31.4%

Medias

$281 26% 46% $239

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$283 17.1%

Medias

$222 20.5% 21.7% $62

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$282 17%

Medias

$193 17.9% 31.3% $88

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$252 15.2%

Medias

$194 17.9% 23% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$211 12.7%

Medias

$113 10.5% 46.3% $98

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$72 4.3%

Medias

$51 4.7% 28.7% $21

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2%

Medias

$28 2.6% 23.8% $8.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $756 in Buenos Aires and $392 in Medias. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $66.0 in Buenos Aires vs $53.0 in Medias for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $222 per month, with Medias cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇷🇴 Medias

🕒 Local time

18:28 6:28 PM

00:28 12:28 AM

6 h ahead of Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

53,564

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, USD, EUR to ARS – Argentine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇷 Argentine Peso ($)

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,706 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

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Between locations

Buenos Aires Medias 12,210 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Buenos Aires
Medias

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 Medias: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires and Medias differ by about 53% in total monthly costs ($1,656 vs $1,082 including rent). Medias is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,484 in Buenos Aires and $1,623 in Medias to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $756 in Buenos Aires versus $392 in Medias. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $463 in Buenos Aires versus $454 in Medias. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 28% higher in Buenos Aires. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,082 in Medias versus $1,656 in Buenos Aires, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medias but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes Medias 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 Medias 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 Medias gentler on the wallet – expenses run 53% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.