Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Metn

For one person, living is cheaper in Metn: $1,062 a month against $1,656 in Buenos Aires, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Buenos Aires
🇦🇷 Argentina
$1,656
/mo nomad
Metn
🇱🇧 Lebanon
$1,062
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,656 in Buenos Aires versus $1,062 in Metn.

  • Buenos Aires $1,656
  • Metn $1,062

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,697 in Buenos Aires versus $1,696 in Metn.

  • Buenos Aires $2,697
  • Metn $1,696

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,737 in Buenos Aires versus $2,330 in Metn.

  • Buenos Aires $3,737
  • Metn $2,330

Living in Buenos Aires is roughly 56% more expensive than in Metn, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Buenos Aires is 23% above, Metn is 21% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Buenos Aires
Metn
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.09 ARS 29.0K
$11.86 LBP 1.1M
60.96%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$65.8 ARS 99.9K
$69.2 LBP 6.2M
-4.94%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.20 ARS 20.0K
$9.82 LBP 878.8K
34.42%
Cappuccino
$3.85 ARS 5,841
$4.59 LBP 410.5K
-16.12%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.99 ARS 3,020
$2.31 LBP 206.4K
-13.85%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.60 ARS 2,430
$0.91 LBP 81.3K
75.82%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.93 ARS 5,959
$5.08 LBP 454.5K
-22.64%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.61 ARS 7,003
$4.78 LBP 427.8K
-3.56%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Buenos Aires
Metn
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.50 ARS 2,272
$1.99 LBP 178.4K
-24.62%
White Bread (500g)
$2.53 ARS 3,837
$0.87 LBP 77.8K
190.80%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.61 ARS 2,445
$2.34 LBP 209.8K
-31.20%
Eggs
$2.84 ARS 4,316
$3.61 LBP 323.1K
-21.33%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.30 ARS 15.6K
$11.27 LBP 1.0M
-8.61%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.00 ARS 15.2K
$10.53 LBP 942.5K
-5.03%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.30 ARS 20.2K
$14.80 LBP 1.3M
-10.14%
Apples (1kg)
$2.88 ARS 4,366
$3.10 LBP 277.3K
-7.10%
Banana (1kg)
$2.20 ARS 3,334
$1.69 LBP 151.3K
30.18%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.40 ARS 2,120
$1.63 LBP 146.2K
-14.11%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.98 ARS 3,004
$1.46 LBP 131.0K
35.62%
Potato (1kg)
$1.21 ARS 1,835
$1.26 LBP 112.7K
-3.97%
Onion (1kg)
$1.26 ARS 1,910
$1.53 LBP 136.5K
-17.65%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.71 ARS 2,592
$1.17 LBP 104.8K
46.15%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.72 ARS 2,603
$0.68 LBP 60.5K
152.94%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.29 ARS 6,505
$2.98 LBP 266.8K
43.96%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.70 ARS 8,645
$11.15 LBP 998.3K
-48.88%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.17 ARS 3,288
$1.32 LBP 117.9K
64.39%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.76 ARS 4,188
$2.47 LBP 220.7K
11.74%
🚌 Getting Around
Buenos Aires
Metn
Difference
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
$5.05 LBP 451.9K
-68.91%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.03 ARS 1,558
$2.22 LBP 198.5K
-53.60%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.90 ARS 12.0K
$22.26 LBP 2.0M
-64.51%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.42 ARS 2,160
$1.05 LBP 93.8K
35.24%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.9K ARS 42.4M
$54.2K LBP 4.9B
-48.44%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$35.0K ARS 53.1M
$33.0K LBP 3.0B
5.97%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Buenos Aires
Metn
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$195 ARS 296.2K
$233 LBP 20.8M
-16.19%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$25.16 ARS 38.2K
$22.23 LBP 2.0M
13.18%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$31.54 ARS 47.9K
$37.47 LBP 3.4M
-15.83%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Buenos Aires
Metn
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$50.9 ARS 77.3K
$60.3 LBP 5.4M
-15.50%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.73 ARS 25.4K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$10.34 ARS 15.7K
$9.95 LBP 890.3K
3.92%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Buenos Aires
Metn
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$463 ARS 703.2K
$494 LBP 44.2M
-6.24%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,793 ARS 13.3M
$10.5K LBP 939.0M
-16.19%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Buenos Aires
Metn
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$120 ARS 181.8K
$67.9 LBP 6.1M
76.48%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$95.5 ARS 144.9K
$49.97 LBP 4.5M
91.07%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$114 ARS 173.1K
$140 LBP 12.5M
-18.32%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$139 ARS 211.4K
$120 LBP 10.7M
16.00%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Buenos Aires
Metn
Difference
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
$504 LBP 45.1M
215.53%
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
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Buenos Aires
Metn
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$938 ARS 1.4M
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
57.25
11
420.45%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 11, 2026

Last update for Metn: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Buenos Aires
$520
Metn
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Buenos Aires
$283
Metn
$276 2.5% $7
Eating Out
Buenos Aires
$282
Metn
$227 19.4% $55
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Buenos Aires
$252
Metn
$293 16.2% $41
Clothing & Footwear
Buenos Aires
$211
Metn
$170 19.4% $41
Sport & Entertainment
Buenos Aires
$72
Metn
$80 12% $8.6
Getting Around
Buenos Aires
$37
Metn
$16 * 56.4% $21

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $66.0 in Buenos Aires vs $69.0 in Metn. Groceries flip the comparison at $283 vs $276, with Metn cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇦🇷 Buenos Aires
🇱🇧 Metn
🕒 Local time
15:08 3:08 PM
21:08 9:08 PM
6 h ahead of Buenos Aires
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,891,082 Capital
5,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

LBP, USD, EUR to ARS – Argentine Peso Converter

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).

Lebanese Pound exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 89,500 LBP (100,000 LBP = 1.12 USD). 1 EUR = 100,630 LBP (1,000,000 LBP = 9.94 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Buenos Aires Metn 12,390 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Buenos Aires
  • Metn

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 Metn: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Buenos Aires and in Metn?
Buenos Aires and Metn differ by about 56% in total monthly costs ($1,656 vs $1,062 including rent). Metn is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Buenos Aires compared to Metn?
You'd need roughly $2,484 in Buenos Aires and $1,593 in Metn 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.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Buenos Aires and Metn?
Childcare runs $463 in Buenos Aires versus $494 in Metn. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Metn – a meal for two runs $69.0 versus $66.0 in Buenos Aires. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
At $1,062 in Metn versus $1,656 in Buenos Aires, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Metn but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes Metn the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Buenos Aires and Metn?
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.
Is Buenos Aires or Metn safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Buenos Aires and Metn are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Buenos Aires or Metn?
Expats usually find Metn gentler on the wallet – expenses run 56% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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