Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Monrovia

For one person, living is cheaper in Monrovia: $1,296 a month against $1,685 in Buenos Aires, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Buenos Aires outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

81

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
Learn more

Buenos Aires Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Monrovia
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Monrovia Living Index

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Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,685

/mo nomad

Monrovia

🇱🇷 Liberia

$1,296

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,685 in Buenos Aires versus $1,296 in Monrovia.

Buenos Aires $1,685
Monrovia $1,296

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,742 in Buenos Aires versus $1,926 in Monrovia.

Buenos Aires $2,742
Monrovia $1,926

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,799 in Buenos Aires versus $2,556 in Monrovia.

Buenos Aires $3,799
Monrovia $2,556

Living in Buenos Aires is roughly 30% more expensive than in Monrovia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Buenos Aires is 26% above, Monrovia is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.73 ARS 28.4K

$7.33 LRD 1,248

155.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 ARS 97.8K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.88 ARS 19.5K

$10.87 LRD 1,850

18.49%

Cappuccino

$3.98 ARS 6,029

$2.96 LRD 505

34.46%

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

$2.05 ARS 3,103

$2.01 LRD 343

1.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 ARS 2,349

$2.04 LRD 348

-24.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.84 ARS 5,830

$3.92 LRD 667

-2.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 ARS 6,970

$2.94 LRD 501

56.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 ARS 2,181

$2.13 LRD 363

-32.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 ARS 3,738

$1.81 LRD 308

35.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 ARS 2,467

$5.11 LRD 870

-68.10%

Eggs

$2.89 ARS 4,385

$3.53 LRD 602

-18.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.65 ARS 16.1K

$7.82 LRD 1,332

36.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

$12.03 LRD 2,048

-16.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.74 ARS 20.8K

$13.53 LRD 2,303

1.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ARS 4,166

$1.59 LRD 272

72.96%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 ARS 3,300

$8.28 LRD 1,410

-73.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 ARS 2,205

$10.11 LRD 1,721

-85.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ARS 3,013

$11.03 LRD 1,878

-81.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ARS 1,885

$2.25 LRD 384

-44.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 ARS 1,921

$10.54 LRD 1,795

-87.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 ARS 2,575

$4.77 LRD 812

-64.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 ARS 2,617

$2.06 LRD 350

-16.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.18 ARS 6,337

$4.87 LRD 829

-14.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.80 ARS 8,790

$7.16 LRD 1,219

-18.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 ARS 3,163

$2.43 LRD 413

-13.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 ARS 4,198

$3.44 LRD 586

-19.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ARS 1,132

$3.04 LRD 518

-75.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.15 ARS 41.2K

$19.82 LRD 3,374

36.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.62 ARS 2,451

$2.06 LRD 350

-21.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 ARS 1,481

$1.91 LRD 324

-48.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.72 ARS 11.7K

$25.14 LRD 4,280

-69.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ARS 2,058

$1.22 LRD 208

11.48%

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

$28.0K ARS 42.5M

$19.8K LRD 3.4M

41.17%

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

$34.5K ARS 52.4M

$14.7K LRD 2.5M

134.71%

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

$216 ARS 326.9K

$149 LRD 25.4K

44.45%

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

$25.61 ARS 38.8K

$22.06 LRD 3,756

16.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.36 ARS 47.6K

$184 LRD 31.2K

-82.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.82 ARS 75.6K

$62.4 LRD 10.6K

-20.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 ARS 25.9K

$10.04 LRD 1,710

69.92%

Cinema Ticket

$10.43 ARS 15.8K

$5.14 LRD 876

102.92%

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

$466 ARS 706.7K

$98.2 LRD 16.7K

374.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,057 ARS 13.7M

$1,018 LRD 173.3K

789.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$122 ARS 185.2K

$24.95 LRD 4,248

389.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$97.4 ARS 147.8K

$32.14 LRD 5,472

203.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ARS 177.4K

$55.0 LRD 9,366

112.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 ARS 211.9K

$91.5 LRD 15.6K

52.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$763 ARS 1.2M

$253 LRD 43.1K

201.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$505 ARS 766.1K

$96.0 LRD 16.4K

425.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,598 ARS 2.4M

$650 LRD 110.6K

145.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,185 ARS 1.8M

$267 LRD 45.5K

343.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,678 ARS 4.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,858 ARS 2.8M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$954 ARS 1.4M

$704 LRD 119.8K

35.66%

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 6, 2026

Last update for Monrovia: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$505 30.4%

Monrovia

$96 7.5% 81% $409

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$284 17.1%

Monrovia

$456 35.6% 60.6% $172

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$279 16.8%

Monrovia

$169 13.1% 39.6% $110

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$273 16.4%

Monrovia

$355 27.6% 30.2% $82

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$214 12.9%

Monrovia

$92 7.1% 57.2% $123

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$71 4.3%

Monrovia

$73 5.7% 2.8% $2

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2%

Monrovia

$44 3.4% 18.9% $6.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $763 in Buenos Aires and $253 in Monrovia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buenos Aires pays 36% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇱🇷 Monrovia

🕒 Local time

08:46 8:46 AM

11:46 11:46 AM

3 h ahead of Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

1,010,970 Capital

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

Liberian Dollar LRD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR

1,000 LRD = 5.87 USD

1,000 LRD = 5.24 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LRD, 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).

Liberian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 170 LRD (1,000 LRD = 5.87 USD). 1 EUR = 191 LRD (1,000 LRD = 5.24 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Buenos Aires Monrovia 6,760 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Buenos Aires
Monrovia

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 Monrovia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires and Monrovia differ by about 30% in total monthly costs ($1,685 vs $1,296 including rent). Monrovia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 36% 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 $253 in Monrovia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $466 in Buenos Aires versus $98.2 in Monrovia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

A monthly transit pass in Monrovia runs roughly 37% less than in Buenos Aires. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,296 in Monrovia versus $1,685 in Buenos Aires, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Monrovia but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes Monrovia 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 Monrovia 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 Monrovia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.