Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Negombo

For one person, living is cheaper in Negombo: $402 a month against $1,656 in Buenos Aires, rent and utilities included – about $15,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
Learn more

Buenos Aires Living Index
20

Cost of Living Index in Negombo
Learn more

Negombo Living Index

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Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,656

/mo nomad

Negombo

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$402

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,656 in Buenos Aires versus $402 in Negombo.

Buenos Aires $1,656
Negombo $402

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,697 in Buenos Aires versus $649 in Negombo.

Buenos Aires $2,697
Negombo $649

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,737 in Buenos Aires versus $897 in Negombo.

Buenos Aires $3,737
Negombo $897

Living in Buenos Aires is roughly 313% more expensive than in Negombo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Buenos Aires is 23% above, Negombo is 70% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.09 ARS 29.0K

$4.48 LKR 1,483

326.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 ARS 99.9K

$16.63 LKR 5,508

295.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.20 ARS 20.0K

$7.59 LKR 2,516

73.91%

Cappuccino

$3.85 ARS 5,841

$1.23 LKR 406

213.01%

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

$1.99 ARS 3,020

$0.69 LKR 228

188.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ARS 2,430

$0.25 LKR 82.5

540.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.93 ARS 5,959

$2.15 LKR 712

82.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 ARS 7,003

$2.95 LKR 978

56.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 ARS 2,272

$1.57 LKR 521

-4.46%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 ARS 3,837

$0.53 LKR 174

377.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 ARS 2,445

$0.74 LKR 245

117.57%

Eggs

$2.84 ARS 4,316

$1.64 LKR 543

73.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.30 ARS 15.6K

$14.01 LKR 4,642

-26.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

$4.12 LKR 1,366

142.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.30 ARS 20.2K

$6.00 LKR 1,986

121.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.88 ARS 4,366

$1.77 LKR 585

62.71%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 ARS 3,334

$0.69 LKR 229

218.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.40 ARS 2,120

$2.23 LKR 738

-37.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 ARS 3,004

$1.19 LKR 395

66.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 ARS 1,835

$0.73 LKR 242

65.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 ARS 1,910

$0.81 LKR 267

55.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 ARS 2,592

$0.93 LKR 308

83.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 ARS 2,603

$0.43 LKR 142

300.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 ARS 6,505

$10.14 LKR 3,359

-57.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.70 ARS 8,645

$13.52 LKR 4,480

-57.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 ARS 3,288

$1.95 LKR 646

11.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ARS 4,188

$3.01 LKR 997

-8.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ARS 1,141

$0.29 LKR 94.9

158.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.27 ARS 41.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.57 ARS 2,375

$0.38 LKR 125

313.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ARS 1,558

$0.37 LKR 124

178.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ARS 12.0K

$0.90 LKR 297

777.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ARS 2,160

$1.00 LKR 332

42.00%

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

$27.9K ARS 42.4M

$37.3K LKR 12.3M

-24.98%

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

$35.0K ARS 53.1M

$40.9K LKR 13.5M

-14.39%

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

$195 ARS 296.2K

$25.65 LKR 8,497

661.01%

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

$25.16 ARS 38.2K

$4.21 LKR 1,395

497.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.54 ARS 47.9K

$20.85 LKR 6,908

51.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.9 ARS 77.3K

$15.27 LKR 5,059

233.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.73 ARS 25.4K

$9.07 LKR 3,004

84.45%

Cinema Ticket

$10.34 ARS 15.7K

$2.45 LKR 813

322.04%

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

$463 ARS 703.2K

$37.97 LKR 12.6K

1120.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,793 ARS 13.3M

$446 LKR 147.9K

1869.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$120 ARS 181.8K

$8.82 LKR 2,920

1258.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$95.5 ARS 144.9K

$16.87 LKR 5,586

465.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 ARS 173.1K

$36.78 LKR 12.2K

210.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 ARS 211.4K

$24.22 LKR 8,023

475.14%

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

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

$180 LKR 59.7K

420.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

12.69

351.14%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 11, 2026

Last update for Negombo: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$520 31.4%

Negombo

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$283 17.1%

Negombo

$194 48.4% 31.3% $89

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$282 17%

Negombo

$94 23.4% 66.7% $188

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$252 15.2%

Negombo

$51 12.6% 79.9% $201

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$211 12.7%

Negombo

$39 9.7% 81.5% $172

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$72 4.3%

Negombo

$20 5% 71.8% $51

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2%

Negombo

$3.4 * 0.8% 90.8% $34

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

Cost Breakdown

Buenos Aires pays 420% 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 $17.00 in Negombo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $194 per month, with Negombo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇱🇰 Negombo

🕒 Local time

11:56 11:56 AM

20:26 8:26 PM

8 h 30 min ahead of Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

142,449

💱 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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Buenos Aires Negombo 14,780 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Buenos Aires
Negombo

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 Negombo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires and Negombo differ by about 313% in total monthly costs ($1,656 vs $402 including rent). Negombo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 420% 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.

Childcare runs $463 in Buenos Aires versus $37.97 in Negombo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Negombo – a meal for two runs $17.00 versus $66.0 in Buenos Aires. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $402 in Negombo versus $1,656 in Buenos Aires, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Negombo but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes Negombo 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 Negombo 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 Negombo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 313% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.