Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Orhei

For one person, living is cheaper in Orhei: $361 a month against $1,656 in Buenos Aires, rent and utilities included – about $15,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
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Buenos Aires Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in Orhei
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Orhei Living Index

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Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,656

/mo nomad

Orhei

🇲🇩 Moldova

$361

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,656 in Buenos Aires versus $361 in Orhei.

Buenos Aires $1,656
Orhei $361

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,697 in Buenos Aires versus $588 in Orhei.

Buenos Aires $2,697
Orhei $588

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,737 in Buenos Aires versus $816 in Orhei.

Buenos Aires $3,737
Orhei $816

Living in Buenos Aires is roughly 359% more expensive than in Orhei, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Buenos Aires is 23% above, Orhei is 73% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.09 ARS 29.0K

$11.28 MDL 200

69.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 ARS 99.9K

$22.16 MDL 394

196.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.20 ARS 20.0K

$7.09 MDL 126

86.18%

Cappuccino

$3.85 ARS 5,841

$1.38 MDL 24.58

178.99%

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

$1.99 ARS 3,020

$0.78 MDL 13.87

155.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ARS 2,430

$0.47 MDL 8.34

240.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.93 ARS 5,959

$1.14 MDL 20.21

244.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 ARS 7,003

$1.39 MDL 24.66

231.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 ARS 2,272

$0.99 MDL 17.61

51.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 ARS 3,837

$0.33 MDL 5.85

666.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 ARS 2,445

Eggs

$2.84 ARS 4,316

$1.96 MDL 34.87

44.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.30 ARS 15.6K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.30 ARS 20.2K

Apples (1kg)

$2.88 ARS 4,366

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 ARS 3,334

$1.92 MDL 34.18

14.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.40 ARS 2,120

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 ARS 3,004

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 ARS 1,835

$0.67 MDL 11.92

80.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 ARS 1,910

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 ARS 2,592

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 ARS 2,603

$0.52 MDL 9.21

230.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 ARS 6,505

Wine (Bottle)

$5.70 ARS 8,645

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 ARS 3,288

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ARS 4,188

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ARS 1,141

$0.16 MDL 2.84

368.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.27 ARS 41.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.57 ARS 2,375

$1.11 MDL 19.70

41.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ARS 1,558

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ARS 12.0K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ARS 2,160

$1.68 MDL 29.76

-15.48%

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

$27.9K ARS 42.4M

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

$35.0K ARS 53.1M

$20.5K MDL 363.9K

70.69%

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

$195 ARS 296.2K

$59.2 MDL 1,052

229.51%

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

$25.16 ARS 38.2K

$6.67 MDL 118

277.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.54 ARS 47.9K

$9.97 MDL 177

216.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.9 ARS 77.3K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.73 ARS 25.4K

Cinema Ticket

$10.34 ARS 15.7K

$3.37 MDL 59.8

206.82%

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

$463 ARS 703.2K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,793 ARS 13.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$120 ARS 181.8K

$33.84 MDL 601

254.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$95.5 ARS 144.9K

$33.59 MDL 597

184.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 ARS 173.1K

$107 MDL 1,904

6.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 ARS 211.4K

$33.84 MDL 601

311.64%

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

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 11, 2026

Last update for Orhei: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$520 31.4%

Orhei

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$283 17.1%

Orhei

$41 * 11.3% 85.6% $242

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$282 17%

Orhei

$142 39.3% 49.7% $140

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$252 15.2%

Orhei

$76 21% 69.9% $176

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$211 12.7%

Orhei

$94 26% 55.5% $117

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$72 4.3%

Orhei

$6.7 * 1.9% 90.6% $65

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2%

Orhei

$1.8 * 0.5% 95.3% $35

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 $22.00 in Orhei for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $41.00 per month, with Orhei cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇲🇩 Orhei

🕒 Local time

23:27 11:27 PM

05:27 5:27 AM

6 h ahead of Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

24,918

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

Moldovan Leu MDL L

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR

100 MDL = 5.63 USD

100 MDL = 5.01 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MDL, 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).

Moldovan Leu exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 17.76 MDL (100 MDL = 5.63 USD). 1 EUR = 19.97 MDL (100 MDL = 5.01 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Buenos Aires Orhei 12,570 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Buenos Aires
Orhei

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 Orhei: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires and Orhei differ by about 359% in total monthly costs ($1,656 vs $361 including rent). Orhei 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 $541 in Orhei 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.

Dining out is cheaper in Orhei – a meal for two runs $22.00 versus $66.0 in Buenos Aires. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,656 per month in Buenos Aires versus $361 in Orhei – a 359% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $361 in Orhei versus $1,656 in Buenos Aires, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Orhei but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes Orhei 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 Orhei 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 Orhei gentler on the wallet – expenses run 359% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.