Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Pietermaritzburg

For one person, living is cheaper in Pietermaritzburg: $1,036 a month against $1,685 in Buenos Aires, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

81

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
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Buenos Aires Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Pietermaritzburg
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Pietermaritzburg Living Index

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Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,685

/mo nomad

Pietermaritzburg

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,036

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,685 in Buenos Aires versus $1,036 in Pietermaritzburg.

Buenos Aires $1,685
Pietermaritzburg $1,036

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,742 in Buenos Aires versus $1,560 in Pietermaritzburg.

Buenos Aires $2,742
Pietermaritzburg $1,560

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,799 in Buenos Aires versus $2,083 in Pietermaritzburg.

Buenos Aires $3,799
Pietermaritzburg $2,083

Living in Buenos Aires is roughly 63% more expensive than in Pietermaritzburg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Buenos Aires is 26% above, Pietermaritzburg is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.73 ARS 28.4K

$7.91 R 130

136.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 ARS 97.8K

$35.62 R 588

81.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.88 ARS 19.5K

$5.61 R 92.6

129.59%

Cappuccino

$3.98 ARS 6,029

$2.29 R 37.86

73.80%

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

$2.05 ARS 3,103

$1.16 R 19.12

76.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 ARS 2,349

$0.97 R 16.08

59.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.84 ARS 5,830

$2.24 R 36.89

71.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 ARS 6,970

$2.56 R 42.25

79.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 ARS 2,181

$1.33 R 21.88

8.27%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 ARS 3,738

$1.00 R 16.45

146.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 ARS 2,467

$1.74 R 28.78

-6.32%

Eggs

$2.89 ARS 4,385

$3.20 R 52.7

-9.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.65 ARS 16.1K

$6.93 R 114

53.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

$4.96 R 81.8

101.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.74 ARS 20.8K

$6.57 R 108

109.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ARS 4,166

$2.02 R 33.40

36.14%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 ARS 3,300

$1.90 R 31.31

14.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 ARS 2,205

$2.20 R 36.35

-34.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ARS 3,013

$2.06 R 34.00

-3.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ARS 1,885

$1.75 R 28.92

-29.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 ARS 1,921

$1.75 R 28.93

-27.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 ARS 2,575

$1.53 R 25.31

11.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 ARS 2,617

$1.09 R 17.98

58.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.18 ARS 6,337

$3.01 R 49.69

38.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.80 ARS 8,790

$3.94 R 65.0

47.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 ARS 3,163

$1.38 R 22.72

51.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 ARS 4,198

$1.80 R 29.70

53.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ARS 1,132

$2.84 R 46.92

-73.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.15 ARS 41.2K

$19.57 R 323

38.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.62 ARS 2,451

$1.65 R 27.23

-1.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 ARS 1,481

$1.07 R 17.60

-8.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.72 ARS 11.7K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ARS 2,058

$1.42 R 23.49

-4.23%

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

$28.0K ARS 42.5M

$26.7K R 440.1K

5.00%

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

$34.5K ARS 52.4M

$26.2K R 432.5K

31.72%

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

$216 ARS 326.9K

$206 R 3,398

4.68%

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

$25.61 ARS 38.8K

$31.68 R 523

-19.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.36 ARS 47.6K

$36.96 R 610

-15.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.82 ARS 75.6K

$43.95 R 725

13.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 ARS 25.9K

$3.03 R 50.1

463.04%

Cinema Ticket

$10.43 ARS 15.8K

$4.72 R 77.8

120.97%

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

$466 ARS 706.7K

$181 R 2,993

156.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,057 ARS 13.7M

$5,207 R 85.9K

73.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$122 ARS 185.2K

$55.4 R 914

120.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$97.4 ARS 147.8K

$33.93 R 560

187.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ARS 177.4K

$116 R 1,910

1.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 ARS 211.9K

$68.9 R 1,137

102.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$763 ARS 1.2M

$219 R 3,607

249.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$505 ARS 766.1K

$222 R 3,670

127.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,598 ARS 2.4M

$581 R 9,593

174.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,185 ARS 1.8M

$406 R 6,698

191.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,678 ARS 4.1M

$5,971 R 98.5K

-55.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,858 ARS 2.8M

$149 R 2,455

1148.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$954 ARS 1.4M

$1,074 R 17.7K

-11.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

11.67

390.57%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 6, 2026

Last update for Pietermaritzburg: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$505 30.4%

Pietermaritzburg

$222 21.4% 56% $283

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$284 17.1%

Pietermaritzburg

$195 18.8% 31.3% $89

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$279 16.8%

Pietermaritzburg

$132 12.8% 52.5% $146

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$273 16.4%

Pietermaritzburg

$275 26.4% 0.7% $2

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$214 12.9%

Pietermaritzburg

$123 11.9% 42.5% $91

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$71 4.3%

Pietermaritzburg

$53 5.1% 24.5% $17

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2%

Pietermaritzburg

$38 3.7% 3.5% $1.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $763 in Buenos Aires and $219 in Pietermaritzburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Pietermaritzburg pays 12% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $64.0 in Buenos Aires vs $36.00 in Pietermaritzburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $284 vs $195 per month, with Pietermaritzburg cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇿🇦 Pietermaritzburg

🕒 Local time

06:46 6:46 AM

11:46 11:46 AM

5 h ahead of Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

618,536

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.06 USD

100 ZAR = 5.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, 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).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 16.5 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.06 USD). 1 EUR = 18.49 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.41 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

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Buenos Aires Pietermaritzburg 8,100 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

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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 Pietermaritzburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires and Pietermaritzburg differ by about 63% in total monthly costs ($1,685 vs $1,036 including rent). Pietermaritzburg is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 12% lower in Pietermaritzburg. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $763 in Buenos Aires versus $219 in Pietermaritzburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $466 in Buenos Aires versus $181 in Pietermaritzburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 46% higher in Buenos Aires. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,036 in Pietermaritzburg versus $1,685 in Buenos Aires, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Pietermaritzburg but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes Pietermaritzburg 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 Pietermaritzburg 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 Pietermaritzburg gentler on the wallet – expenses run 63% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.