Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Qatif

For one person, living is cheaper in Qatif: $1,102 a month against $1,656 in Buenos Aires, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
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Buenos Aires Living Index
54

Cost of Living Index in Qatif
Learn more

Qatif Living Index

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Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,656

/mo nomad

Qatif

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,102

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,656 in Buenos Aires versus $1,102 in Qatif.

Buenos Aires $1,656
Qatif $1,102

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,697 in Buenos Aires versus $1,642 in Qatif.

Buenos Aires $2,697
Qatif $1,642

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,737 in Buenos Aires versus $2,183 in Qatif.

Buenos Aires $3,737
Qatif $2,183

Living in Buenos Aires is roughly 50% more expensive than in Qatif, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Buenos Aires is 23% above, Qatif is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.09 ARS 29.0K

$3.48 SAR 13.07

448.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 ARS 99.9K

$34.45 SAR 129

91.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.20 ARS 20.0K

$6.59 SAR 24.75

100.30%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.82 SAR 6.84

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 SAR 8.60

Cappuccino

$3.85 ARS 5,841

$3.15 SAR 11.81

22.22%

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

$1.99 ARS 3,020

$0.78 SAR 2.92

155.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ARS 2,430

$0.20 SAR 0.76

700.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.93 ARS 5,959

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 ARS 7,003

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 ARS 2,272

$1.81 SAR 6.78

-17.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 ARS 3,837

$0.97 SAR 3.63

160.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 ARS 2,445

$1.86 SAR 6.96

-13.44%

Eggs

$2.84 ARS 4,316

$2.12 SAR 7.94

33.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.30 ARS 15.6K

$5.96 SAR 22.35

72.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

$7.77 SAR 29.16

28.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.30 ARS 20.2K

$12.73 SAR 47.77

4.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.88 ARS 4,366

$2.20 SAR 8.25

30.91%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 ARS 3,334

$1.70 SAR 6.36

29.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.40 ARS 2,120

$1.58 SAR 5.94

-11.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 ARS 3,004

$0.69 SAR 2.59

186.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 ARS 1,835

$1.12 SAR 4.19

8.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 ARS 1,910

$1.15 SAR 4.32

9.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 ARS 2,592

$0.97 SAR 3.66

76.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 ARS 2,603

$0.55 SAR 2.06

212.73%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.71 SAR 10.18

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 SAR 5.42

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 SAR 7.98

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 ARS 6,505

$6.24 SAR 23.42

-31.25%

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

$1.10 SAR 4.13

-31.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.27 ARS 41.4K

$36.81 SAR 138

-25.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.57 ARS 2,375

$2.42 SAR 9.09

-35.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ARS 1,558

$0.55 SAR 2.07

87.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ARS 12.0K

$13.11 SAR 49.19

-39.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ARS 2,160

$0.62 SAR 2.34

129.03%

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

$27.9K ARS 42.4M

$35.9K SAR 134.6K

-22.08%

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

$35.0K ARS 53.1M

$20.7K SAR 77.8K

68.63%

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

$195 ARS 296.2K

$107 SAR 400

82.98%

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

$25.16 ARS 38.2K

$32.52 SAR 122

-22.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.54 ARS 47.9K

$58.1 SAR 218

-45.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.9 ARS 77.3K

$81.9 SAR 307

-37.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.73 ARS 25.4K

$21.75 SAR 81.6

-23.08%

Cinema Ticket

$10.34 ARS 15.7K

$13.33 SAR 50.0

-22.43%

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

$463 ARS 703.2K

$268 SAR 1,005

73.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,793 ARS 13.3M

$8,092 SAR 30.4K

8.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$120 ARS 181.8K

$31.99 SAR 120

274.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$95.5 ARS 144.9K

$21.32 SAR 80.0

347.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 ARS 173.1K

$96.9 SAR 364

17.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 ARS 211.4K

$90.0 SAR 338

54.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 ARS 1.1M

$575 SAR 2,159

31.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$520 ARS 788.8K

$367 SAR 1,375

41.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,590 ARS 2.4M

$832 SAR 3,121

91.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,198 ARS 1.8M

$573 SAR 2,151

109.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,713 ARS 4.1M

$976 SAR 3,663

177.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,901 ARS 2.9M

$790 SAR 2,963

140.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$938 ARS 1.4M

$2,275 SAR 8,537

-58.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

5.5

940.91%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 11, 2026

Last update for Qatif: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$520 31.4%

Qatif

$367 33.3% 29.5% $153

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$283 17.1%

Qatif

$186 16.9% 34.5% $98

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$282 17%

Qatif

$89 8.1% 68.3% $192

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$252 15.2%

Qatif

$197 17.9% 21.7% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$211 12.7%

Qatif

$108 9.8% 48.7% $103

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$72 4.3%

Qatif

$109 9.9% 51.6% $37

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2%

Qatif

$46 4.2% 25.4% $9.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $756 in Buenos Aires and $575 in Qatif. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Qatif pays 143% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $66.0 in Buenos Aires vs $34.00 in Qatif for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $186 per month, with Qatif cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇸🇦 Qatif

🕒 Local time

16:30 4:30 PM

22:30 10:30 PM

6 h ahead of Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

87,332

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SAR, 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).

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.22 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

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Buenos Aires Qatif 13,250 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

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Qatif

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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 Qatif: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires and Qatif differ by about 50% in total monthly costs ($1,656 vs $1,102 including rent). Qatif is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 143% lower in Qatif. 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: $756 in Buenos Aires versus $575 in Qatif. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $463 in Buenos Aires versus $268 in Qatif. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 53% higher in Buenos Aires. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,102 in Qatif versus $1,656 in Buenos Aires, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Qatif but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes Qatif 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 Qatif 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 Qatif gentler on the wallet – expenses run 50% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.