Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Rostov-on-Don

For one person, living is cheaper in Rostov-on-Don: $1,137 a month against $1,656 in Buenos Aires, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Buenos Aires
🇦🇷 Argentina
$1,656
/mo nomad
Rostov-on-Don
🇷🇺 Russia
$1,137
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Buenos Aires and in Rostov-on-Don

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 Rostov-on-Don actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,656 in Buenos Aires versus $1,137 in Rostov-on-Don.

  • Buenos Aires $1,656
  • Rostov-on-Don $1,137

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,697 in Buenos Aires versus $1,585 in Rostov-on-Don.

  • Buenos Aires $2,697
  • Rostov-on-Don $1,585

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,737 in Buenos Aires versus $2,032 in Rostov-on-Don.

  • Buenos Aires $3,737
  • Rostov-on-Don $2,032

Living in Buenos Aires is roughly 46% more expensive than in Rostov-on-Don, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Buenos Aires is 23% above, Rostov-on-Don is 16% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Buenos Aires
Rostov-on-Don
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.09 ARS 29.0K
$10.91 ₽911
74.98%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$65.8 ARS 99.9K
$24.73 ₽2,064
166.07%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.20 ARS 20.0K
$5.66 ₽472
133.22%
Cappuccino
$3.85 ARS 5,841
$2.83 ₽236
36.04%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.99 ARS 3,020
$1.10 ₽91.9
80.91%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.60 ARS 2,430
$0.48 ₽39.90
233.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.93 ARS 5,959
$1.16 ₽97.0
238.79%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.61 ARS 7,003
$2.90 ₽242
58.97%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Buenos Aires
Rostov-on-Don
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.50 ARS 2,272
$1.08 ₽90.1
38.89%
White Bread (500g)
$2.53 ARS 3,837
$0.72 ₽60.0
251.39%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.61 ARS 2,445
$1.26 ₽105
27.78%
Eggs
$2.84 ARS 4,316
$1.41 ₽117
101.42%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.30 ARS 15.6K
$9.38 ₽783
9.81%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.00 ARS 15.2K
$5.08 ₽424
96.85%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.30 ARS 20.2K
$8.03 ₽670
65.63%
Apples (1kg)
$2.88 ARS 4,366
$1.41 ₽117
104.26%
Banana (1kg)
$2.20 ARS 3,334
$1.79 ₽149
22.91%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.40 ARS 2,120
$1.42 ₽119
-1.41%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.98 ARS 3,004
$2.27 ₽190
-12.78%
Potato (1kg)
$1.21 ARS 1,835
$0.67 ₽56.0
80.60%
Onion (1kg)
$1.26 ARS 1,910
$0.59 ₽49.05
113.56%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.71 ARS 2,592
$1.03 ₽86.2
66.02%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.72 ARS 2,603
$0.65 ₽54.6
164.62%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.29 ARS 6,505
$2.70 ₽226
58.89%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.70 ARS 8,645
$6.10 ₽509
-6.56%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.17 ARS 3,288
$0.87 ₽72.7
149.43%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.76 ARS 4,188
$1.97 ₽165
40.10%
🚌 Getting Around
Buenos Aires
Rostov-on-Don
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.75 ARS 1,141
$0.53 ₽44.36
41.51%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.27 ARS 41.4K
$14.26 ₽1,190
91.23%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.57 ARS 2,375
$3.59 ₽300
-56.27%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.03 ARS 1,558
$0.14 ₽11.52
635.71%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.90 ARS 12.0K
$3.91 ₽327
102.05%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.42 ARS 2,160
$0.82 ₽68.4
73.17%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.9K ARS 42.4M
$28.8K ₽2.4M
-2.79%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$35.0K ARS 53.1M
$31.3K ₽2.6M
11.67%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Buenos Aires
Rostov-on-Don
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$195 ARS 296.2K
$124 ₽10.3K
57.74%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$25.16 ARS 38.2K
$7.20 ₽601
249.44%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$31.54 ARS 47.9K
$8.59 ₽717
267.17%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Buenos Aires
Rostov-on-Don
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$50.9 ARS 77.3K
$33.15 ₽2,767
53.60%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.73 ARS 25.4K
$20.83 ₽1,739
-19.68%
Cinema Ticket
$10.34 ARS 15.7K
$5.38 ₽449
92.19%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Buenos Aires
Rostov-on-Don
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$463 ARS 703.2K
$363 ₽30.3K
27.65%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,793 ARS 13.3M
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Buenos Aires
Rostov-on-Don
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$120 ARS 181.8K
$55.2 ₽4,605
117.20%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$95.5 ARS 144.9K
$44.18 ₽3,687
116.12%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$114 ARS 173.1K
$107 ₽8,917
6.80%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$139 ARS 211.4K
$104 ₽8,685
33.85%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Buenos Aires
Rostov-on-Don
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$756 ARS 1.1M
$624 ₽52.1K
21.18%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$520 ARS 788.8K
$460 ₽38.4K
12.90%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,590 ARS 2.4M
$895 ₽74.7K
77.59%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,198 ARS 1.8M
$568 ₽47.4K
110.91%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,713 ARS 4.1M
$2,317 ₽193.3K
17.12%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,901 ARS 2.9M
$1,465 ₽122.3K
29.75%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Buenos Aires
Rostov-on-Don
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$938 ARS 1.4M
$822 ₽68.6K
14.06%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
57.25
19.83
188.70%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 11, 2026

Last update for Rostov-on-Don: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Buenos Aires
$520
Rostov-on-Don
$460 11.4% $59
Groceries & Markets
Buenos Aires
$283
Rostov-on-Don
$177 37.6% $107
Eating Out
Buenos Aires
$282
Rostov-on-Don
$156 44.6% $126
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Buenos Aires
$252
Rostov-on-Don
$140 44.6% $112
Clothing & Footwear
Buenos Aires
$211
Rostov-on-Don
$140 33.8% $71
Sport & Entertainment
Buenos Aires
$72
Rostov-on-Don
$44 38.7% $28
Getting Around
Buenos Aires
$37
Rostov-on-Don
$21 44.1% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $756 in Buenos Aires and $624 in Rostov-on-Don. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buenos Aires pays 14% 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 $25.00 in Rostov-on-Don for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $177 per month, with Rostov-on-Don cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇦🇷 Buenos Aires
🇷🇺 Rostov-on-Don
🕒 Local time
06:57 6:57 AM
12:57 12:57 PM
6 h ahead of Buenos Aires
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,891,082 Capital
1,114,806
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, USD, EUR to ARS – Argentine Peso Converter

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).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 83.46 RUB (100 RUB = 1.2 USD). 1 EUR = 93.83 RUB (100 RUB = 1.07 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Buenos Aires Rostov-on-Don 13,320 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Buenos Aires
  • Rostov-on-Don

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 Rostov-on-Don: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Buenos Aires and in Rostov-on-Don?
Buenos Aires and Rostov-on-Don differ by about 46% in total monthly costs ($1,656 vs $1,137 including rent). Rostov-on-Don is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Buenos Aires or Rostov-on-Don?
Average pay runs 14% 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Buenos Aires and in Rostov-on-Don?
Rent for a central apartment: $756 in Buenos Aires versus $624 in Rostov-on-Don. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Buenos Aires and Rostov-on-Don?
Childcare runs $463 in Buenos Aires versus $363 in Rostov-on-Don. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 60% higher in Buenos Aires. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $1,000 per month?
At $1,137 in Rostov-on-Don versus $1,656 in Buenos Aires, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Rostov-on-Don but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes Rostov-on-Don the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Buenos Aires and Rostov-on-Don?
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.
Is Buenos Aires or Rostov-on-Don safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Buenos Aires and Rostov-on-Don are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Buenos Aires or Rostov-on-Don?
Expats usually find Rostov-on-Don gentler on the wallet – expenses run 46% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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