Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Salem, MA

For one person, living is cheaper in Buenos Aires: $1,646 a month against $3,511 in Salem, MA, rent and utilities included – about $22,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
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Buenos Aires Living Index
171

Cost of Living Index in Salem, MA
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Salem, MA Living Index

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Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,646

/mo nomad

Salem, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,511

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Buenos Aires and in Salem, MA

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,646 in Buenos Aires versus $3,511 in Salem, MA.

Buenos Aires $1,646
Salem, MA $3,511

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,680 in Buenos Aires versus $4,880 in Salem, MA.

Buenos Aires $2,680
Salem, MA $4,880

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,714 in Buenos Aires versus $6,248 in Salem, MA.

Buenos Aires $3,714
Salem, MA $6,248

Living in Buenos Aires costs roughly 53% less than in Salem, MA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Buenos Aires 21% above, Salem, MA 159% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.81 ARS 27.0K

$24.63 $24.63

-27.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.2 ARS 98.9K

$98.2 $98.2

-33.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.12 ARS 19.9K

$11.20 $11.20

17.14%

Cappuccino

$3.86 ARS 5,863

$5.04 $5.04

-23.41%

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

$2.06 ARS 3,133

$2.46 $2.46

-16.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 ARS 2,542

$2.16 $2.16

-22.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.10 ARS 6,218

$8.13 $8.13

-49.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.73 ARS 7,181

$7.19 $7.19

-34.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 ARS 2,285

$1.26 $1.26

19.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.60 ARS 3,950

$3.55 $3.55

-26.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 ARS 2,380

$4.43 $4.43

-64.56%

Eggs

$2.73 ARS 4,144

$4.32 $4.32

-36.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.86 ARS 16.5K

$12.22 $12.22

-11.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.07 ARS 15.3K

$11.72 $11.72

-14.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.22 ARS 20.1K

$17.43 $17.43

-24.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.80 ARS 4,255

$4.61 $4.61

-39.26%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 ARS 3,170

$1.56 $1.56

33.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 ARS 2,194

$4.20 $4.20

-65.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 ARS 3,040

$4.74 $4.74

-57.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 ARS 1,826

$2.81 $2.81

-57.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 ARS 1,821

$2.90 $2.90

-58.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.69 ARS 2,569

$2.55 $2.55

-33.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 ARS 2,711

$2.23 $2.23

-19.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.00 ARS 6,074

$11.02 $11.02

-63.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.53 ARS 8,388

$15.29 $15.29

-63.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 ARS 3,219

$1.79 $1.79

18.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ARS 4,212

$3.42 $3.42

-18.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 ARS 1,049

$1.89 $1.89

-63.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.90 ARS 42.3K

$40.09 $40.09

-30.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.63 ARS 2,471

$3.00 $3.00

-45.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.97 ARS 1,478

$1.54 $1.54

-37.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 ARS 12.0K

$31.85 $31.85

-75.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ARS 2,156

$0.89 $0.89

59.55%

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

$23.3K ARS 35.4M

$25.9K $25.9K

-9.84%

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

$31.9K ARS 48.5M

$26.9K $26.9K

18.94%

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

$199 ARS 302.7K

$179 $179

11.54%

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

$23.36 ARS 35.4K

$59.4 $59.4

-60.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.44 ARS 47.7K

$63.8 $63.8

-50.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.81 ARS 75.6K

$42.17 $42.17

18.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.63 ARS 25.2K

Cinema Ticket

$10.80 ARS 16.4K

$14.49 $14.49

-25.47%

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

$462 ARS 701.7K

$1,266 $1,266

-63.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,790 ARS 13.3M

$23.7K $23.7K

-62.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$120 ARS 181.6K

$84.2 $84.2

42.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$94.6 ARS 143.6K

$56.8 $56.8

66.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 ARS 176.4K

$97.7 $97.7

18.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$137 ARS 208.6K

$98.1 $98.1

40.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$750 ARS 1.1M

$2,339 $2,339

-67.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$514 ARS 780.5K

$2,162 $2,162

-76.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,567 ARS 2.4M

$3,928 $3,928

-60.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,196 ARS 1.8M

$3,135 $3,135

-61.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,632 ARS 4.0M

$2,748 $2,748

-4.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,874 ARS 2.8M

$2,332 $2,332

-19.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$924 ARS 1.4M

$9,532 $9,532

-90.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

6.57

771.39%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 19, 2026

Last update for Salem, MA: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$514 31.3%

Salem, MA

$2.2K 61.6% 320% $1.6K

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$285 17.3%

Salem, MA

$401 11.4% 40.9% $117

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$273 16.6%

Salem, MA

$365 10.4% 33.5% $92

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$254 15.5%

Salem, MA

$302 8.6% 18.8% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$211 12.8%

Salem, MA

$152 4.3% 28% $59

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$71 4.3%

Salem, MA

$71 2% 0.4% $0.3

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.3%

Salem, MA

$58 1.7% 57.1% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $750 in Buenos Aires and $2,339 in Salem, MA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Salem, MA pays 931% 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: $65.0 in Buenos Aires vs $98.0 in Salem, MA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $285 vs $401 per month, with Buenos Aires cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇺🇸 Salem, MA

🕒 Local time

16:24 4:24 PM

15:24 3:24 PM

1 h behind Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

155,469

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to ARS – Argentine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇷 Argentine Peso ($)

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,706 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Buenos Aires Salem, MA 8,670 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Buenos Aires
Salem, MA

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 Salem, MA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires and Salem, MA differ by about 113% in total monthly costs ($1,646 vs $3,511 including rent). Buenos Aires is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 931% lower in Salem, MA. 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: $750 in Buenos Aires versus $2,339 in Salem, MA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $462 in Buenos Aires versus $1,266 in Salem, MA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 41% higher in Salem, MA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,646 in Buenos Aires versus $3,511 in Salem, MA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Buenos Aires but tight or insufficient in Salem, MA. The gap between the two cities makes Buenos Aires 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 Salem, MA 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 Buenos Aires gentler on the wallet – expenses run 113% less than in Salem, MA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.