Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Sharjah

For one person, living is cheaper in Buenos Aires: $1,685 a month against $1,841 in Sharjah, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Sharjah outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

81

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
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Buenos Aires Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Sharjah
Learn more

Sharjah Living Index

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Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,685

/mo nomad

Sharjah

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$1,841

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,685 in Buenos Aires versus $1,841 in Sharjah.

Buenos Aires $1,685
Sharjah $1,841

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,742 in Buenos Aires versus $2,576 in Sharjah.

Buenos Aires $2,742
Sharjah $2,576

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,799 in Buenos Aires versus $3,312 in Sharjah.

Buenos Aires $3,799
Sharjah $3,312

Living in Buenos Aires costs roughly 8% less than in Sharjah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Buenos Aires 26% above, Sharjah 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.73 ARS 28.4K

$5.97 AED 21.92

213.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 ARS 97.8K

$32.91 AED 121

95.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.88 ARS 19.5K

$8.29 AED 30.45

55.37%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.54 AED 35.05

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.35 AED 34.35

Cappuccino

$3.98 ARS 6,029

$3.82 AED 14.02

4.19%

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

$2.05 ARS 3,103

$0.80 AED 2.93

156.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 ARS 2,349

$0.29 AED 1.05

434.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.84 ARS 5,830

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 ARS 6,970

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 ARS 2,181

$1.54 AED 5.64

-6.49%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 ARS 3,738

$1.19 AED 4.38

106.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 ARS 2,467

$1.83 AED 6.71

-10.93%

Eggs

$2.89 ARS 4,385

$3.21 AED 11.80

-9.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.65 ARS 16.1K

$8.64 AED 31.73

23.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

$6.63 AED 24.36

50.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.74 ARS 20.8K

$11.46 AED 42.09

19.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ARS 4,166

$2.27 AED 8.33

21.15%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 ARS 3,300

$1.67 AED 6.12

30.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 ARS 2,205

$1.30 AED 4.78

11.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ARS 3,013

$1.28 AED 4.72

55.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ARS 1,885

$1.03 AED 3.79

20.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 ARS 1,921

$1.12 AED 4.12

13.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 ARS 2,575

$1.43 AED 5.26

18.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 ARS 2,617

$0.61 AED 2.23

183.61%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$15.53 AED 57.0

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 AED 8.88

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 AED 9.50

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.18 ARS 6,337

$6.31 AED 23.19

-33.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.80 ARS 8,790

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 ARS 3,163

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 ARS 4,198

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ARS 1,132

$2.16 AED 7.92

-65.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.15 ARS 41.2K

$27.07 AED 99.4

0.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.62 ARS 2,451

$3.65 AED 13.42

-55.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 ARS 1,481

$0.52 AED 1.91

88.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.72 ARS 11.7K

$12.07 AED 44.33

-36.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ARS 2,058

$0.94 AED 3.46

44.68%

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

$28.0K ARS 42.5M

$45.2K AED 166.0K

-38.03%

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

$34.5K ARS 52.4M

$22.0K AED 80.9K

56.79%

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

$216 ARS 326.9K

$208 AED 766

3.40%

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

$25.61 ARS 38.8K

$49.40 AED 181

-48.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.36 ARS 47.6K

$96.1 AED 353

-67.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.82 ARS 75.6K

$53.5 AED 196

-6.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 ARS 25.9K

$22.29 AED 81.9

-23.46%

Cinema Ticket

$10.43 ARS 15.8K

$13.54 AED 49.72

-22.97%

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

$466 ARS 706.7K

$325 AED 1,194

43.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,057 ARS 13.7M

$8,433 AED 31.0K

7.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$122 ARS 185.2K

$57.6 AED 212

111.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$97.4 ARS 147.8K

$78.0 AED 286

24.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ARS 177.4K

$109 AED 401

7.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 ARS 211.9K

$96.1 AED 353

45.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$763 ARS 1.2M

$823 AED 3,024

-7.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$505 ARS 766.1K

$906 AED 3,329

-44.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,598 ARS 2.4M

$1,797 AED 6,598

-11.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,185 ARS 1.8M

$1,402 AED 5,148

-15.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,678 ARS 4.1M

$8,241 AED 30.3K

-67.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,858 ARS 2.8M

$2,748 AED 10.1K

-32.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$954 ARS 1.4M

$2,191 AED 8,045

-56.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

4.5

1172.22%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 6, 2026

Last update for Sharjah: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$505 30.4%

Sharjah

$906 49% 79.4% $401

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$284 17.1%

Sharjah

$192 10.4% 32.3% $92

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$279 16.8%

Sharjah

$123 6.6% 56% $156

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$273 16.4%

Sharjah

$354 19.1% 29.9% $81

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$214 12.9%

Sharjah

$153 8.3% 28.4% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$71 4.3%

Sharjah

$81 4.4% 14% $9.9

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2%

Sharjah

$42 2.3% 14.5% $5.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $763 in Buenos Aires and $823 in Sharjah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sharjah pays 130% 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: $64.0 in Buenos Aires vs $33.00 in Sharjah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $284 vs $192 per month, with Sharjah cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇦🇪 Sharjah

🕒 Local time

08:31 8:31 AM

15:31 3:31 PM

7 h ahead of Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

1,400,000

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.243 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AED, 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).

UAE Dirham exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.12 AED (1 AED = 0.243 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Buenos Aires Sharjah 13,670 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Buenos Aires
Sharjah

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 Sharjah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires and Sharjah differ by about 9% in total monthly costs ($1,685 vs $1,841 including rent). Buenos Aires is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 130% lower in Sharjah. 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 $823 in Sharjah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $466 in Buenos Aires versus $325 in Sharjah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Sharjah pay roughly 48% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,685 in Buenos Aires versus $1,841 in Sharjah, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Buenos Aires but tight or insufficient in Sharjah. 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 Sharjah 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 9% less than in Sharjah. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.