Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Shiraz

For one person, living is cheaper in Shiraz: $551 a month against $1,685 in Buenos Aires, rent and utilities included – about $13,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

81

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
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Buenos Aires Living Index
26

Cost of Living Index in Shiraz
Learn more

Shiraz Living Index

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Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,685

/mo nomad

Shiraz

🇮🇷 Iran

$551

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,685 in Buenos Aires versus $551 in Shiraz.

Buenos Aires $1,685
Shiraz $551

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,742 in Buenos Aires versus $810 in Shiraz.

Buenos Aires $2,742
Shiraz $810

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,799 in Buenos Aires versus $1,069 in Shiraz.

Buenos Aires $3,799
Shiraz $1,069

Living in Buenos Aires is roughly 206% more expensive than in Shiraz, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Buenos Aires is 26% above, Shiraz is 59% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.73 ARS 28.4K

$4.62 $4.62

305.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 ARS 97.8K

$13.16 $13.16

389.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.88 ARS 19.5K

$3.92 $3.92

228.57%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.03 $1.03

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 $1.79

Cappuccino

$3.98 ARS 6,029

$1.17 $1.17

240.17%

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

$2.05 ARS 3,103

$0.66 $0.66

210.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 ARS 2,349

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

$0.67 $0.67

114.93%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 ARS 3,738

$0.41 $0.41

500.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 ARS 2,467

$1.90 $1.90

-14.21%

Eggs

$2.89 ARS 4,385

$1.22 $1.22

136.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.65 ARS 16.1K

$2.35 $2.35

353.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

$2.95 $2.95

238.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.74 ARS 20.8K

$9.81 $9.81

40.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ARS 4,166

$1.12 $1.12

145.54%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 ARS 3,300

$1.54 $1.54

41.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 ARS 2,205

$0.89 $0.89

62.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ARS 3,013

$0.55 $0.55

261.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ARS 1,885

$0.55 $0.55

125.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 ARS 1,921

$0.55 $0.55

130.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 ARS 2,575

$0.51 $0.51

233.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 ARS 2,617

$0.17 $0.17

917.65%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.87 $0.87

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 $0.59

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.18 ARS 6,337

$3.04 $3.04

37.50%

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

$0.11 $0.11

581.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.15 ARS 41.2K

$3.09 $3.09

778.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.62 ARS 2,451

$0.38 $0.38

326.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 ARS 1,481

$0.21 $0.21

366.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.72 ARS 11.7K

$3.44 $3.44

124.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ARS 2,058

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

$28.0K ARS 42.5M

$66.0K $66.0K

-57.54%

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

$34.5K ARS 52.4M

$53.1K $53.1K

-35.00%

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

$216 ARS 326.9K

$23.64 $23.64

811.89%

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

$25.61 ARS 38.8K

$2.06 $2.06

1143.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.36 ARS 47.6K

$17.07 $17.07

83.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.82 ARS 75.6K

$18.96 $18.96

162.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 ARS 25.9K

$13.51 $13.51

26.28%

Cinema Ticket

$10.43 ARS 15.8K

$1.98 $1.98

426.77%

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

$466 ARS 706.7K

$104 $104

348.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,057 ARS 13.7M

$2,421 $2,421

274.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$122 ARS 185.2K

$22.81 $22.81

435.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$97.4 ARS 147.8K

$18.49 $18.49

426.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ARS 177.4K

$95.2 $95.2

22.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 ARS 211.9K

$56.0 $56.0

149.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$763 ARS 1.2M

$291 $291

162.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$505 ARS 766.1K

$217 $217

133.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,598 ARS 2.4M

$537 $537

197.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,185 ARS 1.8M

$321 $321

269.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,678 ARS 4.1M

$1,164 $1,164

130.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,858 ARS 2.8M

$503 $503

269.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$954 ARS 1.4M

$243 $243

293.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

24.3

135.60%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 6, 2026

Last update for Shiraz: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$505 30.4%

Shiraz

$217 40% 57.1% $289

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$284 17.1%

Shiraz

$103 18.9% 63.9% $182

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$279 16.8%

Shiraz

$65 * 12.1% 76.5% $214

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$273 16.4%

Shiraz

$43 7.9% 84.3% $230

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$214 12.9%

Shiraz

$87 16% 59.6% $128

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$71 4.3%

Shiraz

$23 4.2% 67.6% $48

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2%

Shiraz

$5 0.9% 86.5% $32

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $763 in Buenos Aires and $291 in Shiraz. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buenos Aires pays 293% 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 $13.00 in Shiraz for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $284 vs $103 per month, with Shiraz cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇮🇷 Shiraz

🕒 Local time

00:49 12:49 AM

07:19 7:19 AM

6 h 30 min ahead of Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

1,565,572

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,701 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Buenos Aires Shiraz 13,620 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Buenos Aires
Shiraz

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 Shiraz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires and Shiraz differ by about 206% in total monthly costs ($1,685 vs $551 including rent). Shiraz is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 293% 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $763 in Buenos Aires versus $291 in Shiraz. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $466 in Buenos Aires versus $104 in Shiraz. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 177% higher in Buenos Aires. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $551 in Shiraz versus $1,685 in Buenos Aires, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Shiraz but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes Shiraz 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 Shiraz 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 Shiraz gentler on the wallet – expenses run 206% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.