Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Shymkent

For one person, living is cheaper in Shymkent: $809 a month against $1,685 in Buenos Aires, rent and utilities included – about $10,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

81

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
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Buenos Aires Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Shymkent
Learn more

Shymkent Living Index

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Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,685

/mo nomad

Shymkent

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$809

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,685 in Buenos Aires versus $809 in Shymkent.

Buenos Aires $1,685
Shymkent $809

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,742 in Buenos Aires versus $1,366 in Shymkent.

Buenos Aires $2,742
Shymkent $1,366

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,799 in Buenos Aires versus $1,924 in Shymkent.

Buenos Aires $3,799
Shymkent $1,924

Living in Buenos Aires is roughly 108% more expensive than in Shymkent, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Buenos Aires is 26% above, Shymkent is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.73 ARS 28.4K

$11.06 ₸4,979

69.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 ARS 97.7K

$33.96 ₸15.3K

89.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.88 ARS 19.5K

$6.48 ₸2,915

98.77%

Cappuccino

$3.98 ARS 6,027

$2.50 ₸1,125

59.20%

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

$2.05 ARS 3,102

$1.08 ₸486

89.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 ARS 2,348

$0.50 ₸227

210.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.84 ARS 5,828

$1.06 ₸478

262.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 ARS 6,968

$1.30 ₸583

253.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 ARS 2,180

$1.45 ₸654

-0.69%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 ARS 3,737

$0.44 ₸198

459.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 ARS 2,466

$1.75 ₸787

-6.86%

Eggs

$2.89 ARS 4,384

$1.65 ₸743

75.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.65 ARS 16.1K

$10.07 ₸4,535

5.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

$5.11 ₸2,300

95.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.74 ARS 20.8K

$8.41 ₸3,787

63.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ARS 4,165

$1.19 ₸537

131.09%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 ARS 3,299

$2.17 ₸978

0.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 ARS 2,204

$2.45 ₸1,101

-40.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ARS 3,012

$1.35 ₸608

47.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ARS 1,884

$0.51 ₸229

143.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 ARS 1,920

$0.40 ₸181

217.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 ARS 2,574

$0.92 ₸416

84.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 ARS 2,616

$0.79 ₸355

118.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.18 ARS 6,335

$2.42 ₸1,091

72.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.80 ARS 8,787

$4.40 ₸1,981

31.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 ARS 3,162

$1.06 ₸479

97.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 ARS 4,197

$1.51 ₸682

83.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ARS 1,131

$0.15 ₸68.0

400.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.15 ARS 41.2K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.62 ARS 2,450

$0.83 ₸375

95.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 ARS 1,480

$0.36 ₸163

172.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.72 ARS 11.7K

$9.79 ₸4,408

-21.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ARS 2,057

$0.60 ₸271

126.67%

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

$28.0K ARS 42.5M

$27.8K ₸12.5M

0.82%

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

$34.5K ARS 52.3M

$29.1K ₸13.1M

18.84%

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

$216 ARS 326.8K

$47.16 ₸21.2K

357.10%

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

$25.61 ARS 38.8K

$9.06 ₸4,078

182.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.36 ARS 47.5K

$15.10 ₸6,799

107.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.82 ARS 75.5K

$38.81 ₸17.5K

28.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 ARS 25.9K

$8.55 ₸3,849

99.53%

Cinema Ticket

$10.43 ARS 15.8K

$5.63 ₸2,533

85.26%

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

$466 ARS 706.5K

$56.9 ₸25.6K

718.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,057 ARS 13.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$122 ARS 185.1K

$35.94 ₸16.2K

239.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$97.4 ARS 147.7K

$33.11 ₸14.9K

194.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ARS 177.3K

$181 ₸81.6K

-35.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 ARS 211.8K

$51.4 ₸23.1K

171.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$763 ARS 1.2M

$333 ₸149.8K

129.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$505 ARS 765.8K

$197 ₸88.8K

156.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,598 ARS 2.4M

$693 ₸311.9K

130.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,185 ARS 1.8M

$556 ₸250.3K

113.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,678 ARS 4.1M

$1,109 ₸499.1K

141.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,858 ARS 2.8M

$975 ₸439.0K

90.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$954 ARS 1.4M

$437 ₸196.9K

118.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

18.25

213.70%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 6, 2026

Last update for Shymkent: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$505 30.4%

Shymkent

$197 24.9% 60.9% $308

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$284 17.1%

Shymkent

$182 23% 36% $102

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$279 16.8%

Shymkent

$152 19.2% 45.5% $127

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$273 16.4%

Shymkent

$71 9% 73.8% $201

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$214 12.9%

Shymkent

$136 17.2% 36.7% $79

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$71 4.3%

Shymkent

$50 6.3% 29.2% $21

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2%

Shymkent

$3.3 * 0.4% 91.1% $33

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 $333 in Shymkent. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buenos Aires pays 118% 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 $34.00 in Shymkent for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $284 vs $182 per month, with Shymkent cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇰🇿 Shymkent

🕒 Local time

07:13 7:13 AM

16:13 4:13 PM

9 h ahead of Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

1,222,055

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.6 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.89 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.22 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KZT, USD, EUR to ARS – Argentine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇷 Argentine Peso ($)

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,516 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.6 USD). 1 EUR = 1,699 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.89 EUR).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 450 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 504 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Buenos Aires Shymkent 15,480 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Buenos Aires
Shymkent

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 Shymkent: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires and Shymkent differ by about 108% in total monthly costs ($1,685 vs $809 including rent). Shymkent is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 118% 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 $333 in Shymkent. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $466 in Buenos Aires versus $56.9 in Shymkent. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Shymkent – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $64.0 in Buenos Aires. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $809 in Shymkent versus $1,685 in Buenos Aires, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Shymkent but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes Shymkent 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 Shymkent 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 Shymkent gentler on the wallet – expenses run 108% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.