Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Sidon

For one person, living is cheaper in Sidon: $1,001 a month against $1,656 in Buenos Aires, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Buenos Aires
🇦🇷 Argentina
$1,656
/mo nomad
Sidon
🇱🇧 Lebanon
$1,001
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,656 in Buenos Aires versus $1,001 in Sidon.

  • Buenos Aires $1,656
  • Sidon $1,001

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,697 in Buenos Aires versus $1,606 in Sidon.

  • Buenos Aires $2,697
  • Sidon $1,606

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,737 in Buenos Aires versus $2,210 in Sidon.

  • Buenos Aires $3,737
  • Sidon $2,210

Living in Buenos Aires is roughly 65% more expensive than in Sidon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

The two cities straddle the global median: Buenos Aires is 23% above, Sidon is 26% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Buenos Aires
Sidon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.09 ARS 29.0K
$12.22 LBP 1.1M
56.22%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$65.8 ARS 99.9K
$69.7 LBP 6.2M
-5.62%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.20 ARS 20.0K
$9.90 LBP 886.1K
33.33%
Cappuccino
$3.85 ARS 5,841
$4.61 LBP 412.5K
-16.49%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.99 ARS 3,020
$2.35 LBP 210.4K
-15.32%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.60 ARS 2,430
$0.83 LBP 74.6K
92.77%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.93 ARS 5,959
$5.08 LBP 454.6K
-22.64%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.61 ARS 7,003
$4.64 LBP 415.2K
-0.65%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Buenos Aires
Sidon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.50 ARS 2,272
$1.93 LBP 172.6K
-22.28%
White Bread (500g)
$2.53 ARS 3,837
$0.84 LBP 75.6K
201.19%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.61 ARS 2,445
$2.27 LBP 202.7K
-29.07%
Eggs
$2.84 ARS 4,316
$3.55 LBP 317.4K
-20.00%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.30 ARS 15.6K
$10.91 LBP 976.8K
-5.59%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.00 ARS 15.2K
$10.59 LBP 947.8K
-5.57%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.30 ARS 20.2K
$14.81 LBP 1.3M
-10.20%
Apples (1kg)
$2.88 ARS 4,366
$3.02 LBP 269.9K
-4.64%
Banana (1kg)
$2.20 ARS 3,334
$1.70 LBP 151.8K
29.41%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.40 ARS 2,120
$1.69 LBP 151.6K
-17.16%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.98 ARS 3,004
$1.53 LBP 137.0K
29.41%
Potato (1kg)
$1.21 ARS 1,835
$1.21 LBP 108.4K
-
Onion (1kg)
$1.26 ARS 1,910
$1.54 LBP 138.0K
-18.18%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.71 ARS 2,592
$1.16 LBP 103.5K
47.41%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.72 ARS 2,603
$0.73 LBP 65.6K
135.62%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.29 ARS 6,505
$3.03 LBP 271.3K
41.58%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.70 ARS 8,645
$10.79 LBP 966.0K
-47.17%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.17 ARS 3,288
$1.28 LBP 114.1K
69.53%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.76 ARS 4,188
$2.47 LBP 221.0K
11.74%
🚌 Getting Around
Buenos Aires
Sidon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.75 ARS 1,141
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.27 ARS 41.4K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.57 ARS 2,375
$5.03 LBP 450.2K
-68.79%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.03 ARS 1,558
$2.19 LBP 195.6K
-52.97%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.90 ARS 12.0K
$22.28 LBP 2.0M
-64.54%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.42 ARS 2,160
$1.10 LBP 98.2K
29.09%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.9K ARS 42.4M
$54.1K LBP 4.8B
-48.35%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$35.0K ARS 53.1M
$32.1K LBP 2.9B
8.96%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Buenos Aires
Sidon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$195 ARS 296.2K
$233 LBP 20.8M
-16.12%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$25.16 ARS 38.2K
$21.86 LBP 2.0M
15.10%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$31.54 ARS 47.9K
$37.35 LBP 3.3M
-15.56%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Buenos Aires
Sidon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$50.9 ARS 77.3K
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.73 ARS 25.4K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$10.34 ARS 15.7K
$9.95 LBP 890.8K
3.92%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Buenos Aires
Sidon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$463 ARS 703.2K
$685 LBP 61.3M
-32.32%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,793 ARS 13.3M
$10.5K LBP 942.4M
-16.49%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Buenos Aires
Sidon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$120 ARS 181.8K
$68.2 LBP 6.1M
75.68%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$95.5 ARS 144.9K
$50.1 LBP 4.5M
90.58%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$114 ARS 173.1K
$138 LBP 12.4M
-17.44%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$139 ARS 211.4K
$119 LBP 10.7M
16.74%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Buenos Aires
Sidon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$756 ARS 1.1M
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$520 ARS 788.8K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,590 ARS 2.4M
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,198 ARS 1.8M
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,713 ARS 4.1M
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,901 ARS 2.9M
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Buenos Aires
Sidon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$938 ARS 1.4M
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
57.25
11
420.45%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 11, 2026

Last update for Sidon: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Buenos Aires
$520
Sidon
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Buenos Aires
$283
Sidon
$274 3.3% $9.4
Eating Out
Buenos Aires
$282
Sidon
$230 18.3% $52
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Buenos Aires
$252
Sidon
$292 15.9% $40
Clothing & Footwear
Buenos Aires
$211
Sidon
$169 19.8% $42
Sport & Entertainment
Buenos Aires
$72
Sidon
$20 * 72.2% $52
Getting Around
Buenos Aires
$37
Sidon
$16 * 56.8% $21

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $66.0 in Buenos Aires vs $70.0 in Sidon. Groceries flip the comparison at $283 vs $274, with Sidon cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇦🇷 Buenos Aires
🇱🇧 Sidon
🕒 Local time
16:23 4:23 PM
22:23 10:23 PM
6 h ahead of Buenos Aires
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,891,082 Capital
163,554
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

LBP, USD, EUR to ARS – Argentine Peso Converter

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,706 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR).

Lebanese Pound exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 89,500 LBP (100,000 LBP = 1.12 USD). 1 EUR = 100,630 LBP (1,000,000 LBP = 9.94 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Buenos Aires Sidon 12,350 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Buenos Aires
  • Sidon

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 Sidon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Buenos Aires and in Sidon?
Buenos Aires and Sidon differ by about 65% in total monthly costs ($1,656 vs $1,001 including rent). Sidon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Buenos Aires compared to Sidon?
You'd need roughly $2,484 in Buenos Aires and $1,501 in Sidon to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Buenos Aires and Sidon?
Childcare runs $463 in Buenos Aires versus $685 in Sidon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Sidon – a meal for two runs $70.0 versus $66.0 in Buenos Aires. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
At $1,001 in Sidon versus $1,656 in Buenos Aires, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sidon but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes Sidon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Buenos Aires and Sidon?
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 Sidon safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Buenos Aires and Sidon 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 Sidon?
Expats usually find Sidon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 65% 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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