Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Surat

For one person, living is cheaper in Surat: $806 a month against $1,685 in Buenos Aires, rent and utilities included – about $10,500 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
39

Cost of Living Index in Surat
Learn more

Surat Living Index

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Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,685

/mo nomad

Surat

🇮🇳 India

$806

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,685 in Buenos Aires versus $806 in Surat.

Buenos Aires $1,685
Surat $806

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,742 in Buenos Aires versus $826 in Surat.

Buenos Aires $2,742
Surat $826

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,799 in Buenos Aires versus $847 in Surat.

Buenos Aires $3,799
Surat $847

Living in Buenos Aires is roughly 109% more expensive than in Surat, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.73 ARS 28.4K

$3.18 ₹307

488.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 ARS 97.8K

$10.40 ₹1,006

520.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.88 ARS 19.5K

$3.14 ₹304

310.19%

Cappuccino

$3.98 ARS 6,029

$1.83 ₹177

117.49%

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

$2.05 ARS 3,103

$0.36 ₹34.38

469.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 ARS 2,349

$0.15 ₹14.56

933.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.84 ARS 5,830

$2.92 ₹282

31.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 ARS 6,970

$3.19 ₹309

44.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 ARS 2,181

$0.73 ₹70.9

97.26%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 ARS 3,738

$0.47 ₹45.50

423.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 ARS 2,467

$0.66 ₹63.5

146.97%

Eggs

$2.89 ARS 4,385

$0.95 ₹91.5

204.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.65 ARS 16.1K

$4.34 ₹420

145.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

$2.73 ₹265

266.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.74 ARS 20.8K

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ARS 4,166

$1.70 ₹164

61.76%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 ARS 3,300

$0.62 ₹59.6

251.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 ARS 2,205

$0.80 ₹77.4

81.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ARS 3,013

$0.54 ₹52.2

268.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ARS 1,885

$0.35 ₹33.56

254.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 ARS 1,921

$0.43 ₹41.73

195.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 ARS 2,575

$0.48 ₹46.59

254.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 ARS 2,617

$0.30 ₹28.89

476.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.18 ARS 6,337

$5.12 ₹495

-18.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.80 ARS 8,790

$7.60 ₹735

-23.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 ARS 3,163

$1.86 ₹180

12.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 ARS 4,198

$3.01 ₹291

-7.97%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$6.06 ₹586

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ARS 1,132

$0.22 ₹21.19

240.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.15 ARS 41.2K

$5.27 ₹510

415.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.62 ARS 2,451

$0.59 ₹57.2

174.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 ARS 1,481

$0.22 ₹21.32

345.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.72 ARS 11.7K

$1.07 ₹103

621.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ARS 2,058

$1.13 ₹110

20.35%

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

$28.0K ARS 42.5M

$12.1K ₹1.2M

130.55%

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

$34.5K ARS 52.4M

$18.3K ₹1.8M

88.36%

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

$216 ARS 326.9K

$36.72 ₹3,554

487.06%

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

$25.61 ARS 38.8K

$3.64 ₹353

603.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.36 ARS 47.6K

$7.44 ₹720

321.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.82 ARS 75.6K

$18.59 ₹1,799

167.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 ARS 25.9K

$5.16 ₹499

230.62%

Cinema Ticket

$10.43 ARS 15.8K

$2.88 ₹278

262.15%

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

$466 ARS 706.7K

$33.35 ₹3,227

1297.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,057 ARS 13.7M

$891 ₹86.2K

916.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$122 ARS 185.2K

$22.51 ₹2,179

442.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$97.4 ARS 147.8K

$24.53 ₹2,374

297.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ARS 177.4K

$40.90 ₹3,958

185.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 ARS 211.9K

$32.42 ₹3,137

331.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$763 ARS 1.2M

$216 ₹20.9K

253.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$505 ARS 766.1K

$499 ₹48.3K

1.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,598 ARS 2.4M

$375 ₹36.3K

326.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,185 ARS 1.8M

$201 ₹19.5K

489.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,678 ARS 4.1M

$660 ₹63.8K

305.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,858 ARS 2.8M

$309 ₹29.9K

501.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$954 ARS 1.4M

$313 ₹30.3K

204.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

9.17

524.32%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 6, 2026

Last update for Surat: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$505 30.4%

Surat

$499 61.3% 1.3% $6.4

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$284 17.1%

Surat

$101 12.4% 64.4% $183

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$279 16.8%

Surat

$80 9.8% 71.4% $199

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$273 16.4%

Surat

$48 5.9% 82.5% $225

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$214 12.9%

Surat

$54 6.7% 74.7% $160

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$71 4.3%

Surat

$24 3% 65.6% $46

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2%

Surat

$7.8 1% 78.6% $29

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $763 in Buenos Aires and $216 in Surat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buenos Aires pays 205% 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 $10.00 in Surat for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $284 vs $101 per month, with Surat cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇮🇳 Surat

🕒 Local time

02:07 2:07 AM

10:37 10:37 AM

8 h 30 min ahead of Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

6,936,534

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.33 USD

1,000 INR = 9.21 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, 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).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 96.78 INR (100 INR = 1.03 USD). 1 EUR = 109 INR (1,000 INR = 9.21 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Buenos Aires Surat 15,050 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Buenos Aires
Surat

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 Surat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires and Surat differ by about 109% in total monthly costs ($1,685 vs $806 including rent). Surat is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 205% 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 $216 in Surat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $466 in Buenos Aires versus $33.35 in Surat. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 181% higher in Buenos Aires. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $806 in Surat versus $1,685 in Buenos Aires, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Surat but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes Surat 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 Surat 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 Surat gentler on the wallet – expenses run 109% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.