Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Targu Frumos

For one person, living is cheaper in Targu Frumos: $1,030 a month against $1,646 in Buenos Aires, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Buenos Aires
🇦🇷 Argentina
$1,646
/mo nomad
Targu Frumos
🇷🇴 Romania
$1,030
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Buenos Aires and in Targu Frumos

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,656 in Buenos Aires versus $998 in Targu Frumos.

  • Buenos Aires $1,656
  • Targu Frumos $998

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,697 in Buenos Aires versus $1,521 in Targu Frumos.

  • Buenos Aires $2,697
  • Targu Frumos $1,521

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,737 in Buenos Aires versus $2,043 in Targu Frumos.

  • Buenos Aires $3,737
  • Targu Frumos $2,043

Living in Buenos Aires is roughly 66% more expensive than in Targu Frumos, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Buenos Aires
Targu Frumos
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.81 ARS 27.0K
$10.66 RON 50.4
67.07%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$65.2 ARS 98.9K
$41.59 RON 197
56.67%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.12 ARS 19.9K
$7.23 RON 34.21
81.47%
Cappuccino
$3.86 ARS 5,863
$2.43 RON 11.51
58.85%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.06 ARS 3,133
$2.03 RON 9.61
1.48%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.68 ARS 2,542
$1.91 RON 9.03
-12.04%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.10 ARS 6,218
$2.17 RON 10.26
88.94%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.73 ARS 7,181
$3.13 RON 14.79
51.12%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Buenos Aires
Targu Frumos
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 ARS 2,285
$1.19 RON 5.61
26.89%
White Bread (500g)
$2.60 ARS 3,950
$0.71 RON 3.35
266.20%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.57 ARS 2,380
$1.80 RON 8.52
-12.78%
Eggs
$2.73 ARS 4,144
$3.39 RON 16.02
-19.47%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.86 ARS 16.5K
$7.58 RON 35.86
43.27%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.07 ARS 15.3K
$5.80 RON 27.42
73.62%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.22 ARS 20.1K
$8.59 RON 40.62
53.90%
Apples (1kg)
$2.80 ARS 4,255
$1.30 RON 6.17
115.38%
Banana (1kg)
$2.09 ARS 3,170
$1.61 RON 7.64
29.81%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.45 ARS 2,194
$1.55 RON 7.34
-6.45%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.00 ARS 3,040
$1.81 RON 8.58
10.50%
Potato (1kg)
$1.20 ARS 1,826
$0.96 RON 4.55
25.00%
Onion (1kg)
$1.20 ARS 1,821
$1.02 RON 4.82
17.65%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.69 ARS 2,569
$0.81 RON 3.84
108.64%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.79 ARS 2,711
$0.69 RON 3.28
159.42%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.00 ARS 6,074
$5.60 RON 26.49
-28.57%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.53 ARS 8,388
$5.38 RON 25.44
2.79%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.12 ARS 3,219
$0.94 RON 4.43
125.53%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.78 ARS 4,212
$1.23 RON 5.82
126.02%
🚌 Getting Around
Buenos Aires
Targu Frumos
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.69 ARS 1,049
$0.67 RON 3.16
2.99%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.90 ARS 42.3K
$19.60 RON 92.7
42.35%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.63 ARS 2,471
$0.60 RON 2.85
171.67%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.97 ARS 1,478
$0.69 RON 3.29
40.58%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.89 ARS 12.0K
$7.07 RON 33.46
11.60%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.42 ARS 2,156
$1.75 RON 8.27
-18.86%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.3K ARS 35.4M
$28.1K RON 133.1K
-17.05%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.9K ARS 48.5M
$25.1K RON 118.6K
27.42%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Buenos Aires
Targu Frumos
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$199 ARS 302.7K
$147 RON 695
35.87%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.36 ARS 35.4K
$7.49 RON 35.44
211.88%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$31.44 ARS 47.7K
$7.75 RON 36.69
305.68%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Buenos Aires
Targu Frumos
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$49.81 ARS 75.6K
$42.38 RON 201
17.53%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.63 ARS 25.2K
$21.30 RON 101
-21.92%
Cinema Ticket
$10.80 ARS 16.4K
$6.25 RON 29.57
72.80%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Buenos Aires
Targu Frumos
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$462 ARS 701.7K
$586 RON 2,773
-21.10%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,790 ARS 13.3M
$5,001 RON 23.7K
75.78%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Buenos Aires
Targu Frumos
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$120 ARS 181.6K
$96.1 RON 455
24.52%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$94.6 ARS 143.6K
$32.20 RON 152
193.82%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$116 ARS 176.4K
$60.0 RON 284
93.70%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$137 ARS 208.6K
$85.3 RON 404
61.10%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Buenos Aires
Targu Frumos
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$750 ARS 1.1M
$416 RON 1,970
80.09%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$514 ARS 780.5K
$311 RON 1,472
65.35%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,567 ARS 2.4M
$672 RON 3,181
133.09%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,196 ARS 1.8M
$437 RON 2,069
173.45%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,632 ARS 4.0M
$2,074 RON 9,813
26.91%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,874 ARS 2.8M
$1,422 RON 6,729
31.78%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Buenos Aires
Targu Frumos
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$924 ARS 1.4M
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
57.25
7.2
695.14%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 19, 2026

Last update for Targu Frumos: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Buenos Aires
$514
Targu Frumos
$311 39.5% $203
Groceries & Markets
Buenos Aires
$285
Targu Frumos
$183 35.7% $102
Eating Out
Buenos Aires
$273
Targu Frumos
$169 38.1% $104
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Buenos Aires
$254
Targu Frumos
$162 36.3% $92
Clothing & Footwear
Buenos Aires
$211
Targu Frumos
$123 41.5% $87
Sport & Entertainment
Buenos Aires
$71
Targu Frumos
$55 23.1% $17
Getting Around
Buenos Aires
$37
Targu Frumos
$26 29.1% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $756 in Buenos Aires and $379 in Targu Frumos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $66.0 in Buenos Aires vs $42.00 in Targu Frumos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $183 per month, with Targu Frumos cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇦🇷 Buenos Aires
🇷🇴 Targu Frumos
🕒 Local time
06:57 6:57 AM
12:57 12:57 PM
6 h ahead of Buenos Aires
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,891,082 Capital
13,875
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, USD, EUR to ARS – Argentine Peso Converter

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,706 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Buenos Aires Targu Frumos 12,440 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Buenos Aires
  • Targu Frumos

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 Targu Frumos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Buenos Aires and in Targu Frumos?
Buenos Aires and Targu Frumos differ by about 66% in total monthly costs ($1,656 vs $998 including rent). Targu Frumos 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 Targu Frumos?
You'd need roughly $2,484 in Buenos Aires and $1,497 in Targu Frumos 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Buenos Aires and in Targu Frumos?
Rent for a central apartment: $756 in Buenos Aires versus $379 in Targu Frumos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Buenos Aires and Targu Frumos?
Childcare runs $463 in Buenos Aires versus $603 in Targu Frumos. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 55% higher in Buenos Aires. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
At $998 in Targu Frumos versus $1,656 in Buenos Aires, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Targu Frumos but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes Targu Frumos the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Buenos Aires and Targu Frumos?
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 Targu Frumos safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Buenos Aires and Targu Frumos 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 Targu Frumos?
Expats usually find Targu Frumos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 66% 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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