Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Targu Jiu

For one person, living is cheaper in Targu Jiu: $980 a month against $1,646 in Buenos Aires, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Buenos Aires
🇦🇷 Argentina
$1,646
/mo nomad
Targu Jiu
🇷🇴 Romania
$980
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,646 in Buenos Aires versus $980 in Targu Jiu.

  • Buenos Aires $1,646
  • Targu Jiu $980

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,680 in Buenos Aires versus $1,514 in Targu Jiu.

  • Buenos Aires $2,680
  • Targu Jiu $1,514

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,714 in Buenos Aires versus $2,049 in Targu Jiu.

  • Buenos Aires $3,714
  • Targu Jiu $2,049

Living in Buenos Aires is roughly 68% more expensive than in Targu Jiu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Buenos Aires is 21% above, Targu Jiu is 28% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Buenos Aires
Targu Jiu
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.81 ARS 27.0K
$14.97 RON 70.8
18.97%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$65.2 ARS 98.9K
$57.1 RON 270
14.14%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.12 ARS 19.9K
$7.51 RON 35.54
74.70%
Cappuccino
$3.86 ARS 5,863
$3.46 RON 16.35
11.56%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.06 ARS 3,133
$1.08 RON 5.10
90.74%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.68 ARS 2,542
$2.24 RON 10.60
-25.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.10 ARS 6,218
$3.85 RON 18.19
6.49%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.73 ARS 7,181
$4.33 RON 20.49
9.24%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Buenos Aires
Targu Jiu
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 ARS 2,285
$1.63 RON 7.71
-7.36%
White Bread (500g)
$2.60 ARS 3,950
$1.37 RON 6.47
89.78%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.57 ARS 2,380
$1.76 RON 8.33
-10.80%
Eggs
$2.73 ARS 4,144
$2.73 RON 12.90
-
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.86 ARS 16.5K
$7.55 RON 35.70
43.84%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.07 ARS 15.3K
$2.88 RON 13.60
249.65%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.22 ARS 20.1K
$7.23 RON 34.23
82.85%
Apples (1kg)
$2.80 ARS 4,255
$0.97 RON 4.58
188.66%
Banana (1kg)
$2.09 ARS 3,170
$1.48 RON 7.00
41.22%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.45 ARS 2,194
$1.19 RON 5.63
21.85%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.00 ARS 3,040
$1.24 RON 5.86
61.29%
Potato (1kg)
$1.20 ARS 1,826
$0.83 RON 3.93
44.58%
Onion (1kg)
$1.20 ARS 1,821
$0.79 RON 3.73
51.90%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.69 ARS 2,569
$0.66 RON 3.12
156.06%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.79 ARS 2,711
$0.52 RON 2.46
244.23%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.00 ARS 6,074
$5.16 RON 24.39
-22.48%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.53 ARS 8,388
$3.01 RON 14.24
83.72%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.12 ARS 3,219
$0.81 RON 3.82
161.73%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.78 ARS 4,212
$1.03 RON 4.88
169.90%
🚌 Getting Around
Buenos Aires
Targu Jiu
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.69 ARS 1,049
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.90 ARS 42.3K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.63 ARS 2,471
$0.62 RON 2.91
162.90%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.97 ARS 1,478
$0.60 RON 2.84
61.67%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.89 ARS 12.0K
$6.19 RON 29.27
27.46%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.42 ARS 2,156
$1.89 RON 8.95
-24.87%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.3K ARS 35.4M
$28.9K RON 136.9K
-19.37%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.9K ARS 48.5M
$25.8K RON 122.1K
23.73%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Buenos Aires
Targu Jiu
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$199 ARS 302.7K
$195 RON 921
2.51%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.36 ARS 35.4K
$5.97 RON 28.27
291.29%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$31.44 ARS 47.7K
$9.41 RON 44.54
234.11%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Buenos Aires
Targu Jiu
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$49.81 ARS 75.6K
$31.87 RON 151
56.29%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.63 ARS 25.2K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$10.80 ARS 16.4K
$8.40 RON 39.75
28.57%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Buenos Aires
Targu Jiu
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$462 ARS 701.7K
$638 RON 3,018
-27.51%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,790 ARS 13.3M
$14.2K RON 67.0K
-37.95%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Buenos Aires
Targu Jiu
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$120 ARS 181.6K
$50.9 RON 241
134.98%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$94.6 ARS 143.6K
$25.23 RON 119
274.99%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$116 ARS 176.4K
$53.6 RON 254
116.71%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$137 ARS 208.6K
$83.5 RON 395
64.57%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Buenos Aires
Targu Jiu
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$750 ARS 1.1M
$348 RON 1,646
115.47%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$514 ARS 780.5K
$240 RON 1,136
114.14%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,567 ARS 2.4M
$481 RON 2,278
225.51%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,196 ARS 1.8M
$402 RON 1,901
197.65%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,632 ARS 4.0M
$2,538 RON 12.0K
3.70%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,874 ARS 2.8M
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Buenos Aires
Targu Jiu
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$924 ARS 1.4M
$530 RON 2,509
74.33%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
57.25
6.75
748.15%

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 Jiu: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Buenos Aires
$514
Targu Jiu
$240 53.3% $274
Groceries & Markets
Buenos Aires
$285
Targu Jiu
$156 45.1% $128
Eating Out
Buenos Aires
$273
Targu Jiu
$225 17.7% $48
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Buenos Aires
$254
Targu Jiu
$210 17.4% $44
Clothing & Footwear
Buenos Aires
$211
Targu Jiu
$96 54.4% $115
Sport & Entertainment
Buenos Aires
$71
Targu Jiu
$49 31.8% $23
Getting Around
Buenos Aires
$37
Targu Jiu
$3.6 * 90.3% $34

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 $750 in Buenos Aires and $348 in Targu Jiu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buenos Aires pays 74% 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: $65.0 in Buenos Aires vs $57.0 in Targu Jiu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $285 vs $156 per month, with Targu Jiu cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇦🇷 Buenos Aires
🇷🇴 Targu Jiu
🕒 Local time
07:47 7:47 AM
13:47 1:47 PM
6 h ahead of Buenos Aires
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,891,082 Capital
82,504
💱 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 Jiu 12,070 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Buenos Aires
  • Targu Jiu

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 Jiu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Buenos Aires and in Targu Jiu?
Buenos Aires and Targu Jiu differ by about 68% in total monthly costs ($1,646 vs $980 including rent). Targu Jiu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Buenos Aires or Targu Jiu?
Average pay runs 74% 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Buenos Aires and in Targu Jiu?
Rent for a central apartment: $750 in Buenos Aires versus $348 in Targu Jiu. 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 Jiu?
Childcare runs $462 in Buenos Aires versus $638 in Targu Jiu. 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 Targu Jiu – a meal for two runs $57.0 versus $65.0 in Buenos Aires. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $1,000 per month?
At $980 in Targu Jiu versus $1,646 in Buenos Aires, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Targu Jiu but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes Targu Jiu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Buenos Aires and Targu Jiu?
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 Jiu safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Buenos Aires and Targu Jiu 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 Jiu?
Expats usually find Targu Jiu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 68% 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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