Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Tema

For one person, living is cheaper in Tema: $738 a month against $1,685 in Buenos Aires, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

81

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
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Buenos Aires Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Tema
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Tema Living Index

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Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,685

/mo nomad

Tema

🇬🇭 Ghana

$738

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,685 in Buenos Aires versus $738 in Tema.

Buenos Aires $1,685
Tema $738

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,742 in Buenos Aires versus $1,173 in Tema.

Buenos Aires $2,742
Tema $1,173

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,799 in Buenos Aires versus $1,608 in Tema.

Buenos Aires $3,799
Tema $1,608

Living in Buenos Aires is roughly 128% more expensive than in Tema, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Buenos Aires is 26% above, Tema is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.73 ARS 28.4K

$7.03 GHS 82.6

166.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 ARS 97.8K

$27.88 GHS 328

131.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.88 ARS 19.5K

Cappuccino

$3.98 ARS 6,029

$5.05 GHS 59.3

-21.19%

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

$2.05 ARS 3,103

$0.90 GHS 10.57

127.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 ARS 2,349

$0.30 GHS 3.55

416.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.84 ARS 5,830

$3.29 GHS 38.67

16.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 ARS 6,970

$2.61 GHS 30.66

76.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 ARS 2,181

$3.16 GHS 37.18

-54.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 ARS 3,738

$1.60 GHS 18.84

53.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 ARS 2,467

$2.07 GHS 24.34

-21.26%

Eggs

$2.89 ARS 4,385

$2.30 GHS 27.06

25.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.65 ARS 16.1K

$4.38 GHS 51.4

143.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

$3.17 GHS 37.21

215.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.74 ARS 20.8K

$3.38 GHS 39.73

306.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ARS 4,166

$2.61 GHS 30.71

5.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 ARS 3,300

$2.13 GHS 25.06

2.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 ARS 2,205

$2.21 GHS 26.01

-34.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ARS 3,013

$3.49 GHS 41.02

-42.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ARS 1,885

$3.40 GHS 39.98

-63.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 ARS 1,921

$2.82 GHS 33.12

-54.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 ARS 2,575

$0.45 GHS 5.25

277.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 ARS 2,617

$0.67 GHS 7.86

158.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.18 ARS 6,337

$1.26 GHS 14.86

231.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.80 ARS 8,790

$8.54 GHS 100

-32.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 ARS 3,163

$2.10 GHS 24.63

-0.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 ARS 4,198

$2.96 GHS 34.79

-6.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ARS 1,132

$1.68 GHS 19.73

-55.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.15 ARS 41.2K

$41.17 GHS 484

-34.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.62 ARS 2,451

$2.10 GHS 24.73

-22.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 ARS 1,481

$0.41 GHS 4.83

139.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.72 ARS 11.7K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ARS 2,058

$1.19 GHS 13.98

14.29%

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

$28.0K ARS 42.5M

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

$34.5K ARS 52.4M

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

$216 ARS 326.9K

$78.2 GHS 919

175.74%

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

$25.61 ARS 38.8K

$15.22 GHS 179

68.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.36 ARS 47.6K

$82.5 GHS 970

-62.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.82 ARS 75.6K

$24.06 GHS 283

107.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 ARS 25.9K

Cinema Ticket

$10.43 ARS 15.8K

$8.80 GHS 103

18.52%

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

$466 ARS 706.7K

$174 GHS 2,050

167.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,057 ARS 13.7M

$2,544 GHS 29.9K

256.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$122 ARS 185.2K

$13.07 GHS 154

834.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$97.4 ARS 147.8K

$15.40 GHS 181

532.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ARS 177.4K

$42.37 GHS 498

176.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 ARS 211.9K

$32.20 GHS 378

333.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$763 ARS 1.2M

$126 GHS 1,485

503.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$505 ARS 766.1K

$71.3 GHS 838

608.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,598 ARS 2.4M

$426 GHS 5,008

275.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,185 ARS 1.8M

$209 GHS 2,456

466.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,678 ARS 4.1M

$9,909 GHS 116.4K

-72.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,858 ARS 2.8M

$5,903 GHS 69.4K

-68.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$954 ARS 1.4M

$419 GHS 4,921

127.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

63.57%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 6, 2026

Last update for Tema: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$505 30.4%

Tema

$71 9.6% 85.9% $434

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$284 17.1%

Tema

$216 28.9% 24.1% $68

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$279 16.8%

Tema

$143 * 19.2% 48.6% $136

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$273 16.4%

Tema

$176 23.6% 35.4% $97

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$214 12.9%

Tema

$46 6.2% 78.4% $168

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$71 4.3%

Tema

$42 5.6% 41.1% $29

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2%

Tema

$52 7% 42.1% $15

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 $126 in Tema. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buenos Aires pays 128% 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 $28.00 in Tema for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $284 vs $216 per month, with Tema cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇬🇭 Tema

🕒 Local time

03:16 3:16 AM

06:16 6:16 AM

3 h ahead of Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

160,000

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

Ghanaian Cedi GHS ₵

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR

100 GHS = 8.51 USD

100 GHS = 7.59 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GHS, 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).

Ghanaian Cedi exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 11.75 GHS (100 GHS = 8.51 USD). 1 EUR = 13.18 GHS (100 GHS = 7.59 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Buenos Aires Tema 7,570 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Buenos Aires
Tema

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 Tema: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires and Tema differ by about 128% in total monthly costs ($1,685 vs $738 including rent). Tema is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 128% 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 $126 in Tema. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $466 in Buenos Aires versus $174 in Tema. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 32% higher in Buenos Aires. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $738 in Tema versus $1,685 in Buenos Aires, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Tema but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes Tema 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 Tema 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 Tema gentler on the wallet – expenses run 128% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.