Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Tembisa

For one person, living is cheaper in Tembisa: $1,106 a month against $1,646 in Buenos Aires, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
Learn more

Buenos Aires Living Index
54

Cost of Living Index in Tembisa
Learn more

Tembisa Living Index

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Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,646

/mo nomad

Tembisa

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,106

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,646 in Buenos Aires versus $1,106 in Tembisa.

Buenos Aires $1,646
Tembisa $1,106

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,680 in Buenos Aires versus $1,692 in Tembisa.

Buenos Aires $2,680
Tembisa $1,692

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,714 in Buenos Aires versus $2,279 in Tembisa.

Buenos Aires $3,714
Tembisa $2,279

Living in Buenos Aires is roughly 49% more expensive than in Tembisa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Buenos Aires is 21% above, Tembisa is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.81 ARS 27.0K

$9.55 R 157

86.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.2 ARS 98.9K

$40.71 R 671

60.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.12 ARS 19.9K

$5.67 R 93.5

131.39%

Cappuccino

$3.86 ARS 5,863

$2.24 R 36.98

72.32%

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

$2.06 ARS 3,133

$1.05 R 17.34

96.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 ARS 2,542

$0.87 R 14.40

93.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.10 ARS 6,218

$2.42 R 39.79

69.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.73 ARS 7,181

$2.78 R 45.74

70.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 ARS 2,285

$1.21 R 19.90

24.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.60 ARS 3,950

$1.13 R 18.68

130.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 ARS 2,380

$1.75 R 28.88

-10.29%

Eggs

$2.73 ARS 4,144

$2.54 R 41.85

7.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.86 ARS 16.5K

$8.67 R 143

25.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.07 ARS 15.3K

$5.08 R 83.7

98.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.22 ARS 20.1K

$7.38 R 122

79.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.80 ARS 4,255

$1.79 R 29.57

56.42%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 ARS 3,170

$1.68 R 27.65

24.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 ARS 2,194

$1.81 R 29.74

-19.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 ARS 3,040

$1.67 R 27.52

19.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 ARS 1,826

$1.53 R 25.22

-21.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 ARS 1,821

$1.40 R 23.09

-14.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.69 ARS 2,569

$1.24 R 20.48

36.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 ARS 2,711

$1.05 R 17.35

70.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.00 ARS 6,074

$3.61 R 59.5

10.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.53 ARS 8,388

$5.31 R 87.5

4.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 ARS 3,219

$1.43 R 23.50

48.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ARS 4,212

$1.80 R 29.68

54.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 ARS 1,049

$1.36 R 22.38

-49.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.90 ARS 42.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.63 ARS 2,471

$0.68 R 11.20

139.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.97 ARS 1,478

$0.98 R 16.21

-1.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 ARS 12.0K

$11.10 R 183

-28.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ARS 2,156

$1.54 R 25.38

-7.79%

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

$23.3K ARS 35.4M

$32.4K R 534.0K

-27.99%

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

$31.9K ARS 48.5M

$31.7K R 521.5K

0.90%

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

$199 ARS 302.7K

$148 R 2,438

34.79%

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

$23.36 ARS 35.4K

$31.88 R 525

-26.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.44 ARS 47.7K

$38.41 R 633

-18.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.81 ARS 75.6K

$32.17 R 530

54.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.63 ARS 25.2K

$9.83 R 162

69.18%

Cinema Ticket

$10.80 ARS 16.4K

$6.34 R 105

70.35%

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

$462 ARS 701.7K

$246 R 4,057

87.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,790 ARS 13.3M

$6,091 R 100.3K

44.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$120 ARS 181.6K

$60.3 R 993

98.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$94.6 ARS 143.6K

$37.09 R 611

155.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 ARS 176.4K

$101 R 1,665

14.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$137 ARS 208.6K

$82.4 R 1,358

66.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$750 ARS 1.1M

$406 R 6,686

84.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$514 ARS 780.5K

$365 R 6,008

41.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,567 ARS 2.4M

$688 R 11.3K

127.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,196 ARS 1.8M

$673 R 11.1K

77.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,632 ARS 4.0M

$942 R 15.5K

179.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,874 ARS 2.8M

$694 R 11.4K

170.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$924 ARS 1.4M

$574 R 9,454

61.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

10.94

423.31%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 19, 2026

Last update for Tembisa: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$514 31.3%

Tembisa

$365 33% 29.1% $150

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$285 17.3%

Tembisa

$195 17.6% 31.5% $90

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$273 16.6%

Tembisa

$146 13.2% 46.7% $127

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$254 15.5%

Tembisa

$218 19.7% 14.2% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$211 12.8%

Tembisa

$126 11.4% 40% $84

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$71 4.3%

Tembisa

$45 4.1% 37.2% $27

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.3%

Tembisa

$11 * 1% 70.3% $26

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 $406 in Tembisa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buenos Aires pays 61% 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 $41.00 in Tembisa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $285 vs $195 per month, with Tembisa cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇿🇦 Tembisa

🕒 Local time

20:45 8:45 PM

01:45 1:45 AM

5 h ahead of Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

463,109

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to ARS – Argentine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇷 Argentine Peso ($)

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).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

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Between locations

Buenos Aires Tembisa 8,120 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Buenos Aires
Tembisa

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 Tembisa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires and Tembisa differ by about 49% in total monthly costs ($1,646 vs $1,106 including rent). Tembisa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 61% 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: $750 in Buenos Aires versus $406 in Tembisa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $462 in Buenos Aires versus $246 in Tembisa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Tembisa – a meal for two runs $41.00 versus $65.0 in Buenos Aires. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,106 in Tembisa versus $1,646 in Buenos Aires, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Tembisa but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes Tembisa 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 Tembisa 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 Tembisa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.