Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Toliara

For one person, living is cheaper in Toliara: $173 a month against $1,656 in Buenos Aires, rent and utilities included – about $17,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
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Buenos Aires Living Index

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Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,656

/mo nomad

Toliara

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$173

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,656 in Buenos Aires versus $173 in Toliara.

Buenos Aires $1,656
Toliara $173

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,697 in Buenos Aires versus $260 in Toliara.

Buenos Aires $2,697
Toliara $260

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,737 in Buenos Aires versus $347 in Toliara.

Buenos Aires $3,737
Toliara $347

Living in Buenos Aires is roughly 857% more expensive than in Toliara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Buenos Aires is 23% above, Toliara is 87% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.09 ARS 29.0K

$1.81 MGA 8,267

954.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 ARS 99.9K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.20 ARS 20.0K

Cappuccino

$3.85 ARS 5,841

$0.75 MGA 3,434

413.33%

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

$1.99 ARS 3,020

$0.63 MGA 2,864

215.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ARS 2,430

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.93 ARS 5,959

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 ARS 7,003

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 ARS 2,272

$1.42 MGA 6,472

5.63%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 ARS 3,837

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 ARS 2,445

$0.38 MGA 1,722

323.68%

Eggs

$2.84 ARS 4,316

$2.10 MGA 9,575

35.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.30 ARS 15.6K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

$4.62 MGA 21.1K

116.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.30 ARS 20.2K

$4.78 MGA 21.8K

178.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.88 ARS 4,366

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 ARS 3,334

$0.67 MGA 3,061

228.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.40 ARS 2,120

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 ARS 3,004

$1.69 MGA 7,708

17.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 ARS 1,835

$0.48 MGA 2,205

152.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 ARS 1,910

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 ARS 2,592

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 ARS 2,603

$0.68 MGA 3,096

152.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 ARS 6,505

$1.72 MGA 7,838

149.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.70 ARS 8,645

$5.43 MGA 24.7K

4.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 ARS 3,288

$0.69 MGA 3,154

214.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ARS 4,188

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ARS 1,141

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.27 ARS 41.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.57 ARS 2,375

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ARS 1,558

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ARS 12.0K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ARS 2,160

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

$27.9K ARS 42.4M

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

$35.0K ARS 53.1M

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

$195 ARS 296.2K

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

$25.16 ARS 38.2K

$16.30 MGA 74.3K

54.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.54 ARS 47.9K

$32.77 MGA 149.5K

-3.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.9 ARS 77.3K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.73 ARS 25.4K

Cinema Ticket

$10.34 ARS 15.7K

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

$463 ARS 703.2K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,793 ARS 13.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$120 ARS 181.8K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$95.5 ARS 144.9K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 ARS 173.1K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 ARS 211.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 ARS 1.1M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$520 ARS 788.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,590 ARS 2.4M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,198 ARS 1.8M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,713 ARS 4.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,901 ARS 2.9M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$938 ARS 1.4M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 11, 2026

Last update for Toliara: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$520 31.4%

Toliara

–

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$283 17.1%

Toliara

–

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$282 17%

Toliara

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$252 15.2%

Toliara

–

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$211 12.7%

Toliara

–

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$72 4.3%

Toliara

–

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2%

Toliara

–

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇲🇬 Toliara

🕒 Local time

01:29 1:29 AM

07:29 7:29 AM

6 h ahead of Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

168,756

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

Malagasy Ariary MGA Ar

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR

10,000 MGA = 2.19 USD

10,000 MGA = 1.95 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MGA, USD, EUR to ARS – Argentine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇷 Argentine Peso ($)

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,706 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR).

Malagasy Ariary exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 4,562 MGA (10,000 MGA = 2.19 USD). 1 EUR = 5,128 MGA (10,000 MGA = 1.95 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Buenos Aires Toliara 9,580 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Buenos Aires
Toliara

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 Toliara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires and Toliara differ by about 857% in total monthly costs ($1,656 vs $173 including rent). Toliara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,484 in Buenos Aires and $260 in Toliara 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 189% higher in Buenos Aires. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,656 per month in Buenos Aires versus $173 in Toliara – a 857% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $173 in Toliara versus $1,656 in Buenos Aires, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Toliara but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes Toliara 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 Toliara 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 Toliara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 857% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.