Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Ulyanovsk

For one person, living is cheaper in Ulyanovsk: $886 a month against $1,656 in Buenos Aires, rent and utilities included – about $9,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
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Buenos Aires Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Ulyanovsk
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Ulyanovsk Living Index

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Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,656

/mo nomad

Ulyanovsk

🇷🇺 Russia

$886

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,656 in Buenos Aires versus $886 in Ulyanovsk.

Buenos Aires $1,656
Ulyanovsk $886

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,697 in Buenos Aires versus $1,363 in Ulyanovsk.

Buenos Aires $2,697
Ulyanovsk $1,363

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,737 in Buenos Aires versus $1,840 in Ulyanovsk.

Buenos Aires $3,737
Ulyanovsk $1,840

Living in Buenos Aires is roughly 87% more expensive than in Ulyanovsk, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Buenos Aires is 23% above, Ulyanovsk is 34% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.09 ARS 29.0K

$8.26 ₽690

131.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 ARS 99.9K

$29.69 ₽2,478

121.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.20 ARS 20.0K

$6.32 ₽528

108.86%

Cappuccino

$3.85 ARS 5,841

$2.27 ₽190

69.60%

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

$1.99 ARS 3,020

$0.90 ₽75.3

121.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ARS 2,430

$0.35 ₽29.18

357.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.93 ARS 5,959

$1.81 ₽151

117.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 ARS 7,003

$1.94 ₽162

137.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 ARS 2,272

$1.02 ₽85.4

47.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 ARS 3,837

$0.58 ₽48.04

336.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 ARS 2,445

$1.04 ₽86.5

54.81%

Eggs

$2.84 ARS 4,316

$1.40 ₽117

102.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.30 ARS 15.6K

$14.19 ₽1,184

-27.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

$7.26 ₽606

37.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.30 ARS 20.2K

$7.26 ₽606

83.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.88 ARS 4,366

$1.52 ₽127

89.47%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 ARS 3,334

$1.51 ₽126

45.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.40 ARS 2,120

$3.91 ₽326

-64.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 ARS 3,004

$4.60 ₽384

-56.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 ARS 1,835

$1.46 ₽122

-17.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 ARS 1,910

$0.82 ₽68.3

53.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 ARS 2,592

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 ARS 2,603

$0.56 ₽46.50

207.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 ARS 6,505

$3.04 ₽254

41.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.70 ARS 8,645

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 ARS 3,288

$1.09 ₽90.9

99.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ARS 4,188

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ARS 1,141

$0.43 ₽36.28

74.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.27 ARS 41.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.57 ARS 2,375

$3.53 ₽294

-55.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ARS 1,558

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ARS 12.0K

$3.64 ₽304

117.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ARS 2,160

$0.83 ₽68.9

71.08%

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

$26.0K ₽2.2M

34.59%

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

$195 ARS 296.2K

$139 ₽11.6K

40.56%

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

$25.16 ARS 38.2K

$4.73 ₽395

431.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.54 ARS 47.9K

$13.72 ₽1,145

129.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.9 ARS 77.3K

$36.45 ₽3,042

39.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.73 ARS 25.4K

$24.86 ₽2,075

-32.70%

Cinema Ticket

$10.34 ARS 15.7K

$8.30 ₽693

24.58%

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

$30.11 ₽2,513

297.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$95.5 ARS 144.9K

$35.99 ₽3,004

165.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 ARS 173.1K

$94.4 ₽7,875

20.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 ARS 211.4K

$59.3 ₽4,951

134.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 ARS 1.1M

$360 ₽30.0K

110.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$520 ARS 788.8K

$241 ₽20.1K

115.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,590 ARS 2.4M

$469 ₽39.1K

239.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,198 ARS 1.8M

$423 ₽35.3K

183.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,713 ARS 4.1M

$2,609 ₽217.8K

3.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,901 ARS 2.9M

$1,463 ₽122.1K

29.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$938 ARS 1.4M

$504 ₽42.1K

85.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

148.91%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 11, 2026

Last update for Ulyanovsk: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$520 31.4%

Ulyanovsk

$241 27.2% 53.6% $279

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$283 17.1%

Ulyanovsk

$200 * 22.6% 29.5% $83

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$282 17%

Ulyanovsk

$130 14.7% 53.8% $151

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$252 15.2%

Ulyanovsk

$157 17.8% 37.5% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$211 12.7%

Ulyanovsk

$99 11.2% 53.1% $112

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$72 4.3%

Ulyanovsk

$53 6% 25.9% $19

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2%

Ulyanovsk

$5.3 * 0.6% 85.7% $32

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 $756 in Buenos Aires and $360 in Ulyanovsk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buenos Aires pays 86% 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: $66.0 in Buenos Aires vs $30.00 in Ulyanovsk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $200 per month, with Ulyanovsk cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇷🇺 Ulyanovsk

🕒 Local time

08:49 8:49 AM

15:49 3:49 PM

7 h ahead of Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

627,705

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR

100 RUB = 1.2 USD

100 RUB = 1.07 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, 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).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 83.46 RUB (100 RUB = 1.2 USD). 1 EUR = 93.83 RUB (100 RUB = 1.07 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Buenos Aires Ulyanovsk 14,110 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Buenos Aires
Ulyanovsk

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 Ulyanovsk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires and Ulyanovsk differ by about 87% in total monthly costs ($1,656 vs $886 including rent). Ulyanovsk is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 86% 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: $756 in Buenos Aires versus $360 in Ulyanovsk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Ulyanovsk – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $66.0 in Buenos Aires. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,656 per month in Buenos Aires versus $886 in Ulyanovsk – a 87% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $886 in Ulyanovsk versus $1,656 in Buenos Aires, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ulyanovsk but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes Ulyanovsk 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 Ulyanovsk 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 Ulyanovsk gentler on the wallet – expenses run 87% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.