Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Veles

For one person, living is cheaper in Veles: $768 a month against $1,656 in Buenos Aires, rent and utilities included – about $10,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
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Buenos Aires Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Veles
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Veles Living Index

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Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,656

/mo nomad

Veles

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$768

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,656 in Buenos Aires versus $768 in Veles.

Buenos Aires $1,656
Veles $768

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,697 in Buenos Aires versus $1,139 in Veles.

Buenos Aires $2,697
Veles $1,139

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,737 in Buenos Aires versus $1,510 in Veles.

Buenos Aires $3,737
Veles $1,510

Living in Buenos Aires is roughly 116% more expensive than in Veles, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Buenos Aires is 23% above, Veles is 43% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.09 ARS 29.0K

$8.65 MKD 472

120.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 ARS 99.9K

$18.00 MKD 982

265.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.20 ARS 20.0K

$5.43 MKD 296

143.09%

Cappuccino

$3.85 ARS 5,841

$1.50 MKD 82.0

156.67%

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

$1.99 ARS 3,020

$1.32 MKD 72.0

50.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ARS 2,430

$0.80 MKD 43.42

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.93 ARS 5,959

$1.48 MKD 80.7

165.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 ARS 7,003

$3.03 MKD 165

52.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 ARS 2,272

$1.06 MKD 57.9

41.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 ARS 3,837

$0.51 MKD 27.74

396.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 ARS 2,445

$1.45 MKD 79.2

11.03%

Eggs

$2.84 ARS 4,316

$2.48 MKD 135

14.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.30 ARS 15.6K

$2.96 MKD 162

247.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

$4.07 MKD 222

145.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.30 ARS 20.2K

$15.11 MKD 824

-11.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.88 ARS 4,366

$1.41 MKD 77.0

104.26%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 ARS 3,334

$1.43 MKD 77.9

53.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.40 ARS 2,120

$1.38 MKD 75.2

1.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 ARS 3,004

$1.88 MKD 103

5.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 ARS 1,835

$0.85 MKD 46.16

42.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 ARS 1,910

$0.83 MKD 45.33

51.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 ARS 2,592

$0.59 MKD 31.96

189.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 ARS 2,603

$0.59 MKD 32.06

191.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 ARS 6,505

$3.33 MKD 182

28.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.70 ARS 8,645

$6.44 MKD 351

-11.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 ARS 3,288

$1.06 MKD 57.8

104.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ARS 4,188

$1.49 MKD 81.0

85.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ARS 1,141

$0.79 MKD 43.05

-5.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.27 ARS 41.4K

$23.23 MKD 1,267

17.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.57 ARS 2,375

$1.11 MKD 60.3

41.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ARS 1,558

$0.61 MKD 33.44

68.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ARS 12.0K

$7.43 MKD 405

6.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ARS 2,160

$1.46 MKD 79.8

-2.74%

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

$27.9K ARS 42.4M

$26.8K MKD 1.5M

4.29%

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

$35.0K ARS 53.1M

$24.9K MKD 1.4M

40.65%

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

$195 ARS 296.2K

$108 MKD 5,901

80.44%

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

$25.16 ARS 38.2K

$17.34 MKD 946

45.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.54 ARS 47.9K

$12.02 MKD 655

162.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.9 ARS 77.3K

$25.47 MKD 1,389

99.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.73 ARS 25.4K

$17.82 MKD 972

-6.12%

Cinema Ticket

$10.34 ARS 15.7K

$3.38 MKD 184

205.92%

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

$463 ARS 703.2K

$221 MKD 12.1K

109.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,793 ARS 13.3M

$5,716 MKD 311.8K

53.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$120 ARS 181.8K

$21.99 MKD 1,199

444.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$95.5 ARS 144.9K

$18.42 MKD 1,005

418.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 ARS 173.1K

$72.2 MKD 3,940

57.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 ARS 211.4K

$110 MKD 5,987

26.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 ARS 1.1M

$218 MKD 11.9K

247.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$520 ARS 788.8K

$170 MKD 9,300

204.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,590 ARS 2.4M

$290 MKD 15.8K

448.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,198 ARS 1.8M

$236 MKD 12.9K

407.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,713 ARS 4.1M

$1,174 MKD 64.0K

131.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,901 ARS 2.9M

$933 MKD 50.9K

103.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$938 ARS 1.4M

$594 MKD 32.4K

57.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

4.23

1253.43%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 11, 2026

Last update for Veles: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$520 31.4%

Veles

$170 22.2% 67.2% $349

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$283 17.1%

Veles

$171 22.3% 39.5% $112

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$282 17%

Veles

$125 16.4% 55.5% $156

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$252 15.2%

Veles

$138 17.9% 45.4% $114

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$211 12.7%

Veles

$100 13% 52.6% $111

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$72 4.3%

Veles

$32 4.2% 55% $39

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2%

Veles

$31 4% 17.4% $6.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $756 in Buenos Aires and $218 in Veles. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buenos Aires pays 58% 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 $18.00 in Veles for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $171 per month, with Veles cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇲🇰 Veles

🕒 Local time

01:09 1:09 AM

06:09 6:09 AM

5 h ahead of Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

43,716

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR

100 MKD = 1.83 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MKD, 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).

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 54.55 MKD (100 MKD = 1.83 USD). 1 EUR = 61.33 MKD (100 MKD = 1.63 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Buenos Aires Veles 11,770 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Buenos Aires
Veles

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 Veles: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires and Veles differ by about 116% in total monthly costs ($1,656 vs $768 including rent). Veles is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 58% 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 $218 in Veles. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $463 in Buenos Aires versus $221 in Veles. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 65% higher in Buenos Aires. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $768 in Veles versus $1,656 in Buenos Aires, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Veles but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes Veles 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 Veles 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 Veles gentler on the wallet – expenses run 116% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.