Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cricova and Buenos Aires

For one person, living is cheaper in Cricova: $1,022 a month against $1,656 in Buenos Aires, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Cricova
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Cricova Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
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Buenos Aires Living Index

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Cricova

🇲🇩 Moldova

$1,022

/mo nomad

Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,656

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Cricova and in Buenos Aires actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,022 in Cricova versus $1,656 in Buenos Aires.

Cricova $1,022
Buenos Aires $1,656

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,858 in Cricova versus $2,697 in Buenos Aires.

Cricova $1,858
Buenos Aires $2,697

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,693 in Cricova versus $3,737 in Buenos Aires.

Cricova $2,693
Buenos Aires $3,737

Living in Cricova costs roughly 38% less than in Buenos Aires, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cricova is 24% below, Buenos Aires is 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.25 MDL 146

$19.09 ARS 29.0K

-56.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.53 MDL 489

$65.8 ARS 99.9K

-58.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.30 MDL 183

$13.20 ARS 20.0K

-21.97%

Cappuccino

$1.08 MDL 19.20

$3.85 ARS 5,841

-71.95%

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

$1.05 MDL 18.59

$1.99 ARS 3,020

-47.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 MDL 12.14

$1.60 ARS 2,430

-57.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.00 MDL 35.55

$3.93 ARS 5,959

-49.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 MDL 39.25

$4.61 ARS 7,003

-52.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 MDL 42.52

$1.50 ARS 2,272

59.33%

White Bread (500g)

$0.46 MDL 8.18

$2.53 ARS 3,837

-81.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.09 MDL 19.38

$1.61 ARS 2,445

-32.30%

Eggs

$1.25 MDL 22.22

$2.84 ARS 4,316

-55.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.90 MDL 123

$10.30 ARS 15.6K

-33.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.59 MDL 81.5

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

-54.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.35 MDL 219

$13.30 ARS 20.2K

-7.14%

Apples (1kg)

$1.08 MDL 19.14

$2.88 ARS 4,366

-62.50%

Banana (1kg)

$0.86 MDL 15.21

$2.20 ARS 3,334

-60.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.03 MDL 18.33

$1.40 ARS 2,120

-26.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.09 MDL 19.29

$1.98 ARS 3,004

-44.95%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 MDL 13.44

$1.21 ARS 1,835

-37.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 MDL 19.36

$1.26 ARS 1,910

-13.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MDL 19.24

$1.71 ARS 2,592

-36.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MDL 19.37

$1.72 ARS 2,603

-36.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.31 MDL 58.8

$4.29 ARS 6,505

-22.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.45 MDL 79.1

$5.70 ARS 8,645

-21.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 MDL 45.88

$2.17 ARS 3,288

18.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.28 MDL 75.9

$2.76 ARS 4,188

55.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 MDL 9.48

$0.75 ARS 1,141

-29.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.39 MDL 398

$27.27 ARS 41.4K

-17.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.10 MDL 19.57

$1.57 ARS 2,375

-29.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.26 MDL 4.63

$1.03 ARS 1,558

-74.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.53 MDL 116

$7.90 ARS 12.0K

-17.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MDL 23.12

$1.42 ARS 2,160

-8.45%

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

$29.2K MDL 517.9K

$27.9K ARS 42.4M

4.34%

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

$23.8K MDL 422.4K

$35.0K ARS 53.1M

-31.98%

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

$235 MDL 4,176

$195 ARS 296.2K

20.46%

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

$7.70 MDL 137

$25.16 ARS 38.2K

-69.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.02 MDL 196

$31.54 ARS 47.9K

-65.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.5 MDL 1,003

$50.9 ARS 77.3K

10.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 MDL 199

$16.73 ARS 25.4K

-33.05%

Cinema Ticket

$7.42 MDL 132

$10.34 ARS 15.7K

-28.24%

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

$111 MDL 1,972

$463 ARS 703.2K

-76.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,220 MDL 92.7K

$8,793 ARS 13.3M

-40.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.2 MDL 998

$120 ARS 181.8K

-53.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.60 MDL 490

$95.5 ARS 144.9K

-71.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.5 MDL 1,464

$114 ARS 173.1K

-27.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 MDL 2,021

$139 ARS 211.4K

-18.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$884 MDL 15.7K

$756 ARS 1.1M

16.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$222 MDL 3,943

$520 ARS 788.8K

-57.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,373 MDL 24.4K

$1,590 ARS 2.4M

-13.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,108 MDL 19.7K

$1,198 ARS 1.8M

-7.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,775 MDL 49.3K

$2,713 ARS 4.1M

2.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,943 MDL 34.5K

$1,901 ARS 2.9M

2.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$562 MDL 9,989

$938 ARS 1.4M

-40.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

-87.77%

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

Last update for Cricova: October 13, 2026

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cricova

$254 24.8%

Buenos Aires

$252 15.2% 0.8% $1.9

Accommodation & Living

Cricova

$222 21.7%

Buenos Aires

$520 31.4% 134% $298

Groceries & Markets

Cricova

$191 18.7%

Buenos Aires

$283 17.1% 48.4% $92

Eating Out

Cricova

$131 12.8%

Buenos Aires

$282 17% 115% $151

Clothing & Footwear

Cricova

$126 12.3%

Buenos Aires

$211 12.7% 67.4% $85

Sport & Entertainment

Cricova

$71 7%

Buenos Aires

$72 4.3% 0.4% $0.3

Getting Around

Cricova

$27 2.6%

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2% 37.3% $10

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $884 in Cricova and $756 in Buenos Aires. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buenos Aires pays 67% 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: $28.00 in Cricova vs $66.0 in Buenos Aires for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $191 vs $283 per month, with Cricova cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇩 Cricova

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🕒 Local time

05:30 5:30 AM

23:30 11:30 PM

6 h behind Cricova

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,642

2,891,082 Capital

💱 Currency

Moldovan Leu MDL L

Argentine Peso ARS $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MDL = 5.63 USD

100 MDL = 5.01 EUR

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ARS, USD, EUR to MDL – Moldovan Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇩 Moldovan Leu (L)

Moldovan Leu exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 17.76 MDL (100 MDL = 5.63 USD). 1 EUR = 19.97 MDL (100 MDL = 5.01 EUR).

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).

USD to MDL in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Cricova Buenos Aires 12,560 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Cricova
Buenos Aires

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

Cricova vs Buenos Aires: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cricova and Buenos Aires differ by about 62% in total monthly costs ($1,022 vs $1,656 including rent). Cricova is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 67% lower in Buenos Aires. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $884 in Cricova versus $756 in Buenos Aires. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $111 in Cricova versus $463 in Buenos Aires. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 48% higher in Buenos Aires. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,022 in Cricova versus $1,656 in Buenos Aires, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Cricova but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes Cricova 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, Cricova and Buenos Aires 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 Cricova gentler on the wallet – expenses run 62% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.