Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Des Moines, IA and Cordoba

For one person, living is cheaper in Cordoba: $1,380 a month against $2,171 in Des Moines, IA, rent and utilities included – about $9,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

105

Cost of Living Index in Des Moines, IA
Learn more

Des Moines, IA Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Cordoba
Learn more

Cordoba Living Index

Jump to prices

Des Moines, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,171

/mo nomad

Cordoba

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,380

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Des Moines, IA and in Cordoba

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

A single person spends $2,171 per month in Des Moines, IA vs $1,380 in Cordoba, rent included.

Des Moines, IA $2,171
Cordoba $1,380

A couple spends around $3,236 per month in Des Moines, IA vs $2,278 in Cordoba, rent included.

Des Moines, IA $3,236
Cordoba $2,278

A family of three spends $4,301 per month in Des Moines, IA vs $3,176 in Cordoba, rent included.

Des Moines, IA $4,301
Cordoba $3,176

Des Moines, IA costs about 57% more than Cordoba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Des Moines, IA and Cordoba sit above the global median – Des Moines, IA by 60%, Cordoba by 2%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.69 $19.69

$13.78 ARS 20.9K

42.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.8 $80.8

$54.8 ARS 83.1K

47.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.22 $12.22

$13.23 ARS 20.1K

-7.63%

Cappuccino

$6.16 $6.16

$3.70 ARS 5,617

66.49%

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

$2.93 $2.93

$2.52 ARS 3,828

16.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 $2.56

$2.08 ARS 3,155

23.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.99 $4.99

$3.39 ARS 5,141

47.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.89 $5.89

$3.77 ARS 5,718

56.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.64 ARS 2,494

-44.51%

White Bread (500g)

$3.03 $3.03

$2.85 ARS 4,329

6.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.38 $3.38

$2.10 ARS 3,193

60.95%

Eggs

$4.00 $4.00

$2.48 ARS 3,769

61.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.69 $9.69

$10.05 ARS 15.3K

-3.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.91 $9.91

$8.15 ARS 12.4K

21.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.68 $13.68

$11.42 ARS 17.3K

19.79%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$2.44 ARS 3,708

77.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 $1.51

$2.26 ARS 3,434

-33.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$1.61 ARS 2,450

181.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.68 $3.68

$2.85 ARS 4,325

29.12%

Potato (1kg)

$3.07 $3.07

$1.18 ARS 1,798

160.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.34 ARS 2,040

59.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.38 $2.38

$1.23 ARS 1,861

93.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 $2.19

$1.66 ARS 2,521

31.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.85 $7.85

$5.10 ARS 7,734

53.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.79 $14.79

$5.04 ARS 7,644

193.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$2.30 ARS 3,487

-26.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 $3.09

$3.80 ARS 5,765

-18.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.26 ARS 1,917

37.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.1 $58.1

$55.8 ARS 84.6K

4.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.29 ARS 1,952

52.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 $1.23

$2.05 ARS 3,113

-40.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.70 $19.70

$7.09 ARS 10.8K

177.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 $0.93

$1.15 ARS 1,744

-19.13%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$29.1K ARS 44.1M

-6.47%

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

$25.1K $25.1K

$32.8K ARS 49.8M

-23.34%

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

$185 $185

$159 ARS 241.5K

16.00%

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

$53.6 $53.6

$17.46 ARS 26.5K

206.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$33.05 ARS 50.1K

112.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.8 $63.8

$28.13 ARS 42.7K

126.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.14 $20.14

$23.07 ARS 35.0K

-12.70%

Cinema Ticket

$9.99 $9.99

$9.97 ARS 15.1K

0.20%

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

$1,187 $1,187

$217 ARS 329.3K

446.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K $12.0K

$4,163 ARS 6.3M

187.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 $59.5

$125 ARS 189.4K

-52.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.98 $42.98

$104 ARS 158.0K

-58.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$139 ARS 210.6K

-27.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$145 $145

$135 ARS 205.0K

7.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,177 $1,177

$484 ARS 734.7K

143.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$872 $872

$311 ARS 471.7K

180.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,738 $1,738

$1,007 ARS 1.5M

72.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,394 $1,394

$801 ARS 1.2M

74.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,320 $2,320

$2,855 ARS 4.3M

-18.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,325 $2,325

$1,611 ARS 2.4M

44.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,647 $3,647

$678 ARS 1.0M

437.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.56

48.5

-86.47%

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

Last update for Des Moines, IA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Cordoba: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Des Moines, IA

$872 40.2%

Cordoba

$311 22.5% 64.4% $562

Groceries & Markets

Des Moines, IA

$349 16.1%

Cordoba

$275 20% 21.2% $74

Eating Out

Des Moines, IA

$327 15.1%

Cordoba

$237 17.2% 27.4% $90

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Des Moines, IA

$308 14.2%

Cordoba

$210 15.2% 32% $99

Clothing & Footwear

Des Moines, IA

$157 7.2%

Cordoba

$226 16.4% 44.3% $69

Sport & Entertainment

Des Moines, IA

$84 3.9%

Cordoba

$48 3.5% 42.6% $36

Getting Around

Des Moines, IA

$73 3.4%

Cordoba

$72 5.2% 1.1% $0.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,177 in Des Moines, IA versus $484 in Cordoba. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 438% higher in Des Moines, IA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $81.0 in Des Moines, IA versus $55.0 in Cordoba. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $349 vs $275 – making Cordoba the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Des Moines, IA

🇦🇷 Cordoba

🕒 Local time

05:18 5:18 AM

07:18 7:18 AM

2 h ahead of Des Moines, IA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

214,133

1,655,481

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Argentine Peso ARS $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ARS, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇦🇷 Argentine Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,706 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR).

ARS to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Des Moines, IA Cordoba 8,670 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Des Moines, IA
Cordoba

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

Des Moines, IA vs Cordoba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Des Moines, IA is pricier by about 57%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,256 per month in Des Moines, IA and $2,069 in Cordoba. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cordoba, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $81.0 in Des Moines, IA and $55.0 in Cordoba. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,171 in Des Moines, IA and $1,380 in Cordoba. That's a gap of about 57%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cordoba, where all-in costs run around $1,380, than in Des Moines, IA at $2,171. In Cordoba it covers expenses comfortably, while in Des Moines, IA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cordoba – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Cordoba. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Des Moines, IA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.