Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubuque, IA and Buenos Aires

For one person, living is cheaper in Buenos Aires: $1,646 a month against $1,731 in Dubuque, IA, rent and utilities included – about $1,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Dubuque, IA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

84

Cost of Living Index in Dubuque, IA
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Dubuque, IA Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
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Buenos Aires Living Index

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Dubuque, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$1,731

/mo nomad

Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,646

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dubuque, IA 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 Dubuque, IA and in Buenos Aires actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,731 in Dubuque, IA versus $1,646 in Buenos Aires.

Dubuque, IA $1,731
Buenos Aires $1,646

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,538 in Dubuque, IA versus $2,680 in Buenos Aires.

Dubuque, IA $2,538
Buenos Aires $2,680

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,345 in Dubuque, IA versus $3,714 in Buenos Aires.

Dubuque, IA $3,345
Buenos Aires $3,714

Living in Dubuque, IA is roughly 5% more expensive than in Buenos Aires, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Dubuque, IA 28% above, Buenos Aires 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.85 $13.85

$17.81 ARS 27.0K

-22.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.71 $49.71

$65.2 ARS 98.9K

-23.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.80 $11.80

$13.12 ARS 19.9K

-10.06%

Cappuccino

$4.99 $4.99

$3.86 ARS 5,863

29.27%

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

$2.02 $2.02

$2.06 ARS 3,133

-1.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.68 ARS 2,542

-43.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.01 $3.01

$4.10 ARS 6,218

-26.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 $4.53

$4.73 ARS 7,181

-4.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.78 $0.78

$1.51 ARS 2,285

-48.34%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 $2.71

$2.60 ARS 3,950

4.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.57 ARS 2,380

79.62%

Eggs

$2.85 $2.85

$2.73 ARS 4,144

4.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.05 $14.05

$10.86 ARS 16.5K

29.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.38 $10.38

$10.07 ARS 15.3K

3.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.63 $10.63

$13.22 ARS 20.1K

-19.59%

Apples (1kg)

$3.32 $3.32

$2.80 ARS 4,255

18.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 $1.21

$2.09 ARS 3,170

-42.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.45 ARS 2,194

124.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 $2.45

$2.00 ARS 3,040

22.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.36 $1.36

$1.20 ARS 1,826

13.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 $1.67

$1.20 ARS 1,821

39.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.42 $2.42

$1.69 ARS 2,569

43.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 $1.79

$1.79 ARS 2,711

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.70 $8.70

$4.00 ARS 6,074

117.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.36 $13.36

$5.53 ARS 8,388

141.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$2.12 ARS 3,219

-20.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.78 ARS 4,212

1.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 ARS 1,049

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.90 ARS 42.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.63 ARS 2,471

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.97 ARS 1,478

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 ARS 12.0K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.42 ARS 2,156

-35.92%

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

$24.5K $24.5K

$23.3K ARS 35.4M

5.11%

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

$25.0K $25.0K

$31.9K ARS 48.5M

-21.63%

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

$176 $176

$199 ARS 302.7K

-11.63%

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

$52.0 $52.0

$23.36 ARS 35.4K

122.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.7 $50.7

$31.44 ARS 47.7K

61.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.87 $36.87

$49.81 ARS 75.6K

-25.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.63 ARS 25.2K

Cinema Ticket

$8.17 $8.17

$10.80 ARS 16.4K

-24.35%

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

$812 $812

$462 ARS 701.7K

75.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,790 ARS 13.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.6 $55.6

$120 ARS 181.6K

-53.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.65 $35.65

$94.6 ARS 143.6K

-62.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.1 $86.1

$116 ARS 176.4K

-25.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.7 $88.7

$137 ARS 208.6K

-35.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 $985

$750 ARS 1.1M

31.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$725 $725

$514 ARS 780.5K

40.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,476 $1,476

$1,567 ARS 2.4M

-5.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 $1,201

$1,196 ARS 1.8M

0.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,732 $1,732

$2,632 ARS 4.0M

-34.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,707 $1,707

$1,874 ARS 2.8M

-8.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,768 $3,768

$924 ARS 1.4M

307.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.25

57.25

-90.83%

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

Last update for Dubuque, IA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dubuque, IA

$725 41.9%

Buenos Aires

$514 31.3% 29% $210

Groceries & Markets

Dubuque, IA

$312 18%

Buenos Aires

$285 17.3% 8.8% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dubuque, IA

$279 16.1%

Buenos Aires

$254 15.5% 8.9% $25

Eating Out

Dubuque, IA

$242 14%

Buenos Aires

$273 16.6% 12.8% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Dubuque, IA

$120 6.9%

Buenos Aires

$211 12.8% 75.9% $91

Sport & Entertainment

Dubuque, IA

$53 3.1%

Buenos Aires

$71 4.3% 34.2% $18

Getting Around

Dubuque, IA

- * 0%

Buenos Aires

$37 2.3%

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 $985 in Dubuque, IA and $750 in Buenos Aires. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dubuque, IA pays 308% 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: $50.0 in Dubuque, IA vs $65.0 in Buenos Aires. Groceries flip the comparison at $312 vs $285, with Buenos Aires cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Dubuque, IA

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🕒 Local time

22:13 10:13 PM

00:13 12:13 AM

2 h ahead of Dubuque, IA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

59,667

2,891,082 Capital

💱 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

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Between locations

Dubuque, IA Buenos Aires 9,180 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Dubuque, IA
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

Dubuque, IA vs Buenos Aires: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dubuque, IA and Buenos Aires differ by about 5% in total monthly costs ($1,731 vs $1,646 including rent). Buenos Aires is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 308% higher in Dubuque, IA, 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: $985 in Dubuque, IA versus $750 in Buenos Aires. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $812 in Dubuque, IA versus $462 in Buenos Aires. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Buenos Aires – a meal for two runs $65.0 versus $50.0 in Dubuque, IA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,646 in Buenos Aires versus $1,731 in Dubuque, IA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Buenos Aires but tight or insufficient in Dubuque, IA. The gap between the two cities makes Buenos Aires 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, Dubuque, IA 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 Buenos Aires gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Dubuque, IA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.