Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ellicott City, MD and Buenos Aires

For one person, living is cheaper in Buenos Aires: $1,646 a month against $3,456 in Ellicott City, MD, rent and utilities included – about $21,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

168

Cost of Living Index in Ellicott City, MD
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Ellicott City, MD Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
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Buenos Aires Living Index

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Ellicott City, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$3,456

/mo nomad

Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,646

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,456 in Ellicott City, MD versus $1,646 in Buenos Aires.

Ellicott City, MD $3,456
Buenos Aires $1,646

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,609 in Ellicott City, MD versus $2,680 in Buenos Aires.

Ellicott City, MD $4,609
Buenos Aires $2,680

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,762 in Ellicott City, MD versus $3,714 in Buenos Aires.

Ellicott City, MD $5,762
Buenos Aires $3,714

Living in Ellicott City, MD is roughly 110% more expensive than in Buenos Aires, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ellicott City, MD 155% above, Buenos Aires 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.95 $17.95

$17.81 ARS 27.0K

0.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$96.3 $96.3

$65.2 ARS 98.9K

47.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.76 $10.76

$13.12 ARS 19.9K

-17.99%

Cappuccino

$5.19 $5.19

$3.86 ARS 5,863

34.46%

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

$3.48 $3.48

$2.06 ARS 3,133

68.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 $2.64

$1.68 ARS 2,542

57.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.16 $7.16

$4.10 ARS 6,218

74.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.20 $8.20

$4.73 ARS 7,181

73.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 $1.16

$1.51 ARS 2,285

-23.18%

White Bread (500g)

$4.10 $4.10

$2.60 ARS 3,950

57.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.91 $3.91

$1.57 ARS 2,380

149.04%

Eggs

$4.71 $4.71

$2.73 ARS 4,144

72.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.82 $16.82

$10.86 ARS 16.5K

54.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.10 $13.10

$10.07 ARS 15.3K

30.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.63 $18.63

$13.22 ARS 20.1K

40.92%

Apples (1kg)

$5.90 $5.90

$2.80 ARS 4,255

110.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 $1.59

$2.09 ARS 3,170

-23.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.45 ARS 2,194

188.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$2.00 ARS 3,040

116.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.20 ARS 1,826

80.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.62 $2.62

$1.20 ARS 1,821

118.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.37 $2.37

$1.69 ARS 2,569

40.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$1.79 ARS 2,711

26.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.63 $13.63

$4.00 ARS 6,074

240.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.75 $15.75

$5.53 ARS 8,388

184.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.68 $2.68

$2.12 ARS 3,219

26.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.78 ARS 4,212

12.59%

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)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.63 ARS 2,471

8.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 $1.34

$0.97 ARS 1,478

38.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.53 $23.53

$7.89 ARS 12.0K

198.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.42 ARS 2,156

-33.80%

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

$22.8K $22.8K

$23.3K ARS 35.4M

-2.34%

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

$24.3K $24.3K

$31.9K ARS 48.5M

-24.02%

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

$205 $205

$199 ARS 302.7K

2.90%

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

$51.0 $51.0

$23.36 ARS 35.4K

118.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$79.6 $79.6

$31.44 ARS 47.7K

153.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$114 $114

$49.81 ARS 75.6K

129.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.63 ARS 25.2K

Cinema Ticket

$14.86 $14.86

$10.80 ARS 16.4K

37.59%

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

$1,971 $1,971

$462 ARS 701.7K

326.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.0K $35.0K

$8,790 ARS 13.3M

297.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$120 ARS 181.6K

-57.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 $56.0

$94.6 ARS 143.6K

-40.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.6 $90.6

$116 ARS 176.4K

-22.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 $113

$137 ARS 208.6K

-17.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,470 $2,470

$750 ARS 1.1M

229.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,078 $2,078

$514 ARS 780.5K

303.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,963 $2,963

$1,567 ARS 2.4M

89.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,651 $2,651

$1,196 ARS 1.8M

121.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,632 ARS 4.0M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,585 $2,585

$1,874 ARS 2.8M

37.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,995 $4,995

$924 ARS 1.4M

440.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

57.25

-88.14%

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

Last update for Ellicott City, MD: October 17, 2026

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ellicott City, MD

$2.1K 60.1%

Buenos Aires

$514 31.3% 75.2% $1.6K

Groceries & Markets

Ellicott City, MD

$436 12.6%

Buenos Aires

$285 17.3% 34.7% $151

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ellicott City, MD

$336 9.7%

Buenos Aires

$254 15.5% 24.3% $82

Eating Out

Ellicott City, MD

$315 9.1%

Buenos Aires

$273 16.6% 13.2% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Ellicott City, MD

$144 4.2%

Buenos Aires

$71 4.3% 50.4% $72

Clothing & Footwear

Ellicott City, MD

$140 4.1%

Buenos Aires

$211 12.8% 50.4% $71

Getting Around

Ellicott City, MD

$8.5 * 0.3%

Buenos Aires

$37 2.3% 339% $29

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 $2,470 in Ellicott City, MD and $750 in Buenos Aires. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ellicott City, MD pays 440% 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: $96.0 in Ellicott City, MD vs $65.0 in Buenos Aires for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $436 vs $285 per month, with Buenos Aires cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Ellicott City, MD

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🕒 Local time

22:29 10:29 PM

23:29 11:29 PM

1 h ahead of Ellicott City, MD

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

65,834

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 21, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 21, 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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Ellicott City, MD Buenos Aires 8,430 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Ellicott City, MD
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

Ellicott City, MD vs Buenos Aires: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ellicott City, MD and Buenos Aires differ by about 110% in total monthly costs ($3,456 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 440% higher in Ellicott City, MD, 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: $2,470 in Ellicott City, MD versus $750 in Buenos Aires. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,971 in Ellicott City, MD 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 $96.0 in Ellicott City, MD. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,646 in Buenos Aires versus $3,456 in Ellicott City, MD, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Buenos Aires but tight or insufficient in Ellicott City, MD. 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, Ellicott City, MD 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 110% less than in Ellicott City, MD. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.