Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Islamabad and Buenos Aires

For one person, living is cheaper in Islamabad: $613 a month against $1,685 in Buenos Aires, rent and utilities included – about $12,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

29

Cost of Living Index in Islamabad
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Islamabad Living Index
81

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
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Buenos Aires Living Index

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Islamabad

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$613

/mo nomad

Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,685

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $613 in Islamabad versus $1,685 in Buenos Aires.

Islamabad $613
Buenos Aires $1,685

Estimated couple costs with rent: $951 in Islamabad versus $2,742 in Buenos Aires.

Islamabad $951
Buenos Aires $2,742

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,289 in Islamabad versus $3,799 in Buenos Aires.

Islamabad $1,289
Buenos Aires $3,799

Living in Islamabad costs roughly 64% less than in Buenos Aires, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Islamabad is 54% below, Buenos Aires is 26% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.55 PKR 983

$18.73 ARS 28.4K

-81.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.32 PKR 6,453

$64.5 ARS 97.8K

-63.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.50 PKR 1,522

$12.88 ARS 19.5K

-57.30%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.51 PKR 971

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.05 PKR 1,950

Cappuccino

$2.72 PKR 753

$3.98 ARS 6,029

-31.66%

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

$0.35 PKR 97.4

$2.05 ARS 3,103

-82.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 PKR 63.8

$1.55 ARS 2,349

-85.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.84 ARS 5,830

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 ARS 6,970

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 PKR 273

$1.44 ARS 2,181

-31.25%

White Bread (500g)

$0.73 PKR 201

$2.46 ARS 3,738

-70.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.24 PKR 342

$1.63 ARS 2,467

-23.93%

Eggs

$1.31 PKR 363

$2.89 ARS 4,385

-54.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.12 PKR 1,695

$10.65 ARS 16.1K

-42.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.23 PKR 893

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

-67.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.44 PKR 1,506

$13.74 ARS 20.8K

-60.41%

Apples (1kg)

$1.35 PKR 375

$2.75 ARS 4,166

-50.91%

Banana (1kg)

$0.86 PKR 239

$2.18 ARS 3,300

-60.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.08 PKR 298

$1.45 ARS 2,205

-25.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.55 PKR 153

$1.99 ARS 3,013

-72.36%

Potato (1kg)

$0.28 PKR 78.3

$1.24 ARS 1,885

-77.42%

Onion (1kg)

$0.36 PKR 98.6

$1.27 ARS 1,921

-71.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.30 PKR 83.5

$1.70 ARS 2,575

-82.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.42 PKR 115

$1.73 ARS 2,617

-75.72%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.98 PKR 549

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 PKR 347

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 PKR 715

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.32 PKR 642

$4.18 ARS 6,337

-44.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.80 ARS 8,790

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 ARS 3,163

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 ARS 4,198

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 PKR 54.5

$0.75 ARS 1,132

-73.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.45 PKR 5,936

$27.15 ARS 41.2K

-20.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 PKR 339

$1.62 ARS 2,451

-24.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.75 PKR 209

$0.98 ARS 1,481

-23.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.64 PKR 454

$7.72 ARS 11.7K

-78.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 PKR 385

$1.36 ARS 2,058

2.21%

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

$53.8K PKR 14.9M

$28.0K ARS 42.5M

92.13%

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

$24.0K PKR 6.6M

$34.5K ARS 52.4M

-30.52%

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

$103 PKR 28.5K

$216 ARS 326.9K

-52.28%

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

$5.76 PKR 1,594

$25.61 ARS 38.8K

-77.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.49 PKR 4,565

$31.36 ARS 47.6K

-47.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.77 PKR 8,240

$49.82 ARS 75.6K

-40.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.62 PKR 2,386

$17.06 ARS 25.9K

-49.47%

Cinema Ticket

$4.45 PKR 1,233

$10.43 ARS 15.8K

-57.33%

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

$74.5 PKR 20.6K

$466 ARS 706.7K

-84.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,023 PKR 1.4M

$9,057 ARS 13.7M

-44.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.55 PKR 6,793

$122 ARS 185.2K

-79.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.19 PKR 9,461

$97.4 ARS 147.8K

-64.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 PKR 26.6K

$117 ARS 177.4K

-17.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.93 PKR 11.3K

$140 ARS 211.9K

-70.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$272 PKR 75.2K

$763 ARS 1.2M

-64.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$137 PKR 38.0K

$505 ARS 766.1K

-72.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$572 PKR 158.4K

$1,598 ARS 2.4M

-64.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$275 PKR 76.0K

$1,185 ARS 1.8M

-76.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,677 PKR 464.1K

$2,678 ARS 4.1M

-37.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$820 PKR 227.0K

$1,858 ARS 2.8M

-55.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$379 PKR 104.8K

$954 ARS 1.4M

-60.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.08

57.25

-77.15%

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

Last update for Islamabad: October 5, 2026

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Islamabad

$137 22.9%

Buenos Aires

$505 30.4% 268% $368

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Islamabad

$125 20.8%

Buenos Aires

$273 16.4% 118% $147

Groceries & Markets

Islamabad

$105 17.5%

Buenos Aires

$284 17.1% 171% $179

Clothing & Footwear

Islamabad

$88 14.6%

Buenos Aires

$214 12.9% 143% $126

Eating Out

Islamabad

$80 13.3%

Buenos Aires

$279 16.8% 249% $199

Sport & Entertainment

Islamabad

$39 6.4%

Buenos Aires

$71 4.3% 82.7% $32

Getting Around

Islamabad

$27 4.5%

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2% 34.5% $9.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $272 in Islamabad and $763 in Buenos Aires. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buenos Aires pays 152% 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: $23.00 in Islamabad vs $64.0 in Buenos Aires for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $105 vs $284 per month, with Islamabad cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Islamabad

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🕒 Local time

18:00 6:00 PM

10:00 10:00 AM

8 h behind Islamabad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,009,832 Capital

2,891,082 Capital

💱 Currency

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

Argentine Peso ARS $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.22 EUR

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ARS, USD, EUR to PKR – Pakistani Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇰 Pakistani Rupee (₨)

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 310 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.22 EUR).

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,699 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR).

USD to PKR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Islamabad Buenos Aires 15,600 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Islamabad
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

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

Islamabad and Buenos Aires differ by about 175% in total monthly costs ($613 vs $1,685 including rent). Islamabad is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 152% 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: $272 in Islamabad versus $763 in Buenos Aires. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $74.5 in Islamabad versus $466 in Buenos Aires. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 171% higher in Buenos Aires. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $613 in Islamabad versus $1,685 in Buenos Aires, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Islamabad but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes Islamabad 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, Islamabad 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 Islamabad gentler on the wallet – expenses run 175% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.