Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jeddah and Buenos Aires

For one person, living is cheaper in Jeddah: $1,360 a month against $1,685 in Buenos Aires, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Jeddah
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia
$1,360
/mo nomad
Buenos Aires
🇦🇷 Argentina
$1,685
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,360 in Jeddah versus $1,685 in Buenos Aires.

  • Jeddah $1,360
  • Buenos Aires $1,685

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,168 in Jeddah versus $2,742 in Buenos Aires.

  • Jeddah $2,168
  • Buenos Aires $2,742

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,975 in Jeddah versus $3,799 in Buenos Aires.

  • Jeddah $2,975
  • Buenos Aires $3,799

Living in Jeddah costs roughly 19% less than in Buenos Aires, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Jeddah 2% above, Buenos Aires 26% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Jeddah
Buenos Aires
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.04 SAR 22.68
$18.73 ARS 28.4K
-67.75%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$79.8 SAR 300
$64.5 ARS 97.8K
23.73%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.75 SAR 32.85
$12.88 ARS 19.5K
-32.07%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.43 SAR 9.11
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.63 SAR 9.88
-
-
Cappuccino
$3.77 SAR 14.16
$3.98 ARS 6,029
-5.28%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.97 SAR 3.65
$2.05 ARS 3,103
-52.68%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.24 SAR 0.90
$1.55 ARS 2,349
-84.52%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$3.84 ARS 5,830
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$4.60 ARS 6,970
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Jeddah
Buenos Aires
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.67 SAR 6.28
$1.44 ARS 2,181
15.97%
White Bread (500g)
$1.33 SAR 4.99
$2.46 ARS 3,738
-45.93%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.37 SAR 8.89
$1.63 ARS 2,467
45.40%
Eggs
$2.48 SAR 9.31
$2.89 ARS 4,385
-14.19%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.36 SAR 23.89
$10.65 ARS 16.1K
-40.28%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.00 SAR 30.02
$10.00 ARS 15.2K
-20.00%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.31 SAR 49.98
$13.74 ARS 20.8K
-3.13%
Apples (1kg)
$2.10 SAR 7.90
$2.75 ARS 4,166
-23.64%
Banana (1kg)
$1.77 SAR 6.63
$2.18 ARS 3,300
-18.81%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.54 SAR 5.80
$1.45 ARS 2,205
6.21%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.69 SAR 6.36
$1.99 ARS 3,013
-15.08%
Potato (1kg)
$1.13 SAR 4.26
$1.24 ARS 1,885
-8.87%
Onion (1kg)
$1.29 SAR 4.85
$1.27 ARS 1,921
1.57%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.12 SAR 4.22
$1.70 ARS 2,575
-34.12%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.50 SAR 1.87
$1.73 ARS 2,617
-71.10%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
$4.23 SAR 15.90
-
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.84 SAR 6.92
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.58 SAR 9.70
-
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.86 SAR 25.77
$4.18 ARS 6,337
64.11%
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
-
🚌 Getting Around
Jeddah
Buenos Aires
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.89 SAR 3.35
$0.75 ARS 1,132
18.67%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$55.5 SAR 208
$27.15 ARS 41.2K
104.24%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.11 SAR 11.69
$1.62 ARS 2,451
91.98%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.77 SAR 6.65
$0.98 ARS 1,481
80.61%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$14.12 SAR 53.0
$7.72 ARS 11.7K
82.90%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.59 SAR 2.21
$1.36 ARS 2,058
-56.62%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$47.7K SAR 179.0K
$28.0K ARS 42.5M
70.17%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.4K SAR 80.4K
$34.5K ARS 52.4M
-37.97%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Jeddah
Buenos Aires
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$90.3 SAR 339
$216 ARS 326.9K
-58.10%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$39.04 SAR 147
$25.61 ARS 38.8K
52.44%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$67.9 SAR 255
$31.36 ARS 47.6K
116.49%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Jeddah
Buenos Aires
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$79.6 SAR 299
$49.82 ARS 75.6K
59.84%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$38.23 SAR 144
$17.06 ARS 25.9K
124.09%
Cinema Ticket
$12.04 SAR 45.22
$10.43 ARS 15.8K
15.44%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Jeddah
Buenos Aires
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$757 SAR 2,841
$466 ARS 706.7K
62.34%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.3K SAR 61.1K
$9,057 ARS 13.7M
79.64%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Jeddah
Buenos Aires
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$73.8 SAR 277
$122 ARS 185.2K
-39.59%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$56.0 SAR 210
$97.4 ARS 147.8K
-42.50%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$101 SAR 380
$117 ARS 177.4K
-13.43%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$94.3 SAR 354
$140 ARS 211.9K
-32.55%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Jeddah
Buenos Aires
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$790 SAR 2,966
$763 ARS 1.2M
3.47%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$535 SAR 2,009
$505 ARS 766.1K
5.92%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,418 SAR 5,323
$1,598 ARS 2.4M
-11.31%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$817 SAR 3,070
$1,185 ARS 1.8M
-31.00%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,777 SAR 6,673
$2,678 ARS 4.1M
-33.64%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,143 SAR 4,291
$1,858 ARS 2.8M
-38.49%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Jeddah
Buenos Aires
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,646 SAR 6,180
$954 ARS 1.4M
72.44%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.39
57.25
-90.59%

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

Last update for Jeddah: October 4, 2026

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Jeddah
$535
Buenos Aires
$505 5.6% $30
Groceries & Markets
Jeddah
$201
Buenos Aires
$284 41.6% $83
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Jeddah
$197
Buenos Aires
$273 38.2% $75
Clothing & Footwear
Jeddah
$146
Buenos Aires
$214 46.4% $68
Eating Out
Jeddah
$125
Buenos Aires
$279 124% $154
Sport & Entertainment
Jeddah
$104
Buenos Aires
$71 31.9% $33
Getting Around
Jeddah
$71
Buenos Aires
$37 48.4% $34

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $790 in Jeddah and $763 in Buenos Aires. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Jeddah pays 72% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $80.0 in Jeddah vs $64.0 in Buenos Aires. Groceries flip the comparison at $201 vs $284, with Jeddah cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇸🇦 Jeddah
🇦🇷 Buenos Aires
🕒 Local time
08:09 8:09 AM
02:09 2:09 AM
6 h behind Jeddah
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,430,697
2,891,082 Capital
💱 Currency
Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س
Exchange rates and currency converter

ARS, USD, EUR to SAR – Saudi Riyal Converter

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.21 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 EUR).

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,701 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Jeddah Buenos Aires 12,020 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Jeddah
  • 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
Jeddah vs Buenos Aires: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Jeddah and in Buenos Aires?
Jeddah and Buenos Aires differ by about 24% in total monthly costs ($1,360 vs $1,685 including rent). Jeddah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Jeddah or Buenos Aires?
Average pay runs 72% higher in Jeddah, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Jeddah and in Buenos Aires?
Rent for a central apartment: $790 in Jeddah versus $763 in Buenos Aires. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Jeddah and Buenos Aires?
Childcare runs $757 in Jeddah versus $466 in Buenos Aires. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 42% higher in Buenos Aires. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $1,360 in Jeddah versus $1,685 in Buenos Aires, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Jeddah but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes Jeddah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Jeddah and Buenos Aires?
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.
Is Jeddah or Buenos Aires safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Jeddah 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.
Where should expats move: Jeddah or Buenos Aires?
Expats usually find Jeddah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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