Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jimma and Buenos Aires

For one person, living is cheaper in Jimma: $1,057 a month against $1,685 in Buenos Aires, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
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Buenos Aires Living Index

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Jimma

🇪🇹 Ethiopia

$1,057

/mo nomad

Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,685

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,057 in Jimma versus $1,685 in Buenos Aires.

Jimma $1,057
Buenos Aires $1,685

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,424 in Jimma versus $2,742 in Buenos Aires.

Jimma $1,424
Buenos Aires $2,742

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,792 in Jimma versus $3,799 in Buenos Aires.

Jimma $1,792
Buenos Aires $3,799

Living in Jimma costs roughly 37% less than in Buenos Aires, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

The two cities straddle the global median: Jimma is 21% below, Buenos Aires is 26% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.65 ETB 747

$18.73 ARS 28.4K

-75.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 ARS 97.8K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.88 ARS 19.5K

Cappuccino

$1.17 ETB 188

$3.98 ARS 6,029

-70.60%

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

$0.59 ETB 95.2

$2.05 ARS 3,103

-71.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 ETB 70.0

$1.55 ARS 2,349

-71.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.81 ETB 452

$3.84 ARS 5,830

-26.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 ETB 230

$4.60 ARS 6,970

-68.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 ETB 185

$1.44 ARS 2,181

-20.14%

White Bread (500g)

$0.36 ETB 58.1

$2.46 ARS 3,738

-85.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.12 ETB 180

$1.63 ARS 2,467

-31.29%

Eggs

$4.02 ETB 646

$2.89 ARS 4,385

39.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.65 ARS 16.1K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.49 ETB 1,847

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

14.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.42 ETB 1,835

$13.74 ARS 20.8K

-16.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 ETB 370

$2.75 ARS 4,166

-16.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.12 ETB 180

$2.18 ARS 3,300

-48.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.45 ETB 555

$1.45 ARS 2,205

137.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.58 ETB 93.8

$1.99 ARS 3,013

-70.85%

Potato (1kg)

$0.55 ETB 87.7

$1.24 ARS 1,885

-55.65%

Onion (1kg)

$3.35 ETB 538

$1.27 ARS 1,921

163.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 ARS 2,575

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ETB 93.7

$1.73 ARS 2,617

-66.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.18 ARS 6,337

Wine (Bottle)

$6.63 ETB 1,065

$5.80 ARS 8,790

14.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 ETB 187

$2.09 ARS 3,163

-44.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 ETB 234

$2.77 ARS 4,198

-47.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 ETB 35.27

$0.75 ARS 1,132

-70.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.38 ETB 2,150

$27.15 ARS 41.2K

-50.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.62 ARS 2,451

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 ARS 1,481

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.72 ETB 276

$7.72 ARS 11.7K

-77.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 ETB 279

$1.36 ARS 2,058

27.94%

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

$51.2K ETB 8.2M

$28.0K ARS 42.5M

82.94%

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

$58.0K ETB 9.3M

$34.5K ARS 52.4M

67.85%

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

$63.4 ETB 10.2K

$216 ARS 326.9K

-70.57%

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

$36.28 ETB 5,829

$25.61 ARS 38.8K

41.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$313 ETB 50.3K

$31.36 ARS 47.6K

899.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.06 ETB 5,474

$49.82 ARS 75.6K

-31.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 ARS 25.9K

Cinema Ticket

$10.43 ARS 15.8K

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

$466 ARS 706.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,057 ARS 13.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$122 ARS 185.2K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$92.7 ETB 14.9K

$97.4 ARS 147.8K

-4.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 ETB 22.3K

$117 ARS 177.4K

18.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 ETB 18.5K

$140 ARS 211.9K

-17.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$208 ETB 33.4K

$763 ARS 1.2M

-72.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$160 ETB 25.7K

$505 ARS 766.1K

-68.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$415 ETB 66.7K

$1,598 ARS 2.4M

-74.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ETB 49.9K

$1,185 ARS 1.8M

-73.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,229 ETB 358.2K

$2,678 ARS 4.1M

-16.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,117 ETB 179.4K

$1,858 ARS 2.8M

-39.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$227 ETB 36.5K

$954 ARS 1.4M

-76.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

-84.28%

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

Last update for Jimma: October 3, 2026

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Jimma

–

Buenos Aires

$505 30.4%

Groceries & Markets

Jimma

–

Buenos Aires

$284 17.1%

Eating Out

Jimma

–

Buenos Aires

$279 16.8%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jimma

–

Buenos Aires

$273 16.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Jimma

–

Buenos Aires

$214 12.9%

Sport & Entertainment

Jimma

–

Buenos Aires

$71 4.3%

Getting Around

Jimma

–

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2%

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $208 in Jimma and $763 in Buenos Aires. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buenos Aires pays 320% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Good to know

🇪🇹 Jimma

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🕒 Local time

11:49 11:49 AM

05:49 5:49 AM

6 h behind Jimma

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

207,573

2,891,082 Capital

💱 Currency

Ethiopian Birr ETB Br

Argentine Peso ARS $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 ETB = 6.22 USD

1,000 ETB = 5.55 EUR

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ARS, USD, EUR to ETB – Ethiopian Birr Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇹 Ethiopian Birr (Br)

Ethiopian Birr exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 161 ETB (1,000 ETB = 6.22 USD). 1 EUR = 180 ETB (1,000 ETB = 5.55 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).

USD to ETB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Jimma Buenos Aires 10,970 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Jimma
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

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

Jimma and Buenos Aires differ by about 59% in total monthly costs ($1,057 vs $1,685 including rent). Jimma is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 320% 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: $208 in Jimma versus $763 in Buenos Aires. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Jimma runs roughly 103% less than in Buenos Aires. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

All in, you'll spend $1,057 per month in Jimma versus $1,685 in Buenos Aires – a 59% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,057 in Jimma versus $1,685 in Buenos Aires, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Jimma but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes Jimma 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, Jimma 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 Jimma gentler on the wallet – expenses run 59% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.