Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between La Romana and Buenos Aires

For one person, living is cheaper in La Romana: $631 a month against $1,656 in Buenos Aires, rent and utilities included – about $12,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

La Romana
🇩🇴 Dominican Republic
$631
/mo nomad
Buenos Aires
🇦🇷 Argentina
$1,656
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $631 in La Romana versus $1,656 in Buenos Aires.

  • La Romana $631
  • Buenos Aires $1,656

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,014 in La Romana versus $2,697 in Buenos Aires.

  • La Romana $1,014
  • Buenos Aires $2,697

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,398 in La Romana versus $3,737 in Buenos Aires.

  • La Romana $1,398
  • Buenos Aires $3,737

Living in La Romana costs roughly 62% less than in Buenos Aires, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: La Romana is 53% below, Buenos Aires is 23% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
La Romana
Buenos Aires
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.43 DOP 516
$19.09 ARS 29.0K
-55.84%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$40.80 DOP 2,499
$65.8 ARS 99.9K
-37.99%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.16 DOP 439
$13.20 ARS 20.0K
-45.76%
Cappuccino
$1.75 DOP 107
$3.85 ARS 5,841
-54.55%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.71 DOP 43.32
$1.99 ARS 3,020
-64.32%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.32 DOP 19.33
$1.60 ARS 2,430
-80.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.43 DOP 149
$3.93 ARS 5,959
-38.17%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.97 DOP 244
$4.61 ARS 7,003
-13.88%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
La Romana
Buenos Aires
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.05 DOP 64.1
$1.50 ARS 2,272
-30.00%
White Bread (500g)
$1.80 DOP 110
$2.53 ARS 3,837
-28.85%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 DOP 92.3
$1.61 ARS 2,445
-6.21%
Eggs
$1.48 DOP 91.0
$2.84 ARS 4,316
-47.89%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.28 DOP 384
$10.30 ARS 15.6K
-39.03%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.53 DOP 216
$10.00 ARS 15.2K
-64.70%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$4.62 DOP 283
$13.30 ARS 20.2K
-65.26%
Apples (1kg)
$3.61 DOP 221
$2.88 ARS 4,366
25.35%
Banana (1kg)
$1.38 DOP 84.3
$2.20 ARS 3,334
-37.27%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.23 DOP 198
$1.40 ARS 2,120
130.71%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.13 DOP 131
$1.98 ARS 3,004
7.58%
Potato (1kg)
$3.58 DOP 220
$1.21 ARS 1,835
195.87%
Onion (1kg)
$2.87 DOP 176
$1.26 ARS 1,910
127.78%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.88 DOP 53.9
$1.71 ARS 2,592
-48.54%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.60 DOP 98.2
$1.72 ARS 2,603
-6.98%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.66 DOP 285
$4.29 ARS 6,505
8.62%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.45 DOP 1,007
$5.70 ARS 8,645
188.60%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.00 DOP 184
$2.17 ARS 3,288
38.25%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.48 DOP 213
$2.76 ARS 4,188
26.09%
🚌 Getting Around
La Romana
Buenos Aires
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$0.75 ARS 1,141
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$27.27 ARS 41.4K
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.49 DOP 153
$1.57 ARS 2,375
58.60%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.23 DOP 198
$1.03 ARS 1,558
213.59%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$7.90 ARS 12.0K
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.39 DOP 85.1
$1.42 ARS 2,160
-2.11%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$15.1K DOP 922.4K
$27.9K ARS 42.4M
-46.13%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.5K DOP 1.6M
$35.0K ARS 53.1M
-27.13%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
La Romana
Buenos Aires
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$95.3 DOP 5,837
$195 ARS 296.2K
-51.19%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$9.68 DOP 593
$25.16 ARS 38.2K
-61.53%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$39.12 DOP 2,397
$31.54 ARS 47.9K
24.03%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
La Romana
Buenos Aires
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$50.9 ARS 77.3K
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$16.73 ARS 25.4K
-
Cinema Ticket
$4.97 DOP 305
$10.34 ARS 15.7K
-51.93%
🧸 Childcare & Education
La Romana
Buenos Aires
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$146 DOP 8,946
$463 ARS 703.2K
-68.49%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,480 DOP 335.7K
$8,793 ARS 13.3M
-37.68%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
La Romana
Buenos Aires
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$26.84 DOP 1,644
$120 ARS 181.8K
-77.60%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.24 DOP 2,772
$95.5 ARS 144.9K
-52.62%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$60.6 DOP 3,713
$114 ARS 173.1K
-46.88%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$67.0 DOP 4,104
$139 ARS 211.4K
-51.90%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
La Romana
Buenos Aires
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$756 ARS 1.1M
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$520 ARS 788.8K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,590 ARS 2.4M
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,198 ARS 1.8M
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$2,713 ARS 4.1M
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,901 ARS 2.9M
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
La Romana
Buenos Aires
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$938 ARS 1.4M
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11
57.25
-80.79%

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

Last update for La Romana: October 11, 2026

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
La Romana
$235
Buenos Aires
$283 20.7% $48
Monthly Utilities & Internet
La Romana
$144
Buenos Aires
$252 74.8% $108
Eating Out
La Romana
$134
Buenos Aires
$282 110% $148
Clothing & Footwear
La Romana
$90
Buenos Aires
$211 135% $121
Getting Around
La Romana
$19 *
Buenos Aires
$37 98.3% $18
Sport & Entertainment
La Romana
$9.9 *
Buenos Aires
$72 620% $62
Accommodation & Living
La Romana
- *
Buenos Aires
$520

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $41.00 in La Romana vs $66.0 in Buenos Aires for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $235 vs $283 per month, with La Romana cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇩🇴 La Romana
🇦🇷 Buenos Aires
🕒 Local time
09:19 9:19 AM
10:19 10:19 AM
1 h ahead of La Romana
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
567,431
2,891,082 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

ARS, USD, EUR to DOP – Dominican Peso Converter

Dominican Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 61.26 DOP (100 DOP = 1.63 USD). 1 EUR = 68.87 DOP (100 DOP = 1.45 EUR).

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,706 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • La Romana Buenos Aires 6,000 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • La Romana
  • 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
La Romana vs Buenos Aires: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in La Romana and in Buenos Aires?
La Romana and Buenos Aires differ by about 162% in total monthly costs ($631 vs $1,656 including rent). La Romana is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in La Romana compared to Buenos Aires?
You'd need roughly $947 in La Romana and $2,484 in Buenos Aires to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
What is the difference in childcare costs between La Romana and Buenos Aires?
Childcare runs $146 in La Romana versus $463 in Buenos Aires. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in La Romana – a meal for two runs $41.00 versus $66.0 in Buenos Aires. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
At $631 in La Romana versus $1,656 in Buenos Aires, a $1,500 budget is realistic in La Romana but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes La Romana the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between La Romana 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 La Romana or Buenos Aires safer for residents?
Safety-wise, La Romana 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: La Romana or Buenos Aires?
Expats usually find La Romana gentler on the wallet – expenses run 162% 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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