Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Male and Buenos Aires

For one person, living is cheaper in Male: $1,524 a month against $1,685 in Buenos Aires, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. The total is higher in Buenos Aires despite lower rent and utilities.

74

Cost of Living Index in Male
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Male Living Index
81

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
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Buenos Aires Living Index

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Male

🇲🇻 Maldives

$1,524

/mo nomad

Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,685

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,524 in Male versus $1,685 in Buenos Aires.

Male $1,524
Buenos Aires $1,685

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,454 in Male versus $2,742 in Buenos Aires.

Male $2,454
Buenos Aires $2,742

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,385 in Male versus $3,799 in Buenos Aires.

Male $3,385
Buenos Aires $3,799

Living in Male costs roughly 10% less than in Buenos Aires, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Male 14% above, Buenos Aires 26% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.86 MVR 90.3

$18.73 ARS 28.4K

-68.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.10 MVR 587

$64.5 ARS 97.8K

-40.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.73 MVR 150

$12.88 ARS 19.5K

-24.46%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.73 MVR 72.9

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.78 MVR 73.7

Cappuccino

$3.49 MVR 53.8

$3.98 ARS 6,029

-12.31%

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

$1.63 MVR 25.14

$2.05 ARS 3,103

-20.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 MVR 4.80

$1.55 ARS 2,349

-80.00%

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)

$1.98 MVR 30.50

$1.44 ARS 2,181

37.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.60 MVR 24.74

$2.46 ARS 3,738

-34.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 MVR 18.59

$1.63 ARS 2,467

-25.77%

Eggs

$1.94 MVR 29.89

$2.89 ARS 4,385

-32.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.48 MVR 162

$10.65 ARS 16.1K

-1.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.01 MVR 92.7

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

-39.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.67 MVR 149

$13.74 ARS 20.8K

-29.62%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 MVR 62.5

$2.75 ARS 4,166

47.27%

Banana (1kg)

$3.13 MVR 48.26

$2.18 ARS 3,300

43.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.98 MVR 61.4

$1.45 ARS 2,205

174.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.66 MVR 41.00

$1.99 ARS 3,013

33.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MVR 31.10

$1.24 ARS 1,885

62.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 MVR 28.95

$1.27 ARS 1,921

48.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.12 MVR 32.75

$1.70 ARS 2,575

24.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 MVR 9.47

$1.73 ARS 2,617

-64.74%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.24 MVR 189

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.68 MVR 41.39

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 MVR 29.35

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.01 MVR 231

$4.18 ARS 6,337

259.09%

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)

$0.63 MVR 9.74

$0.75 ARS 1,132

-16.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.22 MVR 466

$27.15 ARS 41.2K

11.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.98 MVR 30.56

$1.62 ARS 2,451

22.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 MVR 29.35

$0.98 ARS 1,481

93.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.18 MVR 157

$7.72 ARS 11.7K

31.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 MVR 15.24

$1.36 ARS 2,058

-27.21%

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

$32.9K MVR 506.6K

$28.0K ARS 42.5M

17.29%

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

$28.8K MVR 443.6K

$34.5K ARS 52.4M

-16.69%

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

$117 MVR 1,808

$216 ARS 326.9K

-45.61%

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

$30.56 MVR 471

$25.61 ARS 38.8K

19.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.8 MVR 1,107

$31.36 ARS 47.6K

128.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.0 MVR 1,110

$49.82 ARS 75.6K

44.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.45 MVR 531

$17.06 ARS 25.9K

101.93%

Cinema Ticket

$9.90 MVR 153

$10.43 ARS 15.8K

-5.08%

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

$185 MVR 2,860

$466 ARS 706.7K

-60.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,048 MVR 47.0K

$9,057 ARS 13.7M

-66.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.25 MVR 605

$122 ARS 185.2K

-67.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.98 MVR 771

$97.4 ARS 147.8K

-48.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.8 MVR 1,323

$117 ARS 177.4K

-26.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$51.5 MVR 794

$140 ARS 211.9K

-63.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$948 MVR 14.6K

$763 ARS 1.2M

24.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 MVR 10.9K

$505 ARS 766.1K

40.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,035 MVR 31.4K

$1,598 ARS 2.4M

27.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 MVR 23.5K

$1,185 ARS 1.8M

28.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,282 MVR 35.2K

$2,678 ARS 4.1M

-14.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,391 MVR 21.5K

$1,858 ARS 2.8M

-25.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$837 MVR 12.9K

$954 ARS 1.4M

-12.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

-75.55%

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

Last update for Male: 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

Male

$709 46.5%

Buenos Aires

$505 30.4% 28.8% $204

Groceries & Markets

Male

$233 15.3%

Buenos Aires

$284 17.1% 22% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Male

$220 14.4%

Buenos Aires

$273 16.4% 24.1% $53

Eating Out

Male

$126 8.2%

Buenos Aires

$279 16.8% 122% $153

Clothing & Footwear

Male

$102 6.7%

Buenos Aires

$214 12.9% 110% $112

Sport & Entertainment

Male

$92 6%

Buenos Aires

$71 4.3% 23% $21

Getting Around

Male

$44 2.9%

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2% 17.2% $7.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $948 in Male and $763 in Buenos Aires. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buenos Aires pays 14% 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: $38.00 in Male vs $64.0 in Buenos Aires for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $233 vs $284 per month, with Male cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇻 Male

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🕒 Local time

08:33 8:33 AM

00:33 12:33 AM

8 h behind Male

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

103,693 Capital

2,891,082 Capital

💱 Currency

Maldivian Rufiyaa MVR Rf

Argentine Peso ARS $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MVR = 6.49 USD

100 MVR = 5.78 EUR

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ARS, USD, EUR to MVR – Maldivian Rufiyaa Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇻 Maldivian Rufiyaa (Rf)

Maldivian Rufiyaa exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 15.42 MVR (100 MVR = 6.49 USD). 1 EUR = 17.29 MVR (100 MVR = 5.78 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 MVR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Male Buenos Aires 14,030 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Male
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

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

Male and Buenos Aires differ by about 11% in total monthly costs ($1,524 vs $1,685 including rent). Male is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 14% 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: $948 in Male versus $763 in Buenos Aires. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $185 in Male 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 22% higher in Buenos Aires. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,524 in Male versus $1,685 in Buenos Aires, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Male but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes Male 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, Male 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 Male gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.