Cost of Living · AR vs AE
🇦🇷 Buenos Aires vs 🇦🇪 Dubai: what everyday life costs
Monthly essentials: $913 in Argentina vs $1,546 in United Arab Emirates — 69.41% more expensive.
Biggest differences
Much cheaper in United Arab Emirates
- ⛽ Petrol/gasoline, 1L: 18.84%
- 🍻 Imported beer, 330ml bottle: 18.87%
- 👖 Jeans (mid-range brand): 18.87%
Closest to Argentina prices
- 🏢 Rent: 3-bedroom, city center: +83.17%
- 🏡 Rent: 1-bedroom, outside center: +83.17%
- 🏙️ Rent: 1-bedroom, city center: +83.17%
The full basket (32 items)
| Item | Argentina | United Arab Emirates | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | |||
| 🏙️ Rent: 1-bedroom, city center | $578 | $1,058 (3,886 AED) | +83.17% |
| 🏡 Rent: 1-bedroom, outside center | $462 | $846 (3,108 AED) | +83.17% |
| 🏢 Rent: 3-bedroom, city center | $1,056 | $1,934 (7,105 AED) | +83.17% |
| Food out | |||
| 🍜 Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $7.53 | $12.12 (45 AED) | +60.96% |
| 🍽️ Dinner for two, mid-range | $31.39 | $50.50 (185 AED) | +60.88% |
| 🍔 Fast-food combo meal | $4.98 | $7.68 (28 AED) | +54.22% |
| Groceries | |||
| 🥛 Milk, 1L | $0.58 | $0.83 (3 AED) | +43.1% |
| 🍞 Bread, fresh loaf 500g | $1.70 | $2.40 (9 AED) | +41.18% |
| 🥚 Eggs, dozen | $1.80 | $2.55 (9 AED) | +41.67% |
| 🍗 Chicken breast, 1kg | $5.31 | $7.50 (28 AED) | +41.24% |
| 🍚 White rice, 1kg | $2.12 | $3.00 (11 AED) | +41.51% |
| 🍎 Apples, 1kg | $2.55 | $3.60 (13 AED) | +41.18% |
| 🧀 Local cheese, 1kg | $6.37 | $9.00 (33 AED) | +41.29% |
| 💧 Water, 1.5L bottle | $1.06 | $1.50 (6 AED) | +41.51% |
| Drinks | |||
| 🍺 Domestic beer, pint (draught) | $2.51 | $4.04 (15 AED) | +60.96% |
| 🍻 Imported beer, 330ml bottle | $5.83 | $6.93 (25 AED) | +18.87% |
| ☕ Cappuccino | $2.09 | $3.37 (12 AED) | +61.24% |
| 🥤 Coke/Pepsi, 330ml | $1.22 | $1.73 (6 AED) | +41.8% |
| Transport | |||
| 🚇 Public transport, monthly pass | $29.45 | $45.37 (167 AED) | +54.06% |
| 🎫 Public transport, one-way | $1.25 | $1.92 (7 AED) | +53.6% |
| 🚕 Taxi start (normal tariff) | $1.67 | $2.69 (10 AED) | +61.08% |
| 🛣️ Taxi, per km | $0.75 | $1.21 (4 AED) | +61.33% |
| ⛽ Petrol/gasoline, 1L | $0.69 | $0.82 (3 AED) | +18.84% |
| Utilities & comms | |||
| 💡 Basic utilities, 85m² apartment | $90.60 | $140 (513 AED) | +54.08% |
| 🌐 Internet, 60Mbps+ unlimited | $31.71 | $48.86 (179 AED) | +54.08% |
| 📱 Mobile plan, 10GB+ data | $20.39 | $31.41 (115 AED) | +54.05% |
| Lifestyle | |||
| 🏋️ Gym membership, month | $20.93 | $33.67 (124 AED) | +60.87% |
| 🎬 Cinema seat | $5.86 | $9.43 (35 AED) | +60.92% |
| 💈 Men's haircut | $12.56 | $20.20 (74 AED) | +60.83% |
| 👖 Jeans (mid-range brand) | $40.07 | $47.63 (175 AED) | +18.87% |
| 👟 Running shoes (brand) | $65.57 | $77.94 (286 AED) | +18.87% |
| 💻 Coworking hot desk, month | $105 | $168 (618 AED) | +60.89% |
Estimated from World Bank — Consumption price levels with per-item elasticity — model figures, not quotes. Compare any pair in the interactive tool.
Related
Frequently asked questions
- How much more expensive is United Arab Emirates than Argentina?
- A single person's monthly essentials run about $1,546 in United Arab Emirates versus $913 in Argentina — 69.41% more. Rents differ the most; world-priced goods like petrol and electronics the least.
- What does a beer cost in United Arab Emirates?
- A domestic draught pint is roughly $4.04 in United Arab Emirates (≈ 14.84 AED), versus about $2.51 in Argentina.
- How much is rent in United Arab Emirates compared to Argentina?
- A 1-bedroom city-center apartment is estimated at $1,058/month in United Arab Emirates versus $578/month in Argentina (+83.17%). Housing is the most locally-priced item in the basket.
- How are these prices estimated?
- Curated US baseline prices scaled by each country's purchasing-power price level with per-item elasticities (housing 1.4, services 1.1, groceries 0.8, world-priced goods 0.4) — model estimates for orientation, not quotes.