✦ Compare
Buenos Aires vs
Chicago
Cost-of-living comparison and salary equivalence. Enter your current salary to see what you'd need to earn to live equally well.
To keep the same standard of living in Chicago, IL, you'd need
$159,939 / year
Chicago, IL is 113% more expensive overall
Category breakdown (Chicago, IL vs Buenos Aires, AR)
- Housing+178%
- Food & groceries+91%
- Transport+180%
- Utilities+43%
- Healthcare+96%
- Goods & services+80%
Median 1-bed rent
$500 /mo
Buenos Aires, AR overview →
Median 1-bed rent
$1,900 /mo
Chicago, IL overview →
â–¤ Full comparison
| Buenos Aires, AR | Chicago, IL | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | ||
| Overall cost index | 53 | 113 |
| Housing | 46 | 128 |
| Food | 55 | 105 |
| Transport | 40 | 112 |
| Utilities | 70 | 100 |
| Healthcare | 55 | 108 |
| Goods & services | 60 | 108 |
| Housing | ||
| Rent, 1-bed centre | $500/mo | $1,900/mo |
| Rent, 1-bed outside | $350/mo | $1,450/mo |
| Rent, 3-bed centre | $1,000/mo | $3,600/mo |
| Buy price / m² centre | $2,500 | $5,500 |
| Money & purchasing power | ||
| $1,000 goes as far as | $1,880 | $881 |
| Inexpensive meal | $8 | $18 |
| Monthly transit pass | $15 | $105 |
| Taxes | ||
| Income tax (top rate) | 35% | 37% |
| VAT / sales tax | 21% | 0% |
| Social security (employee) | — | 7.7% |
| Corporate tax | 35% | 21% |
| Capital gains | — | 20% |
| Economy & salaries | ||
| Avg net salary | $500/mo | $4,300/mo |
| Minimum wage | — | $1,257/mo |
| GDP per capita | $13,000 | $82,000 |
| Work & digital nomad | ||
| Digital-nomad visa | Yes | No |
| English proficiency | Low | Native |
| Coworking spaces | 45 | 90 |
| Time zone | UTC-3 | UTC-6 |
| Quality of life | ||
| Safety index | 42 | 48 |
| Healthcare index | 68 | 80 |
| Pollution index | 50 | 45 |
| Internet speed | 60 Mbps | 200 Mbps |
| Walkability | 80 | 78 |
| Public transport | 72 | 78 |
| Family-friendly | 62 | 60 |
| Tap water | Safe to drink | Safe to drink |
| Health insurance | $60/mo | $450/mo |
| Life expectancy | 77 yr | 79 yr |
| LGBTQ+ acceptance | High | High |
| Climate | ||
| January avg | +25 °C | -4 °C |
| July avg | +11 °C | +24 °C |
| Sunny days / year | 180 | 189 |
| Rainfall / year | 1,150 mm | 950 mm |
| Connectivity | ||
| Flight to nearest hub | 3 h | 1 h |
Taxes & Economy & salaries: Argentina vs United States. Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.
? Frequently asked questions
Is Buenos Aires cheaper than Chicago?
Chicago is about 113% more expensive than Buenos Aires overall — its cost-of-living index is 113 versus 53 for Buenos Aires.
How much do you need to earn in Chicago to live like in Buenos Aires?
To keep the same standard of living, a $75,000 salary in Buenos Aires is worth about $159,939 in Chicago. Enter your own figure in the calculator above.
Which has lower taxes, Buenos Aires or Chicago?
Argentina has the lower top income-tax rate — 35% versus 37% in United States.
â—· More comparisons from Buenos Aires
Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.