Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Altstätten and Buenos Aires

For one person, living is cheaper in Buenos Aires: $1,656 a month against $3,362 in Altstätten, rent and utilities included – about $20,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

165

Cost of Living Index in Altstätten
Learn more

Altstätten Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
Learn more

Buenos Aires Living Index

Jump to prices

Altstätten

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,362

/mo nomad

Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,656

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,362 per month in Altstätten vs $1,656 in Buenos Aires, rent included.

Altstätten $3,362
Buenos Aires $1,656

A couple spends around $5,134 per month in Altstätten vs $2,697 in Buenos Aires, rent included.

Altstätten $5,134
Buenos Aires $2,697

A family of three spends $6,905 per month in Altstätten vs $3,737 in Buenos Aires, rent included.

Altstätten $6,905
Buenos Aires $3,737

Altstätten costs about 103% more than Buenos Aires, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Altstätten and Buenos Aires sit above the global median – Altstätten by 149%, Buenos Aires by 23%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.51 CHF 24.30

$19.09 ARS 29.0K

54.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 CHF 97.2

$65.8 ARS 99.9K

79.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.80 CHF 14.66

$13.20 ARS 20.0K

34.85%

Cappuccino

$5.94 CHF 4.89

$3.85 ARS 5,841

54.29%

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

$5.13 CHF 4.22

$1.99 ARS 3,020

157.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 CHF 4.01

$1.60 ARS 2,430

203.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.25 CHF 7.62

$3.93 ARS 5,959

135.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.32 CHF 6.03

$4.61 ARS 7,003

58.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 CHF 1.80

$1.50 ARS 2,272

46.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.56 CHF 2.93

$2.53 ARS 3,837

40.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.68 CHF 3.03

$1.61 ARS 2,445

128.57%

Eggs

$7.71 CHF 6.35

$2.84 ARS 4,316

171.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.63 CHF 21.11

$10.30 ARS 15.6K

148.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.49 CHF 23.47

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

184.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$40.80 CHF 33.60

$13.30 ARS 20.2K

206.77%

Apples (1kg)

$3.60 CHF 2.96

$2.88 ARS 4,366

25.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 CHF 1.67

$2.20 ARS 3,334

-7.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.68 CHF 2.21

$1.40 ARS 2,120

91.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.75 CHF 3.91

$1.98 ARS 3,004

139.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 CHF 1.52

$1.21 ARS 1,835

52.07%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 CHF 1.73

$1.26 ARS 1,910

66.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 CHF 1.83

$1.71 ARS 2,592

29.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 CHF 1.07

$1.72 ARS 2,603

-25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.72 CHF 8.83

$4.29 ARS 6,505

149.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.90 CHF 10.63

$5.70 ARS 8,645

126.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 CHF 2.32

$2.17 ARS 3,288

29.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 CHF 2.56

$2.76 ARS 4,188

12.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.63 CHF 3.81

$0.75 ARS 1,141

517.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$100 CHF 82.7

$27.27 ARS 41.4K

268.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.47 CHF 6.15

$1.57 ARS 2,375

375.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.66 CHF 3.84

$1.03 ARS 1,558

352.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$74.3 CHF 61.2

$7.90 ARS 12.0K

840.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.84

$1.42 ARS 2,160

57.75%

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

$40.5K CHF 33.4K

$27.9K ARS 42.4M

44.99%

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

$39.6K CHF 32.6K

$35.0K ARS 53.1M

13.17%

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

$277 CHF 228

$195 ARS 296.2K

41.86%

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

$32.44 CHF 26.72

$25.16 ARS 38.2K

28.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.8 CHF 45.95

$31.54 ARS 47.9K

76.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$91.5 CHF 75.4

$50.9 ARS 77.3K

79.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$44.93 CHF 37.01

$16.73 ARS 25.4K

168.56%

Cinema Ticket

$22.65 CHF 18.66

$10.34 ARS 15.7K

119.05%

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

$2,646 CHF 2,179

$463 ARS 703.2K

470.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.1K CHF 28.1K

$8,793 ARS 13.3M

287.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$143 CHF 118

$120 ARS 181.8K

19.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.4 CHF 47.30

$95.5 ARS 144.9K

-39.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$149 CHF 123

$114 ARS 173.1K

30.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$185 CHF 152

$139 ARS 211.4K

32.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,668 CHF 1,374

$756 ARS 1.1M

120.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 CHF 1,168

$520 ARS 788.8K

172.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,868 CHF 2,362

$1,590 ARS 2.4M

80.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,429 CHF 2,000

$1,198 ARS 1.8M

102.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$15.7K CHF 12.9K

$2,713 ARS 4.1M

478.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.2K CHF 10.0K

$1,901 ARS 2.9M

539.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$938 ARS 1.4M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.07

57.25

-96.38%

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

Last update for Altstätten: October 12, 2026

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Altstätten

$1.4K 42.2%

Buenos Aires

$520 31.4% 63.4% $899

Groceries & Markets

Altstätten

$590 17.5%

Buenos Aires

$283 17.1% 52% $306

Eating Out

Altstätten

$462 13.7%

Buenos Aires

$282 17% 39% $180

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Altstätten

$365 10.9%

Buenos Aires

$252 15.2% 31% $113

Clothing & Footwear

Altstätten

$241 7.2%

Buenos Aires

$211 12.7% 12.3% $30

Getting Around

Altstätten

$150 4.5%

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2% 75.3% $113

Sport & Entertainment

Altstätten

$137 4.1%

Buenos Aires

$72 4.3% 47.7% $65

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,668 in Altstätten versus $756 in Buenos Aires. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $118 in Altstätten versus $66.0 in Buenos Aires. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $590 vs $283 – making Buenos Aires the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Altstätten

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🕒 Local time

05:32 5:32 AM

00:32 12:32 AM

5 h behind Altstätten

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,145

2,891,082 Capital

💱 Currency

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

Argentine Peso ARS $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ARS, USD, EUR to CHF – Swiss Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇭 Swiss Franc (Fr)

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.824 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.926 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,706 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR).

USD to CHF in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Altstätten Buenos Aires 11,350 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Altstätten
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

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

Yes – Altstätten is pricier by about 103%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,043 per month in Altstätten and $2,484 in Buenos Aires. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Buenos Aires, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,362 in Altstätten and $1,656 in Buenos Aires. That's a gap of about 103%.

Public transport costs about 268% less in Buenos Aires. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Buenos Aires, where all-in costs run around $1,656, than in Altstätten at $3,362. In Buenos Aires it covers expenses comfortably, while in Altstätten it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Buenos Aires – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Buenos Aires. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Altstätten makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.