Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Amsterdam and Buenos Aires

For one person, living is cheaper in Buenos Aires: $1,685 a month against $3,504 in Amsterdam, rent and utilities included – about $21,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

169

Cost of Living Index in Amsterdam
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Amsterdam Living Index
81

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
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Buenos Aires Living Index

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Amsterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,504

/mo nomad

Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,685

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,504 per month in Amsterdam vs $1,685 in Buenos Aires, rent included.

Amsterdam $3,504
Buenos Aires $1,685

A couple spends around $5,010 per month in Amsterdam vs $2,742 in Buenos Aires, rent included.

Amsterdam $5,010
Buenos Aires $2,742

A family of three spends $6,516 per month in Amsterdam vs $3,799 in Buenos Aires, rent included.

Amsterdam $6,516
Buenos Aires $3,799

Amsterdam costs about 108% more than Buenos Aires, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Amsterdam and Buenos Aires sit above the global median – Amsterdam by 161%, Buenos Aires by 26%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.37 €19.94

$18.73 ARS 28.4K

19.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.0 €81.1

$64.5 ARS 97.7K

41.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.36 €13.69

$12.88 ARS 19.5K

19.25%

Cappuccino

$4.60 €4.10

$3.98 ARS 6,027

15.58%

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

$3.74 €3.33

$2.05 ARS 3,102

82.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 €2.70

$1.55 ARS 2,348

95.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.41 €6.61

$3.84 ARS 5,828

92.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.68 €5.07

$4.60 ARS 6,968

23.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 €1.35

$1.44 ARS 2,180

5.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 €2.13

$2.46 ARS 3,737

-3.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.54 €2.26

$1.63 ARS 2,466

55.83%

Eggs

$5.24 €4.67

$2.89 ARS 4,384

81.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.95 €15.11

$10.65 ARS 16.1K

59.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.41 €11.96

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

34.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.00 €20.51

$13.74 ARS 20.8K

67.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 €2.45

$2.75 ARS 4,165

Banana (1kg)

$2.83 €2.52

$2.18 ARS 3,299

29.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.63 €2.35

$1.45 ARS 2,204

81.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.87 €3.45

$1.99 ARS 3,012

94.47%

Potato (1kg)

$2.39 €2.13

$1.24 ARS 1,884

92.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 €1.52

$1.27 ARS 1,920

34.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 €1.28

$1.70 ARS 2,574

-15.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 €1.59

$1.73 ARS 2,616

2.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.48 €12.91

$4.18 ARS 6,335

246.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.21 €8.21

$5.80 ARS 8,787

58.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 €1.59

$2.09 ARS 3,162

-14.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 €2.26

$2.77 ARS 4,197

-8.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.72 €3.32

$0.75 ARS 1,131

396.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$116 €104

$27.15 ARS 41.2K

328.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.70 €4.19

$1.62 ARS 2,450

190.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.40 €3.03

$0.98 ARS 1,480

246.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.74 €34.54

$7.72 ARS 11.7K

401.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.61 €2.33

$1.36 ARS 2,057

91.91%

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

$41.7K €37.2K

$28.0K ARS 42.5M

48.78%

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

$38.2K €34.0K

$34.5K ARS 52.3M

10.50%

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

$298 €266

$216 ARS 326.8K

38.17%

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

$22.98 €20.49

$25.61 ARS 38.8K

-10.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.0 €47.21

$31.36 ARS 47.5K

68.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 €53.8

$49.82 ARS 75.5K

21.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.40 €31.56

$17.06 ARS 25.9K

107.50%

Cinema Ticket

$16.86 €15.04

$10.43 ARS 15.8K

61.65%

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

$2,764 €2,464

$466 ARS 706.5K

492.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €15.2K

$9,057 ARS 13.7M

88.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.3 €83.2

$122 ARS 185.1K

-23.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.20 €36.74

$97.4 ARS 147.7K

-57.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 €89.2

$117 ARS 177.3K

-14.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 €119

$140 ARS 211.8K

-4.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,605 €2,323

$763 ARS 1.2M

241.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 €1,718

$505 ARS 765.8K

281.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,903 €3,480

$1,598 ARS 2.4M

144.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,115 €2,777

$1,185 ARS 1.8M

162.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.3K €9,193

$2,678 ARS 4.1M

284.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,540 €5,831

$1,858 ARS 2.8M

251.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,524 €4,034

$954 ARS 1.4M

374.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.27

57.25

-94.29%

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

Last update for Amsterdam: 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

Amsterdam

$1.9K 55.8%

Buenos Aires

$505 30.4% 73.8% $1.4K

Groceries & Markets

Amsterdam

$388 11.2%

Buenos Aires

$284 17.1% 26.7% $104

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Amsterdam

$374 10.8%

Buenos Aires

$273 16.4% 27.1% $101

Eating Out

Amsterdam

$356 10.3%

Buenos Aires

$279 16.8% 21.6% $77

Clothing & Footwear

Amsterdam

$165 4.8%

Buenos Aires

$214 12.9% 29.6% $49

Getting Around

Amsterdam

$153 4.4%

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2% 76% $116

Sport & Entertainment

Amsterdam

$94 2.7%

Buenos Aires

$71 4.3% 24.9% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,605 in Amsterdam versus $763 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.

Salaries run about 374% higher in Amsterdam, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $91.0 in Amsterdam versus $64.0 in Buenos Aires. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $388 vs $284 – making Buenos Aires the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Amsterdam

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🕒 Local time

09:15 9:15 AM

04:15 4:15 AM

5 h behind Amsterdam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

881,933 Capital

2,891,082 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Argentine Peso ARS $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

10,000 ARS = 6.6 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ARS, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,516 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.6 USD). 1 EUR = 1,700 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Amsterdam Buenos Aires 11,450 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Amsterdam
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

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

Yes – Amsterdam is pricier by about 108%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,255 per month in Amsterdam and $2,528 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.

Public transport costs about 328% less in Buenos Aires. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,764 per month in Amsterdam and $466 in Buenos Aires. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Buenos Aires, where all-in costs run around $1,685, than in Amsterdam at $3,504. In Buenos Aires it covers expenses comfortably, while in Amsterdam 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, Amsterdam makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.