Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Argentina and Brazil

For one person, living is cheaper in Brazil: $915 a month against $1,344 in Argentina, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

🇦🇷 Argentina
$1,344
/mo nomad
🇧🇷 Brazil
$915
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Argentina and in Brazil

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Argentina and in Brazil actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,344 in Argentina versus $915 in Brazil.

  • Argentina $1,344
  • Brazil $915

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,176 in Argentina versus $1,462 in Brazil.

  • Argentina $2,176
  • Brazil $1,462

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,007 in Argentina versus $2,009 in Brazil.

  • Argentina $3,007
  • Brazil $2,009

Argentina ($890–$1,656) and Brazil ($611–$1,451) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Living in Argentina is roughly 47% more expensive than in Brazil on average.

Argentina (0% above) and Brazil (32% below) straddle the global median.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Argentina
Brazil
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$14.71 ARS 22.3K
$6.73 R$34.09
118.57%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$54.7 ARS 83.0K
$34.26 R$174
59.63%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.02 ARS 19.8K
$7.98 R$40.47
63.16%
Cappuccino
$3.48 ARS 5,288
$2.16 R$10.97
61.11%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.10 ARS 3,193
$1.30 R$6.61
61.54%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.57 ARS 2,385
$0.75 R$3.80
109.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.60 ARS 5,459
$1.96 R$9.95
83.67%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.89 ARS 5,903
$3.06 R$15.52
27.12%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Argentina
Brazil
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.37 ARS 2,074
$1.09 R$5.54
25.69%
White Bread (500g)
$2.31 ARS 3,501
$1.69 R$8.54
36.69%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.75 ARS 2,655
$1.28 R$6.50
36.72%
Eggs
$2.72 ARS 4,120
$2.28 R$11.54
19.30%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.24 ARS 15.5K
$9.90 R$50.2
3.43%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.58 ARS 13.0K
$4.38 R$22.21
95.89%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.85 ARS 18.0K
$8.64 R$43.78
37.15%
Apples (1kg)
$2.48 ARS 3,770
$2.38 R$12.04
4.20%
Banana (1kg)
$2.12 ARS 3,213
$1.37 R$6.95
54.74%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.40 ARS 2,131
$1.29 R$6.54
8.53%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.41 ARS 3,664
$1.65 R$8.37
46.06%
Potato (1kg)
$1.18 ARS 1,792
$1.19 R$6.04
-0.84%
Onion (1kg)
$1.09 ARS 1,655
$1.14 R$5.78
-4.39%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.56 ARS 2,374
$0.82 R$4.15
90.24%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.56 ARS 2,375
$0.77 R$3.91
102.60%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.12 ARS 6,253
$2.43 R$12.31
69.55%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.04 ARS 7,648
$8.06 R$40.84
-37.47%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.96 ARS 2,969
$1.38 R$7.00
42.03%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.07 ARS 4,666
$2.33 R$11.80
31.76%
🚌 Getting Around
Argentina
Brazil
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.02 ARS 1,543
$0.99 R$5.03
3.03%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.91 ARS 42.3K
$47.39 R$240
-41.11%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.57 ARS 2,386
$1.34 R$6.78
17.16%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.98 ARS 1,489
$0.99 R$5.00
-1.01%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.44 ARS 11.3K
$7.82 R$39.66
-4.86%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.27 ARS 1,928
$1.30 R$6.60
-2.31%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.6K ARS 40.4M
$23.6K R$119.6K
12.92%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.6K ARS 51.0M
$33.5K R$169.9K
0.31%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Argentina
Brazil
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$137 ARS 208.4K
$84.8 R$430
62.02%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.27 ARS 26.2K
$12.97 R$65.8
33.15%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$25.41 ARS 38.6K
$21.05 R$107
20.71%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Argentina
Brazil
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$34.76 ARS 52.7K
$26.33 R$133
32.02%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.57 ARS 28.2K
$27.36 R$139
-32.13%
Cinema Ticket
$9.99 ARS 15.2K
$7.27 R$36.87
37.41%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Argentina
Brazil
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$332 ARS 504.0K
$342 R$1,732
-2.80%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,258 ARS 9.5M
$9,086 R$46.1K
-31.13%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Argentina
Brazil
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$109 ARS 165.5K
$54.5 R$276
100.09%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$85.5 ARS 129.7K
$50.1 R$254
70.72%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$121 ARS 183.6K
$90.0 R$456
34.37%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$122 ARS 184.5K
$72.2 R$366
68.37%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Argentina
Brazil
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$538 ARS 817.1K
$383 R$1,939
40.74%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$372 ARS 564.6K
$250 R$1,269
48.67%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,097 ARS 1.7M
$742 R$3,761
47.81%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$804 ARS 1.2M
$501 R$2,540
60.44%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,181 ARS 3.3M
$1,935 R$9,811
12.70%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,454 ARS 2.2M
$1,294 R$6,558
12.39%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Argentina
Brazil
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$786 ARS 1.2M
$537 R$2,722
46.39%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
58.21
11.17
421.13%

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

Last update for Argentina: October 13, 2026

Last update for Brazil: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Argentina
$372
Brazil
$250 32.7% $122
Groceries & Markets
Argentina
$263
Brazil
$199 24.4% $64
Eating Out
Argentina
$239
Brazil
$128 46.5% $111
Clothing & Footwear
Argentina
$197
Brazil
$120 39% $77
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Argentina
$180
Brazil
$119 34% $61
Sport & Entertainment
Argentina
$55
Brazil
$41 25.3% $14
Getting Around
Argentina
$38
Brazil
$58 49.9% $19

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $515 in Argentina, $353 in Brazil. Capital cities: $756 in Buenos Aires vs $507 in Brasilia.

National salary averages: $799 in Argentina, $503 in Brazil. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 46% higher in Argentina.

Dining out costs 68% more in Argentina.

Public transport is 925% more expensive in Brazil.

Salaries are 59% higher in Argentina.

Good to know
🇦🇷 Argentina
🇧🇷 Brazil
🕒 Local time
04:19 4:19 AM
04:19 4:19 AM
Same time as Argentina
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
47,327,407
203,062,512
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to ARS – Argentine Peso Converter

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,706 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Argentina Brazil 2,340 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Argentina
  • Brazil

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
Argentina vs Brazil: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost difference between Argentina and Brazil?
At $1,344 per month in Argentina and $915 in Brazil, there's a 47% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
Which country has higher housing costs?
Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $515 in Argentina and $353 in Brazil. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.
Is $2,000 a realistic budget in Argentina or in Brazil?
In Brazil, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in Argentina it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.
Should I move to Argentina or to Brazil?
It depends on what you're after: Brazil wins on affordability; Argentina may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.

Argentina vs other spots: cost of living compared

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