Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brazil and Argentina

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.

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

How much you'll spend in Brazil and in Argentina

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

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

  • Brazil $915
  • Argentina $1,344

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

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

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

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

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

Living in Brazil costs about 32% less than in Argentina on average.

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

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Brazil
Argentina
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.73 R$34.09
$14.71 ARS 22.3K
-54.25%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$34.26 R$174
$54.7 ARS 83.0K
-37.36%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.98 R$40.47
$13.02 ARS 19.8K
-38.71%
Cappuccino
$2.16 R$10.97
$3.48 ARS 5,288
-37.93%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.30 R$6.61
$2.10 ARS 3,193
-38.10%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.75 R$3.80
$1.57 ARS 2,385
-52.23%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.96 R$9.95
$3.60 ARS 5,459
-45.56%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.06 R$15.52
$3.89 ARS 5,903
-21.34%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Brazil
Argentina
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.09 R$5.54
$1.37 ARS 2,074
-20.44%
White Bread (500g)
$1.69 R$8.54
$2.31 ARS 3,501
-26.84%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.28 R$6.50
$1.75 ARS 2,655
-26.86%
Eggs
$2.28 R$11.54
$2.72 ARS 4,120
-16.18%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.90 R$50.2
$10.24 ARS 15.5K
-3.32%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.38 R$22.21
$8.58 ARS 13.0K
-48.95%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$8.64 R$43.78
$11.85 ARS 18.0K
-27.09%
Apples (1kg)
$2.38 R$12.04
$2.48 ARS 3,770
-4.03%
Banana (1kg)
$1.37 R$6.95
$2.12 ARS 3,213
-35.38%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.29 R$6.54
$1.40 ARS 2,131
-7.86%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.65 R$8.37
$2.41 ARS 3,664
-31.54%
Potato (1kg)
$1.19 R$6.04
$1.18 ARS 1,792
0.85%
Onion (1kg)
$1.14 R$5.78
$1.09 ARS 1,655
4.59%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.82 R$4.15
$1.56 ARS 2,374
-47.44%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.77 R$3.91
$1.56 ARS 2,375
-50.64%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.43 R$12.31
$4.12 ARS 6,253
-41.02%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.06 R$40.84
$5.04 ARS 7,648
59.92%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.38 R$7.00
$1.96 ARS 2,969
-29.59%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.33 R$11.80
$3.07 ARS 4,666
-24.10%
🚌 Getting Around
Brazil
Argentina
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.99 R$5.03
$1.02 ARS 1,543
-2.94%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$47.39 R$240
$27.91 ARS 42.3K
69.80%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.34 R$6.78
$1.57 ARS 2,386
-14.65%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.99 R$5.00
$0.98 ARS 1,489
1.02%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.82 R$39.66
$7.44 ARS 11.3K
5.11%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.30 R$6.60
$1.27 ARS 1,928
2.36%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.6K R$119.6K
$26.6K ARS 40.4M
-11.44%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.5K R$169.9K
$33.6K ARS 51.0M
-0.30%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Brazil
Argentina
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$84.8 R$430
$137 ARS 208.4K
-38.28%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.97 R$65.8
$17.27 ARS 26.2K
-24.90%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$21.05 R$107
$25.41 ARS 38.6K
-17.16%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Brazil
Argentina
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$26.33 R$133
$34.76 ARS 52.7K
-24.25%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$27.36 R$139
$18.57 ARS 28.2K
47.33%
Cinema Ticket
$7.27 R$36.87
$9.99 ARS 15.2K
-27.23%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Brazil
Argentina
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$342 R$1,732
$332 ARS 504.0K
2.88%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,086 R$46.1K
$6,258 ARS 9.5M
45.20%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Brazil
Argentina
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$54.5 R$276
$109 ARS 165.5K
-50.02%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$50.1 R$254
$85.5 ARS 129.7K
-41.42%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$90.0 R$456
$121 ARS 183.6K
-25.58%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$72.2 R$366
$122 ARS 184.5K
-40.61%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Brazil
Argentina
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$383 R$1,939
$538 ARS 817.1K
-28.95%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$250 R$1,269
$372 ARS 564.6K
-32.74%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$742 R$3,761
$1,097 ARS 1.7M
-32.35%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$501 R$2,540
$804 ARS 1.2M
-37.67%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,935 R$9,811
$2,181 ARS 3.3M
-11.27%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,294 R$6,558
$1,454 ARS 2.2M
-11.02%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Brazil
Argentina
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$537 R$2,722
$786 ARS 1.2M
-31.69%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.17
58.21
-80.81%

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

Last update for Brazil: October 11, 2026

Last update for Argentina: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Brazil
$250
Argentina
$372 48.7% $122
Groceries & Markets
Brazil
$199
Argentina
$263 32.3% $64
Eating Out
Brazil
$128
Argentina
$239 86.9% $111
Clothing & Footwear
Brazil
$120
Argentina
$197 63.8% $77
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Brazil
$119
Argentina
$180 51.6% $61
Getting Around
Brazil
$58
Argentina
$38 33.3% $19
Sport & Entertainment
Brazil
$41
Argentina
$55 33.9% $14

Cost Breakdown

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

National salary averages: $503 in Brazil, $799 in Argentina. 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
🇧🇷 Brazil
🇦🇷 Argentina
🕒 Local time
02:41 2:41 AM
02:41 2:41 AM
Same time as Brazil
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
203,062,512
47,327,407
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

ARS, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

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).

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).

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

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
Brazil vs Argentina: 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.

Brazil vs other spots: cost of living compared

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