Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Aguascalientes

For one person, living is cheaper in Aguascalientes: $1,113 a month against $1,685 in Buenos Aires, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

81

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
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Buenos Aires Living Index
53

Cost of Living Index in Aguascalientes
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Aguascalientes Living Index

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Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,685

/mo nomad

Aguascalientes

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,113

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Buenos Aires and in Aguascalientes

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,685 in Buenos Aires versus $1,113 in Aguascalientes.

Buenos Aires $1,685
Aguascalientes $1,113

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,742 in Buenos Aires versus $1,744 in Aguascalientes.

Buenos Aires $2,742
Aguascalientes $1,744

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,799 in Buenos Aires versus $2,375 in Aguascalientes.

Buenos Aires $3,799
Aguascalientes $2,375

Living in Buenos Aires is roughly 51% more expensive than in Aguascalientes, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Buenos Aires is 26% above, Aguascalientes is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.73 ARS 28.4K

$12.50 MX$229

49.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 ARS 97.8K

$44.72 MX$821

44.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.88 ARS 19.5K

$7.00 MX$129

84.00%

Cappuccino

$3.98 ARS 6,029

$3.86 MX$70.9

3.11%

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

$2.05 ARS 3,103

$1.64 MX$30.09

25.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 ARS 2,349

$1.21 MX$22.21

28.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.84 ARS 5,830

$2.18 MX$40.03

76.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 ARS 6,970

$3.26 MX$59.8

41.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 ARS 2,181

$1.47 MX$26.98

-2.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 ARS 3,738

$2.22 MX$40.72

10.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 ARS 2,467

$1.56 MX$28.69

4.49%

Eggs

$2.89 ARS 4,385

$2.45 MX$45.02

17.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.65 ARS 16.1K

$8.03 MX$147

32.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

$8.61 MX$158

16.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.74 ARS 20.8K

$11.47 MX$211

19.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ARS 4,166

$2.32 MX$42.51

18.53%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 ARS 3,300

$1.33 MX$24.38

63.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 ARS 2,205

$1.54 MX$28.29

-5.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ARS 3,013

$1.76 MX$32.37

13.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ARS 1,885

$1.62 MX$29.66

-23.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 ARS 1,921

$1.36 MX$25.03

-6.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 ARS 2,575

$0.99 MX$18.21

71.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 ARS 2,617

$0.83 MX$15.18

108.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.18 ARS 6,337

$4.38 MX$80.4

-4.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.80 ARS 8,790

$8.88 MX$163

-34.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 ARS 3,163

$1.81 MX$33.32

15.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 ARS 4,198

$3.42 MX$62.8

-19.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ARS 1,132

$0.59 MX$10.78

27.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.15 ARS 41.2K

$24.33 MX$447

11.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.62 ARS 2,451

$1.22 MX$22.36

32.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 ARS 1,481

$1.16 MX$21.37

-15.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.72 ARS 11.7K

$10.96 MX$201

-29.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ARS 2,058

$1.54 MX$28.21

-11.69%

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

$28.0K ARS 42.5M

$21.7K MX$397.6K

29.36%

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

$34.5K ARS 52.4M

$23.9K MX$438.9K

44.45%

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

$216 ARS 326.9K

$55.6 MX$1,021

287.79%

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

$25.61 ARS 38.8K

$24.71 MX$454

3.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.36 ARS 47.6K

$24.50 MX$450

28.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.82 ARS 75.6K

$31.42 MX$577

58.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 ARS 25.9K

$22.39 MX$411

-23.81%

Cinema Ticket

$10.43 ARS 15.8K

$5.16 MX$94.7

102.13%

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

$466 ARS 706.7K

$220 MX$4,039

111.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,057 ARS 13.7M

$2,916 MX$53.5K

210.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$122 ARS 185.2K

$55.6 MX$1,021

119.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$97.4 ARS 147.8K

$37.98 MX$697

156.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ARS 177.4K

$104 MX$1,916

12.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 ARS 211.9K

$69.9 MX$1,284

99.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$763 ARS 1.2M

$516 MX$9,475

47.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$505 ARS 766.1K

$361 MX$6,620

40.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,598 ARS 2.4M

$810 MX$14.9K

97.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,185 ARS 1.8M

$642 MX$11.8K

84.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,678 ARS 4.1M

$1,183 MX$21.7K

126.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,858 ARS 2.8M

$1,176 MX$21.6K

58.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$954 ARS 1.4M

$884 MX$16.2K

7.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

11.2

411.16%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 6, 2026

Last update for Aguascalientes: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$505 30.4%

Aguascalientes

$361 32.7% 28.6% $145

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$284 17.1%

Aguascalientes

$244 22.2% 14.1% $40

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$279 16.8%

Aguascalientes

$196 17.8% 29.7% $83

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$273 16.4%

Aguascalientes

$105 9.5% 61.5% $168

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$214 12.9%

Aguascalientes

$121 10.9% 43.8% $94

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$71 4.3%

Aguascalientes

$42 3.8% 41% $29

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2%

Aguascalientes

$34 3.1% 8% $2.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $763 in Buenos Aires and $516 in Aguascalientes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buenos Aires pays 8% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $64.0 in Buenos Aires vs $45.00 in Aguascalientes for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $284 vs $244 per month, with Aguascalientes cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇲🇽 Aguascalientes

🕒 Local time

00:08 12:08 AM

21:08 9:08 PM

3 h behind Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

863,893

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to ARS – Argentine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇷 Argentine Peso ($)

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,701 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.36 MXN (100 MXN = 5.45 USD). 1 EUR = 20.59 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Buenos Aires Aguascalientes 7,800 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Buenos Aires
Aguascalientes

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

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

Aguascalientes is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 51% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 8% higher in Buenos Aires, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $763 in Buenos Aires versus $516 in Aguascalientes. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Aguascalientes runs roughly 12% less than in Buenos Aires. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $466 in Buenos Aires versus $220 in Aguascalientes. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,113 in Aguascalientes versus $1,685 in Buenos Aires, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Aguascalientes but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes Aguascalientes the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Aguascalientes is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Buenos Aires, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Buenos Aires and Aguascalientes are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Aguascalientes gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.