Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Ahuachapan

For one person, living is cheaper in Buenos Aires: $1,656 a month against $1,820 in Ahuachapan, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ahuachapan outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

80

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
Learn more

Buenos Aires Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Ahuachapan
Learn more

Ahuachapan Living Index

Jump to prices

Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,656

/mo nomad

Ahuachapan

🇸🇻 El Salvador

$1,820

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Ahuachapan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,656 per month in Buenos Aires vs $1,820 in Ahuachapan, rent included.

Buenos Aires $1,656
Ahuachapan $1,820

A couple spends around $2,697 per month in Buenos Aires vs $2,009 in Ahuachapan, rent included.

Buenos Aires $2,697
Ahuachapan $2,009

A family of three spends $3,737 per month in Buenos Aires vs $2,199 in Ahuachapan, rent included.

Buenos Aires $3,737
Ahuachapan $2,199

Buenos Aires is about 9% cheaper than Ahuachapan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Buenos Aires and Ahuachapan sit above the global median – Buenos Aires by 23%, Ahuachapan by 35%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.09 ARS 28.9K

$6.88 $6.88

177.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 ARS 99.6K

$45.68 $45.68

44.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.20 ARS 20.0K

$6.90 $6.90

91.30%

Cappuccino

$3.85 ARS 5,823

$3.56 $3.56

8.15%

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

$1.99 ARS 3,011

$1.16 $1.16

71.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ARS 2,423

$0.81 $0.81

97.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.93 ARS 5,942

$1.97 $1.97

99.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 ARS 6,982

$3.48 $3.48

32.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 ARS 2,265

$1.83 $1.83

-18.03%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 ARS 3,826

$2.93 $2.93

-13.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 ARS 2,438

$1.37 $1.37

17.52%

Eggs

$2.84 ARS 4,303

$2.99 $2.99

-5.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.30 ARS 15.6K

$7.89 $7.89

30.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 ARS 15.1K

$6.80 $6.80

47.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.30 ARS 20.1K

$10.28 $10.28

29.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.88 ARS 4,353

$4.97 $4.97

-42.05%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 ARS 3,324

$1.37 $1.37

60.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.40 ARS 2,114

$2.64 $2.64

-46.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 ARS 2,995

$3.47 $3.47

-42.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 ARS 1,830

$2.95 $2.95

-58.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 ARS 1,905

$3.20 $3.20

-60.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 ARS 2,584

$1.04 $1.04

64.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 ARS 2,596

$0.96 $0.96

79.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 ARS 6,486

$3.99 $3.99

7.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.70 ARS 8,619

$11.98 $11.98

-52.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 ARS 3,278

$2.21 $2.21

-1.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ARS 4,175

$2.92 $2.92

-5.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ARS 1,137

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.27 ARS 41.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.57 ARS 2,368

$5.88 $5.88

-73.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ARS 1,554

$2.94 $2.94

-64.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ARS 11.9K

$19.78 $19.78

-60.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ARS 2,154

$1.23 $1.23

15.45%

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

$27.9K ARS 42.3M

$25.4K $25.4K

9.97%

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

$35.0K ARS 52.9M

$27.3K $27.3K

28.13%

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

$195 ARS 295.3K

$128 $128

52.08%

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

$25.16 ARS 38.1K

$21.64 $21.64

16.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.54 ARS 47.7K

$41.76 $41.76

-24.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.9 ARS 77.0K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.73 ARS 25.3K

Cinema Ticket

$10.34 ARS 15.6K

$5.03 $5.03

105.57%

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

$463 ARS 701.1K

$163 $163

183.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,793 ARS 13.3M

$4,780 $4,780

83.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$120 ARS 181.3K

$67.9 $67.9

76.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$95.5 ARS 144.5K

$46.65 $46.65

104.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 ARS 172.6K

$118 $118

-3.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 ARS 210.8K

$115 $115

20.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 ARS 1.1M

$525 $525

44.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$520 ARS 786.5K

$1,011 $1,011

-48.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,590 ARS 2.4M

$374 $374

325.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,198 ARS 1.8M

$401 $401

198.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,713 ARS 4.1M

$3,151 $3,151

-13.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,901 ARS 2.9M

$1,317 $1,317

44.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$938 ARS 1.4M

$562 $562

66.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

8.5

573.53%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 11, 2026

Last update for Ahuachapan: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$520 31.4%

Ahuachapan

$1K 55.6% 94.5% $491

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$283 17.1%

Ahuachapan

$286 15.7% 1.1% $3

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$282 17%

Ahuachapan

$143 7.9% 49.2% $138

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$252 15.2%

Ahuachapan

$192 10.5% 23.9% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$211 12.7%

Ahuachapan

$156 8.6% 25.9% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$72 4.3%

Ahuachapan

$10 * 0.6% 85.9% $62

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2%

Ahuachapan

$21 * 1.1% 44.3% $16

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $756 in Buenos Aires versus $525 in Ahuachapan. 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 67% higher in Buenos Aires, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $66.0 in Buenos Aires versus $46.00 in Ahuachapan. Groceries tell a different story – $283 in Buenos Aires vs $286 in Ahuachapan – so Buenos Aires wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇸🇻 Ahuachapan

🕒 Local time

19:13 7:13 PM

16:13 4:13 PM

3 h behind Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

110,511

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.61 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.9 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to ARS – Argentine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇷 Argentine Peso ($)

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 1,513 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.61 USD). 1 EUR = 1,696 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.9 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Buenos Aires Ahuachapan 6,330 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Buenos Aires
Ahuachapan

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 Ahuachapan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,656 in Buenos Aires, $1,820 in Ahuachapan – roughly 10% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,484 per month in Buenos Aires and $2,729 in Ahuachapan. 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 $1,656 in Buenos Aires and $1,820 in Ahuachapan. That's a gap of about 10%.

Kindergarten costs $463 per month in Buenos Aires and $163 in Ahuachapan. 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 $1,656, than in Ahuachapan at $1,820. In Buenos Aires it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ahuachapan it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Buenos Aires has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,656 in Buenos Aires to $1,820 in Ahuachapan. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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, Ahuachapan makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.