Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Alberton

For one person, living is cheaper in Alberton: $1,220 a month against $1,656 in Buenos Aires, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
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Buenos Aires Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Alberton
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Alberton Living Index

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Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,656

/mo nomad

Alberton

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,220

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,656 in Buenos Aires versus $1,220 in Alberton.

Buenos Aires $1,656
Alberton $1,220

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,697 in Buenos Aires versus $1,993 in Alberton.

Buenos Aires $2,697
Alberton $1,993

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,737 in Buenos Aires versus $2,766 in Alberton.

Buenos Aires $3,737
Alberton $2,766

Living in Buenos Aires is roughly 36% more expensive than in Alberton, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Buenos Aires is 23% above, Alberton is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.09 ARS 29.0K

$8.95 R 147

113.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 ARS 99.9K

$36.18 R 596

81.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.20 ARS 20.0K

$5.04 R 83.1

161.90%

Cappuccino

$3.85 ARS 5,841

$2.31 R 38.09

66.67%

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

$1.99 ARS 3,020

$1.09 R 17.90

82.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ARS 2,430

$0.88 R 14.48

81.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.93 ARS 5,959

$2.49 R 41.05

57.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 ARS 7,003

$2.40 R 39.55

92.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 ARS 2,272

$1.17 R 19.25

28.21%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 ARS 3,837

$1.13 R 18.64

123.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 ARS 2,445

$1.83 R 30.13

-12.02%

Eggs

$2.84 ARS 4,316

$2.33 R 38.41

21.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.30 ARS 15.6K

$8.31 R 137

23.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

$4.83 R 79.6

107.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.30 ARS 20.2K

$5.88 R 96.9

126.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.88 ARS 4,366

$1.78 R 29.39

61.80%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 ARS 3,334

$1.60 R 26.31

37.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.40 ARS 2,120

$1.75 R 28.79

-20.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 ARS 3,004

$1.57 R 25.82

26.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 ARS 1,835

$1.11 R 18.29

9.01%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 ARS 1,910

$1.18 R 19.42

6.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 ARS 2,592

$1.17 R 19.26

46.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 ARS 2,603

$0.93 R 15.28

84.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 ARS 6,505

$3.01 R 49.64

42.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.70 ARS 8,645

$3.09 R 51.0

84.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 ARS 3,288

$1.29 R 21.23

68.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ARS 4,188

$1.35 R 22.19

104.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ARS 1,141

$3.10 R 51.0

-75.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.27 ARS 41.4K

$123 R 2,029

-77.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.57 ARS 2,375

$0.29 R 4.73

441.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ARS 1,558

$0.82 R 13.57

25.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ARS 12.0K

$14.23 R 234

-44.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ARS 2,160

$1.41 R 23.19

0.71%

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

$27.9K ARS 42.4M

$30.5K R 502.4K

-8.34%

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

$35.0K ARS 53.1M

$33.9K R 558.4K

3.17%

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

$195 ARS 296.2K

$152 R 2,502

28.56%

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

$25.16 ARS 38.2K

$36.73 R 605

-31.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.54 ARS 47.9K

$37.80 R 623

-16.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.9 ARS 77.3K

$39.90 R 657

27.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.73 ARS 25.4K

$15.24 R 251

9.78%

Cinema Ticket

$10.34 ARS 15.7K

$6.02 R 99.1

71.76%

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

$463 ARS 703.2K

$152 R 2,500

205.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,793 ARS 13.3M

$1,781 R 29.3K

393.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$120 ARS 181.8K

$52.5 R 865

128.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$95.5 ARS 144.9K

$31.76 R 523

200.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 ARS 173.1K

$91.2 R 1,503

25.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 ARS 211.4K

$84.2 R 1,387

65.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 ARS 1.1M

$445 R 7,335

69.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$520 ARS 788.8K

$369 R 6,077

40.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,590 ARS 2.4M

$945 R 15.6K

68.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,198 ARS 1.8M

$964 R 15.9K

24.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,713 ARS 4.1M

$718 R 11.8K

277.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,901 ARS 2.9M

$604 R 9,954

214.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$938 ARS 1.4M

$2,078 R 34.2K

-54.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

11.34

404.85%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 11, 2026

Last update for Alberton: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$520 31.4%

Alberton

$369 30.2% 29% $151

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$283 17.1%

Alberton

$177 14.5% 37.7% $107

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$282 17%

Alberton

$140 11.4% 50.4% $142

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$252 15.2%

Alberton

$226 18.6% 10.1% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$211 12.7%

Alberton

$117 9.6% 44.6% $94

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$72 4.3%

Alberton

$52 4.3% 27.5% $20

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2%

Alberton

$140 11.5% 278% $103

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $756 in Buenos Aires and $445 in Alberton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Alberton pays 122% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $66.0 in Buenos Aires vs $36.00 in Alberton for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $177 per month, with Alberton cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇿🇦 Alberton

🕒 Local time

04:52 4:52 AM

09:52 9:52 AM

5 h ahead of Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

121,536

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to ARS – Argentine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇷 Argentine Peso ($)

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,706 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Buenos Aires Alberton 8,100 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Buenos Aires
Alberton

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 Alberton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Alberton is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 36% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 122% lower in Alberton. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $756 in Buenos Aires versus $445 in Alberton. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 60% higher in Buenos Aires. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Alberton – a meal for two runs $36.00 versus $66.0 in Buenos Aires. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,220 in Alberton versus $1,656 in Buenos Aires, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Alberton but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes Alberton the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Alberton 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 Alberton 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 Alberton gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.