Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Alert

For one person, living is cheaper in Buenos Aires: $1,656 a month against $2,200 in Alert, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
Learn more

Buenos Aires Living Index
108

Cost of Living Index in Alert
Learn more

Alert Living Index

Jump to prices

Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,656

/mo nomad

Alert

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,200

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,656 per month in Buenos Aires vs $2,200 in Alert, rent included.

Buenos Aires $1,656
Alert $2,200

A couple spends around $2,697 per month in Buenos Aires vs $3,177 in Alert, rent included.

Buenos Aires $2,697
Alert $3,177

A family of three spends $3,737 per month in Buenos Aires vs $4,153 in Alert, rent included.

Buenos Aires $3,737
Alert $4,153

Buenos Aires is about 25% cheaper than Alert, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Buenos Aires and Alert sit above the global median – Buenos Aires by 23%, Alert by 63%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.09 ARS 28.9K

$19.71 CA$28.02

-3.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 ARS 99.5K

$70.3 CA$100.0

-6.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.20 ARS 20.0K

$9.35 CA$13.29

41.18%

Cappuccino

$3.85 ARS 5,821

$3.76 CA$5.35

2.39%

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

$1.99 ARS 3,010

$1.81 CA$2.57

9.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ARS 2,422

$1.81 CA$2.57

-11.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.93 ARS 5,940

$5.04 CA$7.17

-22.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 ARS 6,979

$5.71 CA$8.12

-19.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 ARS 2,264

$1.81 CA$2.58

-17.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 ARS 3,825

$2.67 CA$3.80

-5.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 ARS 2,437

$3.27 CA$4.64

-50.76%

Eggs

$2.84 ARS 4,302

$3.36 CA$4.77

-15.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.30 ARS 15.6K

$9.60 CA$13.65

7.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 ARS 15.1K

$9.93 CA$14.12

0.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.30 ARS 20.1K

$15.03 CA$21.36

-11.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.88 ARS 4,351

$3.50 CA$4.98

-17.71%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 ARS 3,323

$1.11 CA$1.57

98.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.40 ARS 2,113

$3.70 CA$5.26

-62.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 ARS 2,994

$3.68 CA$5.23

-46.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 ARS 1,829

$2.53 CA$3.59

-52.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 ARS 1,904

$2.12 CA$3.01

-40.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 ARS 2,583

$2.35 CA$3.35

-27.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 ARS 2,595

$1.62 CA$2.31

6.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 ARS 6,484

$12.52 CA$17.80

-65.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.70 ARS 8,617

$14.15 CA$20.12

-59.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 ARS 3,277

$2.28 CA$3.24

-4.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ARS 4,174

$3.08 CA$4.38

-10.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ARS 1,137

$2.58 CA$3.66

-70.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.27 ARS 41.3K

$63.7 CA$90.6

-57.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.57 ARS 2,367

$2.57 CA$3.66

-38.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ARS 1,553

$1.31 CA$1.86

-21.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ARS 11.9K

$22.92 CA$32.59

-65.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ARS 2,153

$1.17 CA$1.67

21.37%

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

$27.9K ARS 42.3M

$25.4K CA$36.1K

10.03%

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

$35.0K ARS 52.9M

$21.8K CA$31.0K

60.45%

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

$195 ARS 295.2K

$126 CA$179

54.98%

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

$25.16 ARS 38.0K

$43.61 CA$62.0

-42.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.54 ARS 47.7K

$50.6 CA$72.0

-37.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.9 ARS 77.0K

$36.47 CA$51.9

39.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.73 ARS 25.3K

$18.78 CA$26.71

-10.92%

Cinema Ticket

$10.34 ARS 15.6K

$11.71 CA$16.65

-11.70%

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

$463 ARS 700.9K

$637 CA$905

-27.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,793 ARS 13.3M

$11.2K CA$16.0K

-21.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$120 ARS 181.2K

$48.27 CA$68.6

148.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$95.5 ARS 144.4K

$38.59 CA$54.9

147.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 ARS 172.6K

$86.7 CA$123

31.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 ARS 210.7K

$90.4 CA$129

54.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 ARS 1.1M

$1,097 CA$1,560

-31.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$520 ARS 786.2K

$1,097 CA$1,560

-52.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,590 ARS 2.4M

$1,981 CA$2,816

-19.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,198 ARS 1.8M

$1,616 CA$2,298

-25.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,713 ARS 4.1M

$4,460 CA$6,341

-39.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,901 ARS 2.9M

$3,454 CA$4,911

-44.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$938 ARS 1.4M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

4.66

1128.54%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 11, 2026

Last update for Alert: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$520 31.4%

Alert

$1.1K 49.9% 111% $578

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$283 17.1%

Alert

$339 15.4% 19.6% $55

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$282 17%

Alert

$282 12.8% 0.1% $0.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$252 15.2%

Alert

$220 10% 12.6% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$211 12.7%

Alert

$119 5.4% 43.7% $92

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$72 4.3%

Alert

$60 2.7% 16.4% $12

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2%

Alert

$83 3.8% 125% $46

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $756 in Buenos Aires versus $1,097 in Alert. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $66.0 in Buenos Aires versus $70.0 in Alert. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $283 vs $339 – making Buenos Aires the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇨🇦 Alert

🕒 Local time

19:22 7:22 PM

18:22 6:22 PM

1 h behind Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.61 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.91 EUR

1 CAD = 0.703 USD

1 CAD = 0.628 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to ARS – Argentine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇷 Argentine Peso ($)

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 1,513 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.61 USD). 1 EUR = 1,693 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.91 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.628 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Buenos Aires Alert 13,020 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Buenos Aires
Alert

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 Alert: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,656 in Buenos Aires, $2,200 in Alert – roughly 33% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,484 per month in Buenos Aires and $3,300 in Alert. 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.

Groceries cost about 20% more in Alert, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $66.0 in Buenos Aires and $70.0 in Alert. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Buenos Aires, where all-in costs run around $1,656, than in Alert at $2,200. In Buenos Aires it covers expenses comfortably, while in Alert 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 $2,200 in Alert. 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, Alert makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.