Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Amsterdam

For one person, living is cheaper in Buenos Aires: $1,685 a month against $3,504 in Amsterdam, rent and utilities included – about $21,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

81

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
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Buenos Aires Living Index
169

Cost of Living Index in Amsterdam
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Amsterdam Living Index

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Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,685

/mo nomad

Amsterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,504

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,685 per month in Buenos Aires vs $3,504 in Amsterdam, rent included.

Buenos Aires $1,685
Amsterdam $3,504

A couple spends around $2,742 per month in Buenos Aires vs $5,010 in Amsterdam, rent included.

Buenos Aires $2,742
Amsterdam $5,010

A family of three spends $3,799 per month in Buenos Aires vs $6,516 in Amsterdam, rent included.

Buenos Aires $3,799
Amsterdam $6,516

Buenos Aires is about 52% cheaper than Amsterdam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Buenos Aires and Amsterdam sit above the global median – Buenos Aires by 26%, Amsterdam by 161%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.73 ARS 28.4K

$22.37 €19.96

-16.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 ARS 97.8K

$91.0 €81.2

-29.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.88 ARS 19.5K

$15.36 €13.71

-16.15%

Cappuccino

$3.98 ARS 6,029

$4.60 €4.11

-13.48%

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

$2.05 ARS 3,103

$3.74 €3.33

-45.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 ARS 2,349

$3.03 €2.70

-48.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.84 ARS 5,830

$7.41 €6.62

-48.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 ARS 6,970

$5.68 €5.07

-19.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 ARS 2,181

$1.52 €1.36

-5.26%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 ARS 3,738

$2.38 €2.13

3.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 ARS 2,467

$2.54 €2.26

-35.83%

Eggs

$2.89 ARS 4,385

$5.24 €4.68

-44.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.65 ARS 16.1K

$16.95 €15.13

-37.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

$13.41 €11.97

-25.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.74 ARS 20.8K

$23.00 €20.53

-40.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ARS 4,166

$2.75 €2.45

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 ARS 3,300

$2.83 €2.52

-22.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 ARS 2,205

$2.63 €2.35

-44.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ARS 3,013

$3.87 €3.45

-48.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ARS 1,885

$2.39 €2.13

-48.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 ARS 1,921

$1.71 €1.53

-25.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 ARS 2,575

$1.43 €1.28

18.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 ARS 2,617

$1.78 €1.59

-2.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.18 ARS 6,337

$14.48 €12.92

-71.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.80 ARS 8,790

$9.21 €8.22

-37.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 ARS 3,163

$1.78 €1.59

17.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 ARS 4,198

$2.53 €2.26

9.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ARS 1,132

$3.72 €3.32

-79.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.15 ARS 41.2K

$116 €104

-76.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.62 ARS 2,451

$4.70 €4.19

-65.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 ARS 1,481

$3.40 €3.04

-71.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.72 ARS 11.7K

$38.74 €34.57

-80.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ARS 2,058

$2.61 €2.33

-47.89%

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

$28.0K ARS 42.5M

$41.7K €37.2K

-32.78%

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

$34.5K ARS 52.4M

$38.2K €34.1K

-9.50%

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

$216 ARS 326.9K

$298 €266

-27.62%

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

$25.61 ARS 38.8K

$22.98 €20.51

11.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.36 ARS 47.6K

$53.0 €47.26

-40.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.82 ARS 75.6K

$60.4 €53.9

-17.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 ARS 25.9K

$35.40 €31.59

-51.81%

Cinema Ticket

$10.43 ARS 15.8K

$16.86 €15.05

-38.14%

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

$466 ARS 706.7K

$2,764 €2,466

-83.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,057 ARS 13.7M

$17.1K €15.3K

-47.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$122 ARS 185.2K

$93.3 €83.2

30.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$97.4 ARS 147.8K

$41.20 €36.77

136.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ARS 177.4K

$100 €89.3

16.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 ARS 211.9K

$133 €119

5.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$763 ARS 1.2M

$2,605 €2,325

-70.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$505 ARS 766.1K

$1,927 €1,720

-73.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,598 ARS 2.4M

$3,903 €3,483

-59.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,185 ARS 1.8M

$3,115 €2,780

-61.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,678 ARS 4.1M

$10.3K €9,201

-74.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,858 ARS 2.8M

$6,540 €5,836

-71.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$954 ARS 1.4M

$4,524 €4,038

-78.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

3.27

1650.76%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 6, 2026

Last update for Amsterdam: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$505 30.4%

Amsterdam

$1.9K 55.8% 282% $1.4K

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$284 17.1%

Amsterdam

$388 11.2% 36.5% $104

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$279 16.8%

Amsterdam

$356 10.3% 27.5% $77

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$273 16.4%

Amsterdam

$374 10.8% 37.2% $101

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$214 12.9%

Amsterdam

$165 4.8% 22.8% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$71 4.3%

Amsterdam

$94 2.7% 33.2% $23

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2%

Amsterdam

$153 4.4% 317% $116

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $763 in Buenos Aires versus $2,605 in Amsterdam. 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 374% higher in Amsterdam, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $64.0 in Buenos Aires versus $91.0 in Amsterdam. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $284 vs $388 – making Buenos Aires the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇳🇱 Amsterdam

🕒 Local time

04:04 4:04 AM

09:04 9:04 AM

5 h ahead of Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

881,933 Capital

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD 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).

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Buenos Aires Amsterdam 11,450 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Buenos Aires
Amsterdam

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 Amsterdam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Amsterdam is pricier by about 108%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,528 per month in Buenos Aires and $5,255 in Amsterdam. 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.

Public transport costs about 328% less in Buenos Aires. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $466 per month in Buenos Aires and $2,764 in Amsterdam. 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 $1,685, than in Amsterdam at $3,504. In Buenos Aires it covers expenses comfortably, while in Amsterdam it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Buenos Aires – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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