Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Arequipa

For one person, living is cheaper in Arequipa: $719 a month against $1,685 in Buenos Aires, rent and utilities included – about $11,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

81

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
Learn more

Buenos Aires Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in Arequipa
Learn more

Arequipa Living Index

Jump to prices

Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,685

/mo nomad

Arequipa

🇵🇪 Peru

$719

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,685 per month in Buenos Aires vs $719 in Arequipa, rent included.

Buenos Aires $1,685
Arequipa $719

A couple spends around $2,742 per month in Buenos Aires vs $1,114 in Arequipa, rent included.

Buenos Aires $2,742
Arequipa $1,114

A family of three spends $3,799 per month in Buenos Aires vs $1,510 in Arequipa, rent included.

Buenos Aires $3,799
Arequipa $1,510

Buenos Aires costs about 135% more than Arequipa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Buenos Aires sits 26% above the global median, while Arequipa is 46% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.73 ARS 28.4K

$3.41 PEN 11.73

449.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 ARS 97.7K

$27.27 PEN 93.8

136.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.88 ARS 19.5K

$5.68 PEN 19.53

126.76%

Cappuccino

$3.98 ARS 6,027

$2.47 PEN 8.48

61.13%

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

$2.05 ARS 3,102

$0.82 PEN 2.82

150.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 ARS 2,348

$0.38 PEN 1.32

307.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.84 ARS 5,828

$2.07 PEN 7.12

85.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 ARS 6,968

$4.40 PEN 15.13

4.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 ARS 2,180

$1.33 PEN 4.59

8.27%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 ARS 3,737

$1.36 PEN 4.69

80.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 ARS 2,466

$1.52 PEN 5.22

7.24%

Eggs

$2.89 ARS 4,384

$2.25 PEN 7.75

28.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.65 ARS 16.1K

$6.39 PEN 21.97

66.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

$4.37 PEN 15.04

128.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.74 ARS 20.8K

$7.48 PEN 25.74

83.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ARS 4,165

$1.77 PEN 6.09

55.37%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 ARS 3,299

$1.22 PEN 4.20

78.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 ARS 2,204

$1.13 PEN 3.90

28.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ARS 3,012

$1.03 PEN 3.53

93.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ARS 1,884

$0.64 PEN 2.20

93.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 ARS 1,920

$0.67 PEN 2.31

89.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 ARS 2,574

$0.54 PEN 1.87

214.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 ARS 2,616

$0.76 PEN 2.61

127.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.18 ARS 6,335

$5.18 PEN 17.82

-19.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.80 ARS 8,787

$5.04 PEN 17.32

15.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 ARS 3,162

$2.72 PEN 9.37

-23.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 ARS 4,197

$2.20 PEN 7.58

25.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ARS 1,131

$0.28 PEN 0.95

167.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.15 ARS 41.2K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.62 ARS 2,450

$2.01 PEN 6.90

-19.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 ARS 1,480

$1.97 PEN 6.78

-50.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.72 ARS 11.7K

$13.00 PEN 44.70

-40.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ARS 2,057

$1.53 PEN 5.28

-11.11%

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

$28.0K ARS 42.5M

$19.2K PEN 65.9K

46.11%

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

$34.5K ARS 52.3M

$25.0K PEN 86.1K

37.90%

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

$216 ARS 326.8K

$24.05 PEN 82.7

796.34%

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

$25.61 ARS 38.8K

$10.15 PEN 34.91

152.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.36 ARS 47.5K

$23.01 PEN 79.2

36.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.82 ARS 75.5K

$25.05 PEN 86.2

98.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 ARS 25.9K

$8.13 PEN 27.97

109.84%

Cinema Ticket

$10.43 ARS 15.8K

$7.41 PEN 25.48

40.76%

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

$466 ARS 706.5K

$74.8 PEN 257

523.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,057 ARS 13.7M

$6,596 PEN 22.7K

37.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$122 ARS 185.1K

$48.85 PEN 168

149.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$97.4 ARS 147.7K

$26.46 PEN 91.0

268.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ARS 177.3K

$68.0 PEN 234

72.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 ARS 211.8K

$57.3 PEN 197

143.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$763 ARS 1.2M

$354 PEN 1,217

115.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$505 ARS 765.8K

$236 PEN 812

114.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,598 ARS 2.4M

$714 PEN 2,458

123.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,185 ARS 1.8M

$418 PEN 1,436

183.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,678 ARS 4.1M

$1,991 PEN 6,847

34.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,858 ARS 2.8M

$974 PEN 3,351

90.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$954 ARS 1.4M

$617 PEN 2,122

54.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

281.67%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 6, 2026

Last update for Arequipa: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$505 30.4%

Arequipa

$236 33.3% 53.3% $269

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$284 17.1%

Arequipa

$174 24.6% 38.7% $110

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$279 16.8%

Arequipa

$98 13.8% 64.9% $181

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$273 16.4%

Arequipa

$57 8.1% 79% $215

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$214 12.9%

Arequipa

$90 12.7% 57.9% $124

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$71 4.3%

Arequipa

$40 5.6% 43.6% $31

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2%

Arequipa

$13 * 1.8% 64.6% $24

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $763 in Buenos Aires versus $354 in Arequipa. 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 55% higher in Buenos Aires, 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 $27.00 in Arequipa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $284 vs $174 – making Arequipa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇵🇪 Arequipa

🕒 Local time

00:49 12:49 AM

22:49 10:49 PM

2 h behind Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

17,062

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.6 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PEN, USD, EUR to ARS – Argentine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇷 Argentine Peso ($)

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,516 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.6 USD). 1 EUR = 1,700 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR).

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.44 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Buenos Aires Arequipa 2,410 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Buenos Aires
Arequipa

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 Arequipa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires costs about 135% more than Arequipa, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,528 per month in Buenos Aires and $1,078 in Arequipa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Arequipa, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $64.0 in Buenos Aires and $27.00 in Arequipa. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 63% more in Buenos Aires, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Arequipa, where all-in costs run around $719, than in Buenos Aires at $1,685. In Arequipa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Buenos Aires it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Arequipa costs $719 versus $1,685 in Buenos Aires. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Arequipa. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Buenos Aires makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.