Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Barranquilla

For one person, living is cheaper in Barranquilla: $1,439 a month against $1,685 in Buenos Aires, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 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
70

Cost of Living Index in Barranquilla
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Barranquilla Living Index

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Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,685

/mo nomad

Barranquilla

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,439

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,685 per month in Buenos Aires vs $1,439 in Barranquilla, rent included.

Buenos Aires $1,685
Barranquilla $1,439

A couple spends around $2,742 per month in Buenos Aires vs $2,247 in Barranquilla, rent included.

Buenos Aires $2,742
Barranquilla $2,247

A family of three spends $3,799 per month in Buenos Aires vs $3,056 in Barranquilla, rent included.

Buenos Aires $3,799
Barranquilla $3,056

Buenos Aires costs about 17% more than Barranquilla, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Buenos Aires and Barranquilla sit above the global median – Buenos Aires by 26%, Barranquilla by 7%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.73 ARS 28.4K

$8.66 COP 27.6K

116.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 ARS 97.8K

$62.1 COP 198.0K

3.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.88 ARS 19.5K

$13.40 COP 42.7K

-3.88%

Cappuccino

$3.98 ARS 6,029

$2.62 COP 8,356

51.91%

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

$2.05 ARS 3,103

$1.35 COP 4,298

51.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 ARS 2,349

$1.23 COP 3,929

26.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.84 ARS 5,830

$3.04 COP 9,679

26.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 ARS 6,970

$7.70 COP 24.5K

-40.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 ARS 2,181

$0.90 COP 2,875

60.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 ARS 3,738

$1.24 COP 3,966

98.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 ARS 2,467

$1.52 COP 4,834

7.24%

Eggs

$2.89 ARS 4,385

$2.04 COP 6,509

41.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.65 ARS 16.1K

$4.77 COP 15.2K

123.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

$17.28 COP 55.1K

-42.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.74 ARS 20.8K

$6.84 COP 21.8K

100.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ARS 4,166

$2.19 COP 6,985

25.57%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 ARS 3,300

$0.95 COP 3,031

129.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 ARS 2,205

$0.58 COP 1,862

150.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ARS 3,013

$1.87 COP 5,948

6.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ARS 1,885

$1.20 COP 3,831

3.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 ARS 1,921

$0.95 COP 3,019

33.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 ARS 2,575

$1.25 COP 3,971

36.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 ARS 2,617

$0.95 COP 3,017

82.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.18 ARS 6,337

$5.02 COP 16.0K

-16.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.80 ARS 8,790

$12.31 COP 39.2K

-52.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 ARS 3,163

$1.50 COP 4,783

39.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 ARS 4,198

$4.52 COP 14.4K

-38.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ARS 1,132

$1.13 COP 3,615

-33.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.15 ARS 41.2K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.62 ARS 2,451

$3.31 COP 10.6K

-51.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 ARS 1,481

$3.01 COP 9,582

-67.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.72 ARS 11.7K

$15.51 COP 49.4K

-50.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ARS 2,058

$1.29 COP 4,122

5.43%

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

$28.0K ARS 42.5M

$21.3K COP 68.0M

31.31%

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

$34.5K ARS 52.4M

$27.9K COP 88.9M

23.76%

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

$216 ARS 326.9K

$148 COP 471.7K

45.63%

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

$25.61 ARS 38.8K

$14.29 COP 45.5K

79.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.36 ARS 47.6K

$32.19 COP 102.6K

-2.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.82 ARS 75.6K

$33.20 COP 105.8K

50.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 ARS 25.9K

Cinema Ticket

$10.43 ARS 15.8K

$4.47 COP 14.2K

133.33%

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

$466 ARS 706.7K

$301 COP 959.1K

54.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,057 ARS 13.7M

$4,623 COP 14.7M

95.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$122 ARS 185.2K

$109 COP 346.3K

12.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$97.4 ARS 147.8K

$46.51 COP 148.2K

109.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ARS 177.4K

$181 COP 577.5K

-35.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 ARS 211.9K

$245 COP 781.3K

-43.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$763 ARS 1.2M

$760 COP 2.4M

0.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$505 ARS 766.1K

$489 COP 1.6M

3.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,598 ARS 2.4M

$796 COP 2.5M

100.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,185 ARS 1.8M

$883 COP 2.8M

34.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,678 ARS 4.1M

$1,793 COP 5.7M

49.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,858 ARS 2.8M

$616 COP 2.0M

201.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$954 ARS 1.4M

$502 COP 1.6M

90.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

472.50%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 6, 2026

Last update for Barranquilla: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$505 30.4%

Barranquilla

$489 33.9% 3.2% $16

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$284 17.1%

Barranquilla

$248 17.2% 12.6% $36

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$279 16.8%

Barranquilla

$182 12.6% 34.8% $97

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$273 16.4%

Barranquilla

$195 13.5% 28.6% $78

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$214 12.9%

Barranquilla

$262 18.2% 22.1% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$71 4.3%

Barranquilla

$42 2.9% 40.4% $29

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2%

Barranquilla

$23 * 1.6% 37.5% $14

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 $760 in Barranquilla. 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 90% 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 $62.0 in Barranquilla. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $284 vs $248 – making Barranquilla the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇨🇴 Barranquilla

🕒 Local time

05:34 5:34 AM

03:34 3:34 AM

2 h behind Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

1,327,209

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.14 USD

10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR 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).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3,187 COP (10,000 COP = 3.14 USD). 1 EUR = 3,574 COP (10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Buenos Aires Barranquilla 5,360 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Buenos Aires
Barranquilla

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 Barranquilla: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires costs about 17% more than Barranquilla, 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 $2,158 in Barranquilla. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Barranquilla, 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 $1,685 in Buenos Aires and $1,439 in Barranquilla. That's a gap of about 17%.

Kindergarten costs $466 per month in Buenos Aires and $301 in Barranquilla. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Barranquilla, where all-in costs run around $1,439, than in Buenos Aires at $1,685. In Barranquilla 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. Barranquilla costs $1,439 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 Barranquilla. 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.