Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Bellinzona

For one person, living is cheaper in Buenos Aires: $1,656 a month against $3,509 in Bellinzona, rent and utilities included – about $22,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
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Buenos Aires Living Index
171

Cost of Living Index in Bellinzona
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Bellinzona Living Index

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Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,656

/mo nomad

Bellinzona

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,509

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,656 per month in Buenos Aires vs $3,509 in Bellinzona, rent included.

Buenos Aires $1,656
Bellinzona $3,509

A couple spends around $2,697 per month in Buenos Aires vs $5,423 in Bellinzona, rent included.

Buenos Aires $2,697
Bellinzona $5,423

A family of three spends $3,737 per month in Buenos Aires vs $7,337 in Bellinzona, rent included.

Buenos Aires $3,737
Bellinzona $7,337

Buenos Aires is about 53% cheaper than Bellinzona, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Buenos Aires and Bellinzona sit above the global median – Buenos Aires by 23%, Bellinzona by 160%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.09 ARS 29.0K

$34.40 CHF 28.33

-44.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 ARS 99.9K

$120 CHF 98.7

-45.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.20 ARS 20.0K

$17.66 CHF 14.54

-25.25%

Cappuccino

$3.85 ARS 5,841

$4.85 CHF 4.00

-20.62%

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

$1.99 ARS 3,020

$5.55 CHF 4.57

-64.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ARS 2,430

$4.42 CHF 3.64

-63.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.93 ARS 5,959

$9.51 CHF 7.83

-58.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 ARS 7,003

$6.68 CHF 5.50

-30.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 ARS 2,272

$2.23 CHF 1.83

-32.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 ARS 3,837

$4.18 CHF 3.44

-39.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 ARS 2,445

$4.11 CHF 3.38

-60.83%

Eggs

$2.84 ARS 4,316

$7.89 CHF 6.50

-64.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.30 ARS 15.6K

$27.08 CHF 22.30

-61.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

$30.85 CHF 25.41

-67.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.30 ARS 20.2K

$41.72 CHF 34.36

-68.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.88 ARS 4,366

$3.64 CHF 3.00

-20.88%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 ARS 3,334

$2.02 CHF 1.66

8.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.40 ARS 2,120

$2.70 CHF 2.23

-48.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 ARS 3,004

$6.45 CHF 5.31

-69.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 ARS 1,835

$1.97 CHF 1.62

-38.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 ARS 1,910

$2.09 CHF 1.72

-39.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 ARS 2,592

$2.45 CHF 2.02

-30.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 ARS 2,603

$1.28 CHF 1.06

34.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 ARS 6,505

$10.61 CHF 8.74

-59.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.70 ARS 8,645

$17.75 CHF 14.62

-67.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 ARS 3,288

$2.87 CHF 2.36

-24.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ARS 4,188

$3.92 CHF 3.22

-29.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ARS 1,141

$2.78 CHF 2.29

-73.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.27 ARS 41.4K

$121 CHF 99.7

-77.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.57 ARS 2,375

$7.24 CHF 5.97

-78.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ARS 1,558

$5.67 CHF 4.67

-81.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ARS 12.0K

$36.42 CHF 30.00

-78.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ARS 2,160

$2.29 CHF 1.89

-37.99%

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

$27.9K ARS 42.4M

$35.1K CHF 28.9K

-20.48%

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

$35.0K ARS 53.1M

$39.1K CHF 32.2K

-10.65%

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

$195 ARS 296.2K

$300 CHF 247

-34.98%

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

$25.16 ARS 38.2K

$35.26 CHF 29.04

-28.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.54 ARS 47.9K

$62.5 CHF 51.4

-49.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.9 ARS 77.3K

$143 CHF 117

-64.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.73 ARS 25.4K

$54.2 CHF 44.66

-69.15%

Cinema Ticket

$10.34 ARS 15.7K

$23.18 CHF 19.09

-55.39%

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

$463 ARS 703.2K

$3,198 CHF 2,634

-85.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,793 ARS 13.3M

$34.8K CHF 28.7K

-74.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$120 ARS 181.8K

$200 CHF 165

-40.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$95.5 ARS 144.9K

$48.63 CHF 40.05

96.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 ARS 173.1K

$164 CHF 135

-30.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 ARS 211.4K

$165 CHF 136

-15.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 ARS 1.1M

$1,569 CHF 1,292

-51.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$520 ARS 788.8K

$1,368 CHF 1,127

-62.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,590 ARS 2.4M

$2,485 CHF 2,047

-36.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,198 ARS 1.8M

$2,459 CHF 2,025

-51.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,713 ARS 4.1M

$13.2K CHF 10.9K

-79.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,901 ARS 2.9M

$10.3K CHF 8,443

-81.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$938 ARS 1.4M

$6,494 CHF 5,349

-85.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

2.23

2467.26%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 11, 2026

Last update for Bellinzona: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$520 31.4%

Bellinzona

$1.4K 39% 163% $849

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$283 17.1%

Bellinzona

$639 18.2% 126% $356

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$282 17%

Bellinzona

$487 13.9% 72.9% $205

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$252 15.2%

Bellinzona

$398 11.3% 58% $146

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$211 12.7%

Bellinzona

$260 7.4% 23.3% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$72 4.3%

Bellinzona

$189 5.4% 164% $117

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2%

Bellinzona

$168 4.8% 353% $131

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $756 in Buenos Aires versus $1,569 in Bellinzona. 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 593% higher in Bellinzona, 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 $66.0 in Buenos Aires versus $120 in Bellinzona. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $283 vs $639 – making Buenos Aires the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇨🇭 Bellinzona

🕒 Local time

02:38 2:38 AM

07:38 7:38 AM

5 h ahead of Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

43,785

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CHF, USD, EUR to ARS – Argentine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇷 Argentine Peso ($)

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,706 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.824 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.926 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Buenos Aires Bellinzona 11,240 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Buenos Aires
Bellinzona

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 Bellinzona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,656 in Buenos Aires, $3,509 in Bellinzona – roughly 112% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,484 per month in Buenos Aires and $5,264 in Bellinzona. 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,656 in Buenos Aires and $3,509 in Bellinzona. That's a gap of about 112%.

Public transport costs about 344% less in Buenos Aires. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Buenos Aires, where all-in costs run around $1,656, than in Bellinzona at $3,509. In Buenos Aires it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bellinzona 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 $3,509 in Bellinzona. 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, Bellinzona makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.