Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and the Canaries

For one person, living is cheaper in the Canaries: $187 a month against $1,646 in Buenos Aires, rent and utilities included – about $17,500 less a year.

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Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
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Buenos Aires Living Index

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Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,646

/mo nomad

Canaries

🇱🇨 Saint Lucia

$187

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Buenos Aires and in the Canaries

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,646 in Buenos Aires versus $187 in the Canaries.

Buenos Aires $1,646
Canaries $187

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,680 in Buenos Aires versus $275 in the Canaries.

Buenos Aires $2,680
Canaries $275

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,714 in Buenos Aires versus $364 in the Canaries.

Buenos Aires $3,714
Canaries $364

Living in Buenos Aires is roughly 778% more expensive than in the Canaries, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Buenos Aires is 21% above, Canaries is 86% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.81 ARS 27.0K

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.2 ARS 98.9K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.12 ARS 19.9K

Cappuccino

$3.86 ARS 5,863

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

$2.06 ARS 3,133

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 ARS 2,542

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.10 ARS 6,218

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.73 ARS 7,181

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 ARS 2,285

White Bread (500g)

$2.60 ARS 3,950

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 ARS 2,380

Eggs

$2.73 ARS 4,144

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.86 ARS 16.5K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.07 ARS 15.3K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.22 ARS 20.1K

Apples (1kg)

$2.80 ARS 4,255

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 ARS 3,170

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 ARS 2,194

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 ARS 3,040

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 ARS 1,826

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 ARS 1,821

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.69 ARS 2,569

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 ARS 2,711

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.00 ARS 6,074

Wine (Bottle)

$5.53 ARS 8,388

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 ARS 3,219

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ARS 4,212

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 ARS 1,049

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.90 ARS 42.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.63 ARS 2,471

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.97 ARS 1,478

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 ARS 12.0K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ARS 2,156

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

$23.3K ARS 35.4M

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

$31.9K ARS 48.5M

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

$199 ARS 302.7K

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

$23.36 ARS 35.4K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.44 ARS 47.7K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.81 ARS 75.6K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.63 ARS 25.2K

Cinema Ticket

$10.80 ARS 16.4K

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

$462 ARS 701.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,790 ARS 13.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$120 ARS 181.6K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$94.6 ARS 143.6K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 ARS 176.4K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$137 ARS 208.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$750 ARS 1.1M

$187 EC$505

300.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$514 ARS 780.5K

$187 EC$506

174.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,567 ARS 2.4M

$298 EC$805

425.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,196 ARS 1.8M

$364 EC$982

228.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,632 ARS 4.0M

$187 EC$506

1304.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,874 ARS 2.8M

$261 EC$704

618.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$924 ARS 1.4M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 19, 2026

Last update for the Canaries: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$514 31.3%

Canaries

–

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$285 17.3%

Canaries

–

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$273 16.6%

Canaries

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$254 15.5%

Canaries

–

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$211 12.8%

Canaries

–

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$71 4.3%

Canaries

–

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.3%

Canaries

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $750 in Buenos Aires and $187 in the Canaries. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇱🇨 Canaries

🕒 Local time

01:54 1:54 AM

00:54 12:54 AM

1 h behind Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

1,862

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

East Caribbean Dollar XCD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR

1 XCD = 0.37 USD

1 XCD = 0.329 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XCD, USD, EUR to ARS – Argentine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇷 Argentine Peso ($)

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,706 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR).

East Caribbean Dollar exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 2.7 XCD (1 XCD = 0.37 USD). 1 EUR = 3.04 XCD (1 XCD = 0.329 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Buenos Aires Canaries 5,400 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Buenos Aires
Canaries

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 Canaries: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires and Canaries differ by about 778% in total monthly costs ($1,646 vs $187 including rent). Canaries is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,468 in Buenos Aires and $281 in the Canaries to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $750 in Buenos Aires versus $187 in the Canaries. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

At $187 in the Canaries versus $1,646 in Buenos Aires, a $1,000 budget is realistic in the Canaries but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes Canaries the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Buenos Aires and Canaries are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Canaries gentler on the wallet – expenses run 778% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.