Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Celaya

For one person, living is cheaper in Celaya: $921 a month against $1,656 in Buenos Aires, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
Learn more

Buenos Aires Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Celaya
Learn more

Celaya Living Index

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Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,656

/mo nomad

Celaya

🇲🇽 Mexico

$921

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,656 in Buenos Aires versus $921 in Celaya.

Buenos Aires $1,656
Celaya $921

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,697 in Buenos Aires versus $1,452 in Celaya.

Buenos Aires $2,697
Celaya $1,452

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,737 in Buenos Aires versus $1,982 in Celaya.

Buenos Aires $3,737
Celaya $1,982

Living in Buenos Aires is roughly 80% more expensive than in Celaya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Buenos Aires is 23% above, Celaya is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.09 ARS 29.0K

$12.49 MX$231

52.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 ARS 99.9K

$44.05 MX$814

49.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.20 ARS 20.0K

$7.21 MX$133

83.08%

Cappuccino

$3.85 ARS 5,841

$3.37 MX$62.3

14.24%

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

$1.99 ARS 3,020

$1.23 MX$22.76

61.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ARS 2,430

$1.07 MX$19.84

49.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.93 ARS 5,959

$2.14 MX$39.49

83.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 ARS 7,003

$3.36 MX$62.1

37.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 ARS 2,272

$1.44 MX$26.70

4.17%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 ARS 3,837

$2.26 MX$41.83

11.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 ARS 2,445

$1.48 MX$27.29

8.78%

Eggs

$2.84 ARS 4,316

$2.15 MX$39.71

32.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.30 ARS 15.6K

$7.93 MX$147

29.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

$8.40 MX$155

19.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.30 ARS 20.2K

$11.30 MX$209

17.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.88 ARS 4,366

$2.29 MX$42.37

25.76%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 ARS 3,334

$1.12 MX$20.63

96.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.40 ARS 2,120

$1.54 MX$28.53

-9.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 ARS 3,004

$1.08 MX$19.91

83.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 ARS 1,835

$1.56 MX$28.74

-22.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 ARS 1,910

$1.39 MX$25.67

-9.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 ARS 2,592

$0.98 MX$18.12

74.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 ARS 2,603

$0.80 MX$14.87

115.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 ARS 6,505

$4.33 MX$80.0

-0.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.70 ARS 8,645

$8.72 MX$161

-34.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 ARS 3,288

$1.83 MX$33.89

18.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ARS 4,188

$3.40 MX$62.9

-18.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ARS 1,141

$0.63 MX$11.61

19.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.27 ARS 41.4K

$27.70 MX$512

-1.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.57 ARS 2,375

$1.20 MX$22.14

30.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ARS 1,558

$1.13 MX$20.95

-8.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ARS 12.0K

$10.77 MX$199

-26.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ARS 2,160

$1.43 MX$26.33

-0.70%

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

$27.9K ARS 42.4M

$21.5K MX$398.1K

29.72%

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

$35.0K ARS 53.1M

$24.0K MX$444.0K

45.54%

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

$195 ARS 296.2K

$37.60 MX$695

419.15%

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

$25.16 ARS 38.2K

$19.37 MX$358

29.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.54 ARS 47.9K

$19.55 MX$361

61.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.9 ARS 77.3K

$33.06 MX$611

54.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.73 ARS 25.4K

$27.48 MX$508

-39.12%

Cinema Ticket

$10.34 ARS 15.7K

$5.13 MX$94.7

101.56%

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

$463 ARS 703.2K

$210 MX$3,873

121.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,793 ARS 13.3M

$2,882 MX$53.3K

205.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$120 ARS 181.8K

$55.2 MX$1,019

117.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$95.5 ARS 144.9K

$38.02 MX$703

151.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 ARS 173.1K

$103 MX$1,897

11.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 ARS 211.4K

$70.9 MX$1,310

96.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 ARS 1.1M

$248 MX$4,588

204.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$520 ARS 788.8K

$220 MX$4,072

135.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,590 ARS 2.4M

$390 MX$7,208

307.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,198 ARS 1.8M

$283 MX$5,231

323.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,713 ARS 4.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,901 ARS 2.9M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$938 ARS 1.4M

$817 MX$15.1K

14.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

11.2

411.16%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 11, 2026

Last update for Celaya: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$520 31.4%

Celaya

$220 23.9% 57.6% $299

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$283 17.1%

Celaya

$235 25.6% 16.9% $48

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$282 17%

Celaya

$189 20.5% 33% $93

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$252 15.2%

Celaya

$77 8.3% 69.6% $175

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$211 12.7%

Celaya

$120 13% 43.1% $91

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$72 4.3%

Celaya

$43 4.7% 39.5% $28

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2%

Celaya

$37 4% 0.3% $0.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $756 in Buenos Aires and $248 in Celaya. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buenos Aires pays 15% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $66.0 in Buenos Aires vs $44.00 in Celaya for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $235 per month, with Celaya cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇲🇽 Celaya

🕒 Local time

00:25 12:25 AM

21:25 9:25 PM

3 h behind Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

378,143

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to ARS – Argentine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇷 Argentine Peso ($)

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,706 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Buenos Aires Celaya 7,590 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Buenos Aires
Celaya

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 Celaya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires and Celaya differ by about 80% in total monthly costs ($1,656 vs $921 including rent). Celaya is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 15% higher in Buenos Aires, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $756 in Buenos Aires versus $248 in Celaya. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $463 in Buenos Aires versus $210 in Celaya. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Buenos Aires. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $921 in Celaya versus $1,656 in Buenos Aires, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Celaya but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes Celaya 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 Celaya 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 Celaya gentler on the wallet – expenses run 80% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.