Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Colima

For one person, living is cheaper in Colima: $952 a month against $1,656 in Buenos Aires, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
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Buenos Aires Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Colima
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Colima Living Index

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Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,656

/mo nomad

Colima

🇲🇽 Mexico

$952

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,656 in Buenos Aires versus $952 in Colima.

Buenos Aires $1,656
Colima $952

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,697 in Buenos Aires versus $1,562 in Colima.

Buenos Aires $2,697
Colima $1,562

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,737 in Buenos Aires versus $2,173 in Colima.

Buenos Aires $3,737
Colima $2,173

Living in Buenos Aires is roughly 74% more expensive than in Colima, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Buenos Aires is 23% above, Colima is 29% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.09 ARS 29.0K

$7.58 MX$140

151.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 ARS 99.9K

$33.52 MX$619

96.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.20 ARS 20.0K

$7.16 MX$132

84.36%

Cappuccino

$3.85 ARS 5,841

$2.24 MX$41.33

71.87%

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

$1.99 ARS 3,020

$1.00 MX$18.48

99.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ARS 2,430

$0.84 MX$15.45

90.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.93 ARS 5,959

$2.23 MX$41.16

76.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 ARS 7,003

$2.45 MX$45.24

88.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 ARS 2,272

$1.55 MX$28.57

-3.23%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 ARS 3,837

$2.64 MX$48.76

-4.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 ARS 2,445

$1.21 MX$22.40

33.06%

Eggs

$2.84 ARS 4,316

$2.76 MX$51.0

2.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.30 ARS 15.6K

$8.01 MX$148

28.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

$8.35 MX$154

19.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.30 ARS 20.2K

$9.86 MX$182

34.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.88 ARS 4,366

$2.85 MX$52.7

1.05%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 ARS 3,334

$1.44 MX$26.63

52.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.40 ARS 2,120

$1.78 MX$32.82

-21.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 ARS 3,004

$2.26 MX$41.70

-12.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 ARS 1,835

$2.30 MX$42.50

-47.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 ARS 1,910

$2.30 MX$42.58

-45.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 ARS 2,592

$1.43 MX$26.36

19.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 ARS 2,603

$1.09 MX$20.09

57.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 ARS 6,505

$3.61 MX$66.8

18.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.70 ARS 8,645

$6.76 MX$125

-15.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 ARS 3,288

$1.56 MX$28.83

39.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ARS 4,188

$1.77 MX$32.64

55.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ARS 1,141

$0.63 MX$11.73

19.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.27 ARS 41.4K

$19.51 MX$361

39.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.57 ARS 2,375

$2.40 MX$44.35

-34.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ARS 1,558

$2.82 MX$52.1

-63.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ARS 12.0K

$9.41 MX$174

-16.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ARS 2,160

$1.43 MX$26.45

-0.70%

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

$27.9K ARS 42.4M

$20.9K MX$386.3K

33.71%

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

$35.0K ARS 53.1M

$22.7K MX$419.1K

54.19%

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

$195 ARS 296.2K

$64.9 MX$1,198

200.96%

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

$25.16 ARS 38.2K

$20.24 MX$374

24.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.54 ARS 47.9K

$29.71 MX$549

6.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.9 ARS 77.3K

$35.28 MX$652

44.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.73 ARS 25.4K

$21.72 MX$401

-22.97%

Cinema Ticket

$10.34 ARS 15.7K

$4.63 MX$85.6

123.33%

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

$463 ARS 703.2K

$147 MX$2,712

215.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,793 ARS 13.3M

$2,496 MX$46.1K

252.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$120 ARS 181.8K

$45.09 MX$833

165.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$95.5 ARS 144.9K

$25.11 MX$464

280.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 ARS 173.1K

$74.1 MX$1,369

54.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 ARS 211.4K

$102 MX$1,884

36.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 ARS 1.1M

$262 MX$4,849

188.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$520 ARS 788.8K

$261 MX$4,831

98.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,590 ARS 2.4M

$369 MX$6,826

330.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,198 ARS 1.8M

$589 MX$10.9K

103.49%

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

$287 MX$5,301

226.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

11.3

406.64%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 11, 2026

Last update for Colima: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$520 31.4%

Colima

$261 27.5% 49.7% $258

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$283 17.1%

Colima

$250 26.2% 11.9% $34

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$282 17%

Colima

$132 13.9% 53% $149

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$252 15.2%

Colima

$115 12.1% 54.4% $137

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$211 12.7%

Colima

$111 11.6% 47.5% $100

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$72 4.3%

Colima

$45 4.7% 37.8% $27

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2%

Colima

$39 4.1% 4.2% $1.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $756 in Buenos Aires and $262 in Colima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buenos Aires pays 227% 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 $34.00 in Colima for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $250 per month, with Colima cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇲🇽 Colima

🕒 Local time

01:06 1:06 AM

22:06 10:06 PM

3 h behind Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

146,965

💱 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 Colima 7,660 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Buenos Aires
Colima

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 Colima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires and Colima differ by about 74% in total monthly costs ($1,656 vs $952 including rent). Colima is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 227% 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 $262 in Colima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $463 in Buenos Aires versus $147 in Colima. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Buenos Aires. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $952 in Colima versus $1,656 in Buenos Aires, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Colima but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes Colima 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 Colima 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 Colima gentler on the wallet – expenses run 74% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.