Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Courtenay

For one person, living is cheaper in Buenos Aires: $1,633 a month against $2,184 in Courtenay, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Courtenay outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

78

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
Learn more

Buenos Aires Living Index
104

Cost of Living Index in Courtenay
Learn more

Courtenay Living Index

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Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,633

/mo nomad

Courtenay

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,184

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,633 in Buenos Aires versus $2,184 in Courtenay.

Buenos Aires $1,633
Courtenay $2,184

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,640 in Buenos Aires versus $3,080 in Courtenay.

Buenos Aires $2,640
Courtenay $3,080

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,646 in Buenos Aires versus $3,975 in Courtenay.

Buenos Aires $3,646
Courtenay $3,975

Living in Buenos Aires costs roughly 25% less than in Courtenay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Buenos Aires 20% above, Courtenay 60% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.24 ARS 28.0K

$14.38 CA$20.10

26.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.3 ARS 101.6K

$57.2 CA$79.9

15.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.96 ARS 19.9K

$9.76 CA$13.64

32.79%

Cappuccino

$3.73 ARS 5,726

$3.68 CA$5.14

1.36%

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

$2.03 ARS 3,119

$2.04 CA$2.85

-0.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 ARS 2,605

$1.55 CA$2.17

9.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.06 ARS 6,226

$5.79 CA$8.09

-29.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.75 ARS 7,281

$5.74 CA$8.02

-17.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 ARS 2,242

$2.41 CA$3.37

-39.42%

White Bread (500g)

$2.54 ARS 3,893

$2.05 CA$2.87

23.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ARS 2,427

$2.08 CA$2.91

-24.04%

Eggs

$2.68 ARS 4,112

$3.20 CA$4.47

-16.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.14 ARS 17.1K

$10.17 CA$14.21

9.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.08 ARS 15.5K

$9.20 CA$12.85

9.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.18 ARS 20.2K

$19.79 CA$27.65

-33.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.76 ARS 4,238

$3.30 CA$4.62

-16.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 ARS 3,375

$1.31 CA$1.83

67.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.40 ARS 2,142

$2.35 CA$3.28

-40.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ARS 3,047

$3.07 CA$4.29

-35.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 ARS 1,840

$2.65 CA$3.71

-54.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ARS 1,769

$2.15 CA$3.01

-46.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.63 ARS 2,493

$2.07 CA$2.89

-21.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ARS 2,761

$1.64 CA$2.29

9.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.21 ARS 6,460

$14.20 CA$19.85

-70.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.51 ARS 8,457

$10.89 CA$15.22

-49.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 ARS 3,168

$2.59 CA$3.62

-20.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 ARS 4,242

$2.44 CA$3.40

13.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.74 ARS 1,139

$1.94 CA$2.71

-61.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 ARS 45.8K

$42.49 CA$59.4

-29.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.61 ARS 2,474

$2.75 CA$3.84

-41.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.97 ARS 1,493

$1.40 CA$1.96

-30.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.15 ARS 12.5K

$17.82 CA$24.90

-54.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 ARS 2,154

$1.28 CA$1.78

9.37%

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

$23.2K ARS 35.6M

$20.8K CA$29.1K

11.30%

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

$32.8K ARS 50.4M

$18.2K CA$25.5K

79.99%

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

$196 ARS 301.1K

$139 CA$194

41.27%

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

$23.91 ARS 36.7K

$36.71 CA$51.3

-34.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.50 ARS 48.3K

$65.3 CA$91.3

-51.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.01 ARS 73.6K

$42.38 CA$59.2

13.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.62 ARS 25.5K

$38.49 CA$53.8

-56.82%

Cinema Ticket

$10.57 ARS 16.2K

$10.78 CA$15.06

-1.95%

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

$501 ARS 768.0K

$648 CA$906

-22.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,870 ARS 13.6M

$12.3K CA$17.2K

-27.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$121 ARS 186.3K

$56.9 CA$79.5

113.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$95.6 ARS 146.6K

$45.43 CA$63.5

110.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 ARS 178.0K

$78.5 CA$110

47.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 ARS 212.6K

$59.8 CA$83.5

131.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$731 ARS 1.1M

$1,219 CA$1,703

-40.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$503 ARS 771.6K

$1,137 CA$1,588

-55.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,477 ARS 2.3M

$2,043 CA$2,855

-27.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,119 ARS 1.7M

$1,629 CA$2,277

-31.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,703 ARS 4.1M

$5,318 CA$7,430

-49.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 ARS 3.0M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$921 ARS 1.4M

$3,239 CA$4,525

-71.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

4.87

1075.56%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 26, 2026

Last update for Courtenay: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$503 30.8%

Courtenay

$1.1K 52.1% 126% $634

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$284 17.4%

Courtenay

$331 15.1% 16.5% $47

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$274 16.8%

Courtenay

$243 11.1% 11.3% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$252 15.4%

Courtenay

$241 11% 4.3% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$212 13%

Courtenay

$108 5% 49% $104

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$69 4.2%

Courtenay

$64 2.9% 7.5% $5.2

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$39 2.4%

Courtenay

$60 2.8% 52.8% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $731 in Buenos Aires and $1,219 in Courtenay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Courtenay pays about 3.5 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $66 in Buenos Aires vs $57 in Courtenay. Groceries flip the comparison at $284 vs $331, with Buenos Aires cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇨🇦 Courtenay

🕒 Local time

21:58 9:58 PM

17:58 5:58 PM

4 h behind Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

25,599

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.52 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.84 EUR

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to ARS – Argentine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇷 Argentine Peso ($)

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1,534 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,713 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.84 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.716 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.641 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Buenos Aires Courtenay 11,430 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Buenos Aires
Courtenay

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 Courtenay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,633 in Buenos Aires and $2,184 in Courtenay, so Buenos Aires is about 25% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 72% lower in Buenos Aires. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $731 in Buenos Aires versus $1,219 in Courtenay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $501 in Buenos Aires versus $648 in Courtenay. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Courtenay. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Buenos Aires gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Buenos Aires wins on affordability, Courtenay on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.