Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Courtenay Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Courtenay

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,381 in Buenos Aires versus $2,150 in Courtenay.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,205 in Buenos Aires versus $3,026 in Courtenay.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,030 in Buenos Aires versus $3,902 in Courtenay.

Living in Buenos Aires costs roughly 36% less than in Courtenay, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Buenos Aires 4% above, Courtenay 62% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.11 ARS 22.4K

$12.76 CA$17.89

18.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.1 ARS 90.7K

$58.2 CA$81.6

4.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.08 ARS 17.9K

$9.50 CA$13.32

27.16%

Cappuccino

$4.03 ARS 5,990

$3.98 CA$5.58

1.26%

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

$2.18 ARS 3,237

$2.06 CA$2.89

5.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 ARS 2,293

$1.36 CA$1.90

13.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.68 ARS 5,458

$5.75 CA$8.05

-36.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 ARS 5,878

$8.81 CA$12.35

-55.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 ARS 2,367

$2.11 CA$2.96

-24.64%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 ARS 3,779

$2.41 CA$3.37

5.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 ARS 3,429

$2.26 CA$3.17

2.21%

Eggs

$3.25 ARS 4,833

$3.28 CA$4.60

-0.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.05 ARS 17.9K

$9.18 CA$12.86

31.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.83 ARS 11.6K

$9.62 CA$13.48

-18.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.16 ARS 13.6K

$10.12 CA$14.18

-9.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.56 ARS 3,807

$3.05 CA$4.28

-16.07%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 ARS 3,036

$1.37 CA$1.92

48.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.26 ARS 1,869

$2.51 CA$3.51

-49.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.57 ARS 3,813

$3.27 CA$4.59

-21.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.44 ARS 2,141

$2.50 CA$3.51

-42.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ARS 2,193

$2.14 CA$2.99

-30.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.82 ARS 2,700

$1.98 CA$2.77

-8.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 ARS 2,144

$1.17 CA$1.64

23.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.20 ARS 4,754

$14.87 CA$20.84

-78.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.75 ARS 8,540

$10.80 CA$15.14

-46.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.25 ARS 3,339

$3.21 CA$4.49

-29.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 ARS 4,673

$2.34 CA$3.28

34.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 ARS 1,076

$1.46 CA$2.04

-50.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.93 ARS 23.7K

$44.65 CA$62.6

-64.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.59 ARS 2,361

$3.36 CA$4.71

-52.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ARS 1,258

$1.38 CA$1.93

-38.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 ARS 8,874

$18.73 CA$26.25

-68.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 ARS 1,665

$1.27 CA$1.78

-11.81%

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

$25.3K ARS 37.6M

$13.1K CA$18.4K

92.64%

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

$28.6K ARS 42.4M

$18.5K CA$25.9K

54.31%

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

$111 ARS 164.5K

$113 CA$158

-1.75%

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

$21.83 ARS 32.4K

$45.39 CA$63.6

-51.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.16 ARS 43.3K

$46.16 CA$64.7

-36.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.06 ARS 63.9K

$43.44 CA$60.9

-0.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.39 ARS 16.9K

$40.01 CA$56.1

-71.53%

Cinema Ticket

$9.13 ARS 13.6K

$11.23 CA$15.75

-18.70%

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

$331 ARS 491.7K

$943 CA$1,322

-64.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,203 ARS 7.7M

$13.0K CA$18.2K

-60.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$112 ARS 166.9K

$50.3 CA$70.5

123.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$87.7 ARS 130.2K

$33.78 CA$47.34

159.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 ARS 186.5K

$82.4 CA$116

52.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 ARS 193.2K

$62.8 CA$88.0

107.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$648 ARS 962.2K

$1,353 CA$1,896

-52.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$441 ARS 654.2K

$1,188 CA$1,665

-62.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,186 ARS 1.8M

$2,212 CA$3,101

-46.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$804 ARS 1.2M

$1,710 CA$2,397

-52.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,617 ARS 3.9M

$5,400 CA$7,569

-51.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,898 ARS 2.8M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$850 ARS 1.3M

$3,279 CA$4,596

-74.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

52.71

6.08

766.94%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: July 27, 2026

Last update for Courtenay: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $648 in Buenos Aires and $1,353 in Courtenay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Courtenay pays 286% 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: $61.0 in Buenos Aires vs $58.0 in Courtenay. Groceries flip the comparison at $270 vs $299, with Buenos Aires cheaper for home cooking.

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

Buenos Aires and Courtenay differ by about 56% in total monthly costs ($1,381 vs $2,150 including rent). Buenos Aires is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 286% lower in Courtenay. 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: $648 in Buenos Aires versus $1,353 in Courtenay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $331 in Buenos Aires versus $943 in Courtenay. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Courtenay. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,381 in Buenos Aires versus $2,150 in Courtenay, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Buenos Aires but tight or insufficient in Courtenay. The gap between the two cities makes Buenos Aires 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 Courtenay 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 Buenos Aires gentler on the wallet – expenses run 56% less than in Courtenay. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.