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: $1,652 in Buenos Aires versus $2,189 in Courtenay.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,753 in Buenos Aires versus $3,083 in Courtenay.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,854 in Buenos Aires versus $3,978 in Courtenay.

Living in Buenos Aires costs roughly 25% less than in Courtenay, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Buenos Aires 21% above, Courtenay 60% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.90 ARS 28.6K

$14.59 CA$20.41

29.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.0 ARS 107.3K

$57.3 CA$80.1

23.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.96 ARS 19.6K

$10.18 CA$14.24

27.31%

Cappuccino

$3.84 ARS 5,807

$3.70 CA$5.18

3.78%

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

$2.13 ARS 3,226

$2.03 CA$2.84

4.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ARS 2,605

$1.63 CA$2.28

5.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.72 ARS 5,628

$5.74 CA$8.04

-35.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ARS 6,756

$5.98 CA$8.37

-25.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 ARS 2,254

$2.38 CA$3.33

-37.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 ARS 3,734

$2.13 CA$2.98

15.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 ARS 2,358

$2.13 CA$2.98

-26.76%

Eggs

$2.71 ARS 4,094

$3.30 CA$4.62

-17.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.21 ARS 15.4K

$10.22 CA$14.30

-0.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.28 ARS 15.5K

$9.28 CA$12.99

10.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.54 ARS 20.5K

$19.98 CA$27.95

-32.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.80 ARS 4,227

$3.27 CA$4.58

-14.37%

Banana (1kg)

$2.10 ARS 3,180

$1.31 CA$1.83

60.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.37 ARS 2,078

$2.42 CA$3.39

-43.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ARS 3,062

$3.04 CA$4.25

-33.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 ARS 1,800

$2.71 CA$3.78

-56.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 ARS 1,805

$2.15 CA$3.01

-44.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.69 ARS 2,549

$2.03 CA$2.83

-16.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ARS 2,631

$1.71 CA$2.39

1.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ARS 6,433

$14.65 CA$20.50

-70.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.70 ARS 8,612

$10.63 CA$14.87

-46.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 ARS 3,217

$2.50 CA$3.49

-14.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ARS 4,101

$2.46 CA$3.45

10.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.74 ARS 1,112

$2.01 CA$2.81

-63.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.96 ARS 42.3K

$43.72 CA$61.2

-36.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.64 ARS 2,477

$2.75 CA$3.85

-40.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ARS 1,491

$1.41 CA$1.97

-29.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 ARS 11.7K

$17.97 CA$25.13

-56.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ARS 2,026

$1.22 CA$1.71

9.84%

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

$28.9K ARS 43.7M

$20.6K CA$28.8K

40.24%

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

$33.6K ARS 50.8M

$18.9K CA$26.4K

78.03%

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

$205 ARS 310.4K

$136 CA$190

51.14%

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

$25.46 ARS 38.5K

$37.09 CA$51.9

-31.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.82 ARS 51.1K

$65.2 CA$91.3

-48.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.3 ARS 77.6K

$43.83 CA$61.3

17.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 ARS 25.9K

$39.01 CA$54.6

-56.11%

Cinema Ticket

$11.24 ARS 17.0K

$10.71 CA$14.99

4.95%

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

$469 ARS 709.7K

$1,779 CA$2,489

-73.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,802 ARS 13.3M

$12.4K CA$17.3K

-28.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$110 ARS 167.0K

$55.9 CA$78.2

97.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$92.7 ARS 140.1K

$45.25 CA$63.3

104.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 ARS 179.6K

$79.1 CA$111

50.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 ARS 210.4K

$61.3 CA$85.8

126.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ARS 1.1M

$1,232 CA$1,724

-40.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$526 ARS 795.7K

$1,112 CA$1,556

-52.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,626 ARS 2.5M

$2,188 CA$3,060

-25.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,278 ARS 1.9M

$1,630 CA$2,281

-21.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,658 ARS 4.0M

$5,504 CA$7,700

-51.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,874 ARS 2.8M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$913 ARS 1.4M

$3,246 CA$4,541

-71.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

56.56

4.87

1061.40%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: September 15, 2026

Last update for Courtenay: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $730 in Buenos Aires and $1,232 in Courtenay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Courtenay pays 256% 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: $71.0 in Buenos Aires vs $57.0 in Courtenay. Groceries flip the comparison at $283 vs $333, 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 32% in total monthly costs ($1,652 vs $2,189 including rent). Buenos Aires is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 256% 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: $730 in Buenos Aires versus $1,232 in Courtenay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $469 in Buenos Aires versus $1,779 in Courtenay. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Courtenay. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,652 in Buenos Aires versus $2,189 in Courtenay, a $3,000 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 32% less than in Courtenay. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.