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: $1,426 in Buenos Aires versus $2,146 in Courtenay.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,203 in Buenos Aires versus $3,006 in Courtenay.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Buenos Aires versus $3,866 in Courtenay.

Living in Buenos Aires costs roughly 34% less than in Courtenay, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Buenos Aires 6% above, Courtenay 60% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.90 ARS 20.8K

$12.97 CA$17.77

14.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.5 ARS 84.4K

$58.8 CA$80.5

2.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.09 ARS 16.9K

$9.47 CA$12.97

27.67%

Cappuccino

$4.09 ARS 5,705

$4.14 CA$5.67

-1.21%

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

$2.09 ARS 2,920

$2.01 CA$2.75

3.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 ARS 2,115

$1.36 CA$1.87

11.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.63 ARS 5,060

$5.78 CA$7.91

-37.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 ARS 5,605

$9.10 CA$12.47

-55.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 ARS 2,145

$2.17 CA$2.98

-29.03%

White Bread (500g)

$2.42 ARS 3,383

$2.30 CA$3.15

5.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ARS 3,062

$2.24 CA$3.06

-2.23%

Eggs

$3.19 ARS 4,447

$3.19 CA$4.36

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.22 ARS 17.0K

$9.62 CA$13.18

27.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.05 ARS 11.2K

$9.54 CA$13.07

-15.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.65 ARS 13.5K

$10.06 CA$13.78

-4.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.49 ARS 3,474

$3.21 CA$4.40

-22.43%

Banana (1kg)

$2.10 ARS 2,930

$1.38 CA$1.88

52.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.31 ARS 1,832

$2.47 CA$3.38

-46.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.65 ARS 3,704

$3.24 CA$4.44

-18.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.43 ARS 1,991

$2.44 CA$3.34

-41.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 ARS 2,147

$2.16 CA$2.95

-28.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.79 ARS 2,500

$1.96 CA$2.68

-8.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 ARS 2,005

$1.16 CA$1.59

24.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.22 ARS 4,495

$14.79 CA$20.26

-78.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.67 ARS 9,306

$10.81 CA$14.81

-38.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 ARS 3,150

$3.34 CA$4.58

-32.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 ARS 4,233

$2.27 CA$3.10

33.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 ARS 1,010

$1.43 CA$1.96

-49.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.07 ARS 22.4K

$43.35 CA$59.4

-62.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.59 ARS 2,216

$3.38 CA$4.63

-52.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ARS 1,284

$1.40 CA$1.91

-34.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.89 ARS 8,216

$18.23 CA$24.98

-67.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 ARS 1,567

$1.25 CA$1.72

-10.40%

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

$24.5K ARS 34.2M

$13.3K CA$18.2K

84.06%

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

$28.9K ARS 40.3M

$18.7K CA$25.7K

54.34%

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

$110 ARS 153.4K

$112 CA$153

-1.51%

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

$21.81 ARS 30.4K

$45.13 CA$61.8

-51.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.52 ARS 39.8K

$46.04 CA$63.1

-38.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.83 ARS 58.4K

$44.46 CA$60.9

-5.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.59 ARS 16.2K

$39.77 CA$54.5

-70.86%

Cinema Ticket

$8.79 ARS 12.3K

$11.15 CA$15.28

-21.17%

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

$322 ARS 449.5K

$929 CA$1,273

-65.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,120 ARS 7.1M

$13.2K CA$18.0K

-61.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 ARS 154.5K

$49.49 CA$67.8

123.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$86.1 ARS 120.2K

$33.64 CA$46.08

156.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 ARS 175.4K

$83.0 CA$114

51.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ARS 184.9K

$62.1 CA$85.1

113.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$650 ARS 907.5K

$1,331 CA$1,824

-51.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$444 ARS 619.9K

$1,144 CA$1,568

-61.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,154 ARS 1.6M

$2,241 CA$3,070

-48.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$789 ARS 1.1M

$1,664 CA$2,280

-52.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,679 ARS 3.7M

$5,468 CA$7,491

-50.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,994 ARS 2.8M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$796 ARS 1.1M

$3,424 CA$4,691

-76.76%

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Courtenay: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $650 in Buenos Aires and $1,331 in Courtenay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Courtenay pays 330% 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: $60.0 in Buenos Aires vs $59.0 in Courtenay. Groceries flip the comparison at $273 vs $300, 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 51% in total monthly costs ($1,426 vs $2,146 including rent). Buenos Aires is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Courtenay earns 330% less. 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: $650 in Buenos Aires versus $1,331 in Courtenay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $322 in Buenos Aires versus $929 in Courtenay. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Courtenay. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,426 in Buenos Aires versus $2,146 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 51% less than in Courtenay. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.