Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Cozumel

For one person, living is cheaper in Cozumel: $1,167 a month against $1,685 in Buenos Aires, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

81

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
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Buenos Aires Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Cozumel
Learn more

Cozumel Living Index

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Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,685

/mo nomad

Cozumel

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,167

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,685 in Buenos Aires versus $1,167 in Cozumel.

Buenos Aires $1,685
Cozumel $1,167

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,742 in Buenos Aires versus $1,884 in Cozumel.

Buenos Aires $2,742
Cozumel $1,884

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,799 in Buenos Aires versus $2,602 in Cozumel.

Buenos Aires $3,799
Cozumel $2,602

Living in Buenos Aires is roughly 44% more expensive than in Cozumel, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Buenos Aires is 26% above, Cozumel is 13% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.73 ARS 28.4K

$8.71 MX$158

115.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 ARS 97.7K

$45.03 MX$819

43.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.88 ARS 19.5K

$8.23 MX$150

56.50%

Cappuccino

$3.98 ARS 6,027

$2.79 MX$50.7

42.65%

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

$2.05 ARS 3,102

$1.11 MX$20.20

84.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 ARS 2,348

$1.02 MX$18.62

51.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.84 ARS 5,828

$1.69 MX$30.74

127.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 ARS 6,968

$3.17 MX$57.7

45.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 ARS 2,180

$1.43 MX$26.05

0.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 ARS 3,737

$1.64 MX$29.92

50.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 ARS 2,466

$1.76 MX$32.02

-7.39%

Eggs

$2.89 ARS 4,384

$1.89 MX$34.40

52.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.65 ARS 16.1K

$10.33 MX$188

3.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

$8.06 MX$147

24.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.74 ARS 20.8K

$12.85 MX$234

6.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ARS 4,165

$2.47 MX$44.91

11.34%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 ARS 3,299

$1.40 MX$25.46

55.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 ARS 2,204

$2.13 MX$38.71

-31.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ARS 3,012

$1.53 MX$27.90

30.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ARS 1,884

$2.24 MX$40.74

-44.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 ARS 1,920

$1.77 MX$32.13

-28.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 ARS 2,574

$1.46 MX$26.57

16.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 ARS 2,616

$1.20 MX$21.83

44.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.18 ARS 6,335

$4.43 MX$80.6

-5.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.80 ARS 8,787

$10.96 MX$199

-47.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 ARS 3,162

$1.54 MX$27.97

35.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 ARS 4,197

$2.57 MX$46.70

7.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ARS 1,131

$0.69 MX$12.47

8.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.15 ARS 41.2K

$67.2 MX$1,222

-59.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.62 ARS 2,450

$2.84 MX$51.6

-42.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 ARS 1,480

$1.97 MX$35.87

-50.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.72 ARS 11.7K

$9.29 MX$169

-16.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ARS 2,057

$1.37 MX$24.88

-0.73%

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

$28.0K ARS 42.5M

$20.5K MX$373.6K

36.39%

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

$34.5K ARS 52.3M

$24.3K MX$442.7K

41.87%

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

$216 ARS 326.8K

$59.7 MX$1,087

260.85%

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

$25.61 ARS 38.8K

$20.99 MX$382

22.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.36 ARS 47.5K

$22.26 MX$405

40.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.82 ARS 75.5K

$39.08 MX$711

27.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 ARS 25.9K

$20.46 MX$372

-16.62%

Cinema Ticket

$10.43 ARS 15.8K

$6.13 MX$112

70.15%

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

$466 ARS 706.5K

$261 MX$4,745

78.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,057 ARS 13.7M

$3,671 MX$66.8K

146.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$122 ARS 185.1K

$54.3 MX$988

124.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$97.4 ARS 147.7K

$54.2 MX$985

79.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ARS 177.3K

$104 MX$1,893

12.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 ARS 211.8K

$84.7 MX$1,541

64.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$763 ARS 1.2M

$606 MX$11.0K

25.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$505 ARS 765.8K

$399 MX$7,259

26.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,598 ARS 2.4M

$1,619 MX$29.4K

-1.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,185 ARS 1.8M

$767 MX$13.9K

54.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,678 ARS 4.1M

$1,922 MX$35.0K

39.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,858 ARS 2.8M

$1,163 MX$21.2K

59.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$954 ARS 1.4M

$662 MX$12.0K

44.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

11.64

391.84%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 6, 2026

Last update for Cozumel: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$505 30.4%

Cozumel

$399 33.9% 21% $106

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$284 17.1%

Cozumel

$257 21.8% 9.4% $27

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$279 16.8%

Cozumel

$151 12.8% 45.8% $128

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$273 16.4%

Cozumel

$103 8.7% 62.2% $170

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$214 12.9%

Cozumel

$134 11.4% 37.6% $81

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$71 4.3%

Cozumel

$51 4.4% 27.4% $19

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2%

Cozumel

$83 7% 126% $46

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $763 in Buenos Aires and $606 in Cozumel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buenos Aires pays 44% 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: $64.0 in Buenos Aires vs $45.00 in Cozumel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $284 vs $257 per month, with Cozumel cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇲🇽 Cozumel

🕒 Local time

02:39 2:39 AM

00:39 12:39 AM

2 h behind Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

77,236

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.6 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR

100 MXN = 5.5 USD

100 MXN = 4.9 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,516 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.6 USD). 1 EUR = 1,700 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.19 MXN (100 MXN = 5.5 USD). 1 EUR = 20.4 MXN (100 MXN = 4.9 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Buenos Aires Cozumel 6,820 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Buenos Aires
Cozumel

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 Cozumel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires and Cozumel differ by about 44% in total monthly costs ($1,685 vs $1,167 including rent). Cozumel is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 44% 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: $763 in Buenos Aires versus $606 in Cozumel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $466 in Buenos Aires versus $261 in Cozumel. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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

At $1,167 in Cozumel versus $1,685 in Buenos Aires, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Cozumel but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes Cozumel 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 Cozumel 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 Cozumel gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.