Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Cuernavaca

For one person, living is cheaper in Cuernavaca: $1,011 a month against $1,656 in Buenos Aires, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
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Buenos Aires Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Cuernavaca
Learn more

Cuernavaca Living Index

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Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,656

/mo nomad

Cuernavaca

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,011

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,656 in Buenos Aires versus $1,011 in Cuernavaca.

Buenos Aires $1,656
Cuernavaca $1,011

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,697 in Buenos Aires versus $1,692 in Cuernavaca.

Buenos Aires $2,697
Cuernavaca $1,692

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,737 in Buenos Aires versus $2,373 in Cuernavaca.

Buenos Aires $3,737
Cuernavaca $2,373

Living in Buenos Aires is roughly 64% more expensive than in Cuernavaca, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Buenos Aires is 23% above, Cuernavaca is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.09 ARS 29.0K

$8.05 MX$149

137.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 ARS 99.9K

$38.27 MX$707

71.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.20 ARS 20.0K

$7.24 MX$134

82.32%

Cappuccino

$3.85 ARS 5,841

$2.43 MX$44.98

58.44%

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

$1.99 ARS 3,020

$1.27 MX$23.43

56.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ARS 2,430

$0.63 MX$11.60

153.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.93 ARS 5,959

$2.50 MX$46.29

57.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 ARS 7,003

$3.26 MX$60.3

41.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 ARS 2,272

$1.70 MX$31.33

-11.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 ARS 3,837

$2.21 MX$40.92

14.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 ARS 2,445

$1.44 MX$26.52

11.81%

Eggs

$2.84 ARS 4,316

$1.92 MX$35.49

47.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.30 ARS 15.6K

$8.08 MX$149

27.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

$4.89 MX$90.4

104.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.30 ARS 20.2K

$13.78 MX$255

-3.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.88 ARS 4,366

$2.23 MX$41.24

29.15%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 ARS 3,334

$1.35 MX$25.02

62.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.40 ARS 2,120

$2.17 MX$40.07

-35.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 ARS 3,004

$1.67 MX$30.92

18.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 ARS 1,835

$1.71 MX$31.62

-29.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 ARS 1,910

$1.74 MX$32.06

-27.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 ARS 2,592

$1.53 MX$28.25

11.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 ARS 2,603

$0.91 MX$16.78

89.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 ARS 6,505

$4.39 MX$81.2

-2.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.70 ARS 8,645

$8.15 MX$151

-30.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 ARS 3,288

$1.22 MX$22.55

77.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ARS 4,188

$3.32 MX$61.4

-16.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ARS 1,141

$0.57 MX$10.51

31.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.27 ARS 41.4K

$27.69 MX$512

-1.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.57 ARS 2,375

$1.90 MX$35.20

-17.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ARS 1,558

$2.63 MX$48.52

-60.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ARS 12.0K

$10.93 MX$202

-27.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ARS 2,160

$1.42 MX$26.26

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

$27.9K ARS 42.4M

$21.0K MX$387.9K

33.15%

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

$35.0K ARS 53.1M

$24.1K MX$444.6K

45.33%

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

$195 ARS 296.2K

$57.3 MX$1,059

240.78%

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

$25.16 ARS 38.2K

$18.78 MX$347

33.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.54 ARS 47.9K

$25.19 MX$465

25.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.9 ARS 77.3K

$25.75 MX$476

97.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.73 ARS 25.4K

Cinema Ticket

$10.34 ARS 15.7K

$5.44 MX$100

90.07%

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

$463 ARS 703.2K

$217 MX$4,018

113.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,793 ARS 13.3M

$5,075 MX$93.8K

73.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$120 ARS 181.8K

$41.29 MX$763

190.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$95.5 ARS 144.9K

$33.18 MX$613

187.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 ARS 173.1K

$93.0 MX$1,719

22.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 ARS 211.4K

$99.1 MX$1,832

40.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 ARS 1.1M

$385 MX$7,110

96.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$520 ARS 788.8K

$332 MX$6,140

56.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,590 ARS 2.4M

$957 MX$17.7K

66.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,198 ARS 1.8M

$804 MX$14.9K

48.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,713 ARS 4.1M

$870 MX$16.1K

211.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,901 ARS 2.9M

$606 MX$11.2K

213.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$938 ARS 1.4M

$649 MX$12.0K

44.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

11.4

402.19%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 11, 2026

Last update for Cuernavaca: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$520 31.4%

Cuernavaca

$332 32.9% 36.1% $188

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$283 17.1%

Cuernavaca

$234 23.1% 17.6% $50

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$282 17%

Cuernavaca

$142 14.1% 49.6% $140

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$252 15.2%

Cuernavaca

$101 10% 59.8% $151

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$211 12.7%

Cuernavaca

$120 11.9% 43.1% $91

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$72 4.3%

Cuernavaca

$37 3.6% 48.9% $35

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2%

Cuernavaca

$45 4.5% 21.7% $8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $756 in Buenos Aires and $385 in Cuernavaca. 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: $66.0 in Buenos Aires vs $38.00 in Cuernavaca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $234 per month, with Cuernavaca cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇲🇽 Cuernavaca

🕒 Local time

09:28 9:28 AM

06:28 6:28 AM

3 h behind Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

341,029

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,706 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Buenos Aires Cuernavaca 7,350 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Buenos Aires
Cuernavaca

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 Cuernavaca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires and Cuernavaca differ by about 64% in total monthly costs ($1,656 vs $1,011 including rent). Cuernavaca 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: $756 in Buenos Aires versus $385 in Cuernavaca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $463 in Buenos Aires versus $217 in Cuernavaca. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Buenos Aires. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,011 in Cuernavaca versus $1,656 in Buenos Aires, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cuernavaca but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes Cuernavaca 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 Cuernavaca 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 Cuernavaca gentler on the wallet – expenses run 64% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.