Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Cusco

For one person, living is cheaper in Cusco: $688 a month against $1,685 in Buenos Aires, rent and utilities included – about $12,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

81

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
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Buenos Aires Living Index
33

Cost of Living Index in Cusco
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Cusco Living Index

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Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,685

/mo nomad

Cusco

🇵🇪 Peru

$688

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,685 in Buenos Aires versus $688 in Cusco.

Buenos Aires $1,685
Cusco $688

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,742 in Buenos Aires versus $1,096 in Cusco.

Buenos Aires $2,742
Cusco $1,096

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,799 in Buenos Aires versus $1,505 in Cusco.

Buenos Aires $3,799
Cusco $1,505

Living in Buenos Aires is roughly 145% more expensive than in Cusco, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Buenos Aires is 26% above, Cusco is 49% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.73 ARS 28.4K

$1.99 PEN 6.82

841.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 ARS 97.8K

$20.55 PEN 70.4

213.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.88 ARS 19.5K

$6.70 PEN 22.96

92.24%

Cappuccino

$3.98 ARS 6,029

$2.11 PEN 7.22

88.63%

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

$2.05 ARS 3,103

$0.78 PEN 2.68

162.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 ARS 2,349

$0.33 PEN 1.13

369.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.84 ARS 5,830

$1.72 PEN 5.90

123.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 ARS 6,970

$4.33 PEN 14.85

6.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 ARS 2,181

$1.24 PEN 4.26

16.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 ARS 3,738

$2.32 PEN 7.95

6.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 ARS 2,467

$1.29 PEN 4.42

26.36%

Eggs

$2.89 ARS 4,385

$3.63 PEN 12.44

-20.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.65 ARS 16.1K

$4.69 PEN 16.08

127.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

$4.43 PEN 15.19

125.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.74 ARS 20.8K

$7.37 PEN 25.26

86.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ARS 4,166

$2.55 PEN 8.75

7.84%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 ARS 3,300

$0.77 PEN 2.62

183.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 ARS 2,205

$1.47 PEN 5.02

-1.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ARS 3,013

$0.85 PEN 2.93

134.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ARS 1,885

$1.02 PEN 3.51

21.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 ARS 1,921

$1.10 PEN 3.79

15.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 ARS 2,575

$0.49 PEN 1.66

246.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 ARS 2,617

$0.75 PEN 2.57

130.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.18 ARS 6,337

Wine (Bottle)

$5.80 ARS 8,790

$5.93 PEN 20.34

-2.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 ARS 3,163

$1.85 PEN 6.36

12.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 ARS 4,198

$4.12 PEN 14.11

-32.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ARS 1,132

$0.30 PEN 1.04

150.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.15 ARS 41.2K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.62 ARS 2,451

$1.72 PEN 5.89

-5.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 ARS 1,481

$1.93 PEN 6.63

-49.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.72 ARS 11.7K

$2.82 PEN 9.65

173.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ARS 2,058

$1.57 PEN 5.40

-13.38%

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

$28.0K ARS 42.5M

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

$34.5K ARS 52.4M

$28.9K PEN 99.2K

19.33%

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

$216 ARS 326.9K

$29.31 PEN 100

635.48%

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

$25.61 ARS 38.8K

$14.31 PEN 49.05

78.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.36 ARS 47.6K

$44.13 PEN 151

-28.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.82 ARS 75.6K

$28.51 PEN 97.7

74.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 ARS 25.9K

Cinema Ticket

$10.43 ARS 15.8K

$4.26 PEN 14.59

144.84%

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

$466 ARS 706.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,057 ARS 13.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$122 ARS 185.2K

$37.39 PEN 128

226.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$97.4 ARS 147.8K

$33.43 PEN 115

191.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ARS 177.4K

$54.4 PEN 186

115.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 ARS 211.9K

$72.2 PEN 248

93.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$763 ARS 1.2M

$218 PEN 746

250.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$505 ARS 766.1K

$191 PEN 654

164.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,598 ARS 2.4M

$538 PEN 1,843

197.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,185 ARS 1.8M

$416 PEN 1,426

184.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,678 ARS 4.1M

$3,249 PEN 11.1K

-17.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,858 ARS 2.8M

$1,823 PEN 6,248

1.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$954 ARS 1.4M

$433 PEN 1,485

120.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 6, 2026

Last update for Cusco: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$505 30.4%

Cusco

$191 27.8% 62.2% $314

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$284 17.1%

Cusco

$187 27.2% 34.3% $97

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$279 16.8%

Cusco

$83 12.1% 70.2% $196

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$273 16.4%

Cusco

$88 12.8% 67.8% $185

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$214 12.9%

Cusco

$89 12.9% 58.5% $125

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$71 4.3%

Cusco

$37 5.4% 47.6% $34

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2%

Cusco

$13 * 1.8% 65.6% $24

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $763 in Buenos Aires and $218 in Cusco. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buenos Aires pays 120% 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 $21.00 in Cusco for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $284 vs $187 per month, with Cusco cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇵🇪 Cusco

🕒 Local time

07:25 7:25 AM

05:25 5:25 AM

2 h behind Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

428,450

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR

1 PEN = 0.292 USD

1 PEN = 0.26 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PEN, USD, EUR to ARS – Argentine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇷 Argentine Peso ($)

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,699 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR).

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.43 PEN (1 PEN = 0.292 USD). 1 EUR = 3.84 PEN (1 PEN = 0.26 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Buenos Aires Cusco 2,710 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Buenos Aires
Cusco

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 Cusco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires and Cusco differ by about 145% in total monthly costs ($1,685 vs $688 including rent). Cusco is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 120% 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 $218 in Cusco. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Cusco – a meal for two runs $21.00 versus $64.0 in Buenos Aires. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,685 per month in Buenos Aires versus $688 in Cusco – a 145% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $688 in Cusco versus $1,685 in Buenos Aires, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cusco but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes Cusco 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 Cusco 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 Cusco gentler on the wallet – expenses run 145% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.