Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Durango

For one person, living is cheaper in Durango: $1,051 a month against $1,656 in Buenos Aires, rent and utilities included – about $7,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
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Buenos Aires Living Index
51

Cost of Living Index in Durango
Learn more

Durango Living Index

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Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,656

/mo nomad

Durango

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,051

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,656 in Buenos Aires versus $1,051 in Durango.

Buenos Aires $1,656
Durango $1,051

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,697 in Buenos Aires versus $1,656 in Durango.

Buenos Aires $2,697
Durango $1,656

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,737 in Buenos Aires versus $2,261 in Durango.

Buenos Aires $3,737
Durango $2,261

Living in Buenos Aires is roughly 58% more expensive than in Durango, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Buenos Aires is 23% above, Durango is 22% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.09 ARS 29.0K

$7.30 MX$135

161.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 ARS 99.9K

$30.58 MX$565

115.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.20 ARS 20.0K

$10.48 MX$194

25.95%

Cappuccino

$3.85 ARS 5,841

$1.95 MX$35.98

97.44%

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

$1.99 ARS 3,020

$1.15 MX$21.31

73.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ARS 2,430

$0.76 MX$14.07

110.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.93 ARS 5,959

$1.39 MX$25.60

182.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 ARS 7,003

$2.77 MX$51.1

66.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 ARS 2,272

$1.29 MX$23.92

16.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 ARS 3,837

$2.54 MX$46.94

-0.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 ARS 2,445

$1.24 MX$22.95

29.84%

Eggs

$2.84 ARS 4,316

$2.27 MX$41.92

25.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.30 ARS 15.6K

$8.07 MX$149

27.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

$8.15 MX$151

22.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.30 ARS 20.2K

$9.40 MX$174

41.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.88 ARS 4,366

$2.54 MX$46.94

13.39%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 ARS 3,334

$1.53 MX$28.32

43.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.40 ARS 2,120

$1.76 MX$32.46

-20.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 ARS 3,004

$1.14 MX$21.10

73.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 ARS 1,835

$1.20 MX$22.13

0.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 ARS 1,910

$1.28 MX$23.69

-1.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 ARS 2,592

$0.79 MX$14.54

116.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 ARS 2,603

$1.11 MX$20.51

54.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 ARS 6,505

$3.63 MX$67.1

18.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.70 ARS 8,645

$13.72 MX$253

-58.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 ARS 3,288

$1.74 MX$32.14

24.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ARS 4,188

$2.80 MX$51.7

-1.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ARS 1,141

$0.69 MX$12.74

8.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.27 ARS 41.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.57 ARS 2,375

$1.13 MX$20.91

38.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ARS 1,558

$1.86 MX$34.45

-44.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ARS 12.0K

$10.90 MX$201

-27.52%

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

$19.4K MX$358.9K

43.92%

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

$35.0K ARS 53.1M

$24.0K MX$443.3K

45.78%

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

$195 ARS 296.2K

$59.1 MX$1,092

230.29%

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

$25.16 ARS 38.2K

$21.25 MX$393

18.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.54 ARS 47.9K

$27.51 MX$508

14.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.9 ARS 77.3K

$22.49 MX$416

126.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.73 ARS 25.4K

$9.52 MX$176

75.74%

Cinema Ticket

$10.34 ARS 15.7K

$3.91 MX$72.2

164.45%

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

$463 ARS 703.2K

$177 MX$3,277

161.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,793 ARS 13.3M

$2,325 MX$43.0K

278.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$120 ARS 181.8K

$55.6 MX$1,027

115.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$95.5 ARS 144.9K

$40.30 MX$745

136.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 ARS 173.1K

$101 MX$1,870

12.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 ARS 211.4K

$90.8 MX$1,677

53.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 ARS 1.1M

$601 MX$11.1K

25.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$520 ARS 788.8K

$393 MX$7,255

32.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,590 ARS 2.4M

$1,057 MX$19.5K

50.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,198 ARS 1.8M

$777 MX$14.4K

54.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,713 ARS 4.1M

$1,951 MX$36.0K

39.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,901 ARS 2.9M

$1,076 MX$19.9K

76.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$938 ARS 1.4M

$531 MX$9,814

76.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

12.3

365.45%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 11, 2026

Last update for Durango: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$520 31.4%

Durango

$393 37.3% 24.5% $127

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$283 17.1%

Durango

$245 23.3% 13.7% $39

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$282 17%

Durango

$133 12.7% 52.7% $148

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$252 15.2%

Durango

$108 10.3% 57.2% $144

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$211 12.7%

Durango

$130 12.3% 38.6% $81

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$72 4.3%

Durango

$30 2.9% 57.7% $41

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2%

Durango

$13 * 1.3% 64.3% $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 $756 in Buenos Aires and $601 in Durango. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buenos Aires pays 77% 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 $31.00 in Durango for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $245 per month, with Durango cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇲🇽 Durango

🕒 Local time

04:19 4:19 AM

01:19 1:19 AM

3 h behind Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

518,709

💱 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 Durango 8,140 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Buenos Aires
Durango

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 Durango: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires and Durango differ by about 58% in total monthly costs ($1,656 vs $1,051 including rent). Durango is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 77% 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 $601 in Durango. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $463 in Buenos Aires versus $177 in Durango. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Durango – a meal for two runs $31.00 versus $66.0 in Buenos Aires. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,051 in Durango versus $1,656 in Buenos Aires, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Durango but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes Durango 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 Durango 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 Durango gentler on the wallet – expenses run 58% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.