Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Hay River, NT

For one person, living is cheaper in Buenos Aires: $1,646 a month against $2,228 in Hay River, NT, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
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Buenos Aires Living Index
108

Cost of Living Index in Hay River, NT
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Hay River, NT Living Index

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Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,646

/mo nomad

Hay River, NT

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,228

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Buenos Aires and in Hay River, NT

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 Hay River, NT actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,646 in Buenos Aires versus $2,228 in Hay River, NT.

Buenos Aires $1,646
Hay River, NT $2,228

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,680 in Buenos Aires versus $3,228 in Hay River, NT.

Buenos Aires $2,680
Hay River, NT $3,228

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,714 in Buenos Aires versus $4,227 in Hay River, NT.

Buenos Aires $3,714
Hay River, NT $4,227

Living in Buenos Aires costs roughly 26% less than in Hay River, NT, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Buenos Aires 21% above, Hay River, NT 64% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.81 ARS 27.0K

$17.76 CA$25.11

0.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.2 ARS 98.9K

$64.5 CA$91.1

1.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.12 ARS 19.9K

$10.38 CA$14.67

26.40%

Cappuccino

$3.86 ARS 5,863

$3.54 CA$5.01

9.04%

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

$2.06 ARS 3,133

$2.03 CA$2.87

1.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 ARS 2,542

$1.60 CA$2.27

5.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.10 ARS 6,218

$5.28 CA$7.46

-22.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.73 ARS 7,181

$5.67 CA$8.01

-16.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 ARS 2,285

$2.00 CA$2.82

-24.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.60 ARS 3,950

$2.50 CA$3.53

4.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 ARS 2,380

$3.28 CA$4.63

-52.13%

Eggs

$2.73 ARS 4,144

$3.44 CA$4.86

-20.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.86 ARS 16.5K

$10.04 CA$14.19

8.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.07 ARS 15.3K

$11.38 CA$16.09

-11.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.22 ARS 20.1K

$14.79 CA$20.91

-10.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.80 ARS 4,255

$3.71 CA$5.24

-24.53%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 ARS 3,170

$1.32 CA$1.87

58.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 ARS 2,194

$3.74 CA$5.29

-61.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 ARS 3,040

$3.79 CA$5.35

-47.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 ARS 1,826

$2.45 CA$3.46

-51.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 ARS 1,821

$2.25 CA$3.17

-46.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.69 ARS 2,569

$2.42 CA$3.42

-30.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 ARS 2,711

$1.62 CA$2.29

10.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.00 ARS 6,074

$14.17 CA$20.03

-71.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.53 ARS 8,388

$12.77 CA$18.05

-56.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 ARS 3,219

$2.63 CA$3.72

-19.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ARS 4,212

$3.10 CA$4.38

-10.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 ARS 1,049

$2.26 CA$3.20

-69.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.90 ARS 42.3K

$62.1 CA$87.7

-55.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.63 ARS 2,471

$2.79 CA$3.95

-41.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.97 ARS 1,478

$1.46 CA$2.07

-33.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 ARS 12.0K

$22.52 CA$31.83

-64.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ARS 2,156

$1.15 CA$1.62

23.48%

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

$23.3K ARS 35.4M

$28.0K CA$39.6K

-16.63%

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

$31.9K ARS 48.5M

$19.1K CA$27.1K

66.84%

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

$199 ARS 302.7K

$131 CA$186

51.73%

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

$23.36 ARS 35.4K

$37.62 CA$53.2

-37.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.44 ARS 47.7K

$52.7 CA$74.4

-40.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.81 ARS 75.6K

$40.43 CA$57.2

23.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.63 ARS 25.2K

$18.00 CA$25.45

-7.61%

Cinema Ticket

$10.80 ARS 16.4K

$10.86 CA$15.35

-0.55%

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

$462 ARS 701.7K

$760 CA$1,074

-39.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,790 ARS 13.3M

$13.1K CA$18.5K

-32.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$120 ARS 181.6K

$52.6 CA$74.4

127.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$94.6 ARS 143.6K

$38.34 CA$54.2

146.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 ARS 176.4K

$83.9 CA$119

38.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$137 ARS 208.6K

$104 CA$147

32.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$750 ARS 1.1M

$1,130 CA$1,597

-33.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$514 ARS 780.5K

$1,120 CA$1,584

-54.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,567 ARS 2.4M

$1,928 CA$2,725

-18.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,196 ARS 1.8M

$1,716 CA$2,426

-30.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,632 ARS 4.0M

$4,164 CA$5,887

-36.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,874 ARS 2.8M

$3,582 CA$5,065

-47.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$924 ARS 1.4M

$4,273 CA$6,041

-78.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

4.66

1128.54%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 19, 2026

Last update for Hay River, NT: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$514 31.3%

Hay River, NT

$1.1K 50.3% 118% $606

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$285 17.3%

Hay River, NT

$349 15.7% 22.8% $65

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$273 16.6%

Hay River, NT

$268 12% 1.9% $5.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$254 15.5%

Hay River, NT

$222 10% 12.8% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$211 12.8%

Hay River, NT

$125 5.6% 40.5% $85

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$71 4.3%

Hay River, NT

$62 2.8% 13% $9.3

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.3%

Hay River, NT

$81 3.7% 119% $44

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $750 in Buenos Aires and $1,130 in Hay River, NT. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hay River, NT pays 362% 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: $65.0 in Buenos Aires vs $64.0 in Hay River, NT. Groceries flip the comparison at $285 vs $349, with Buenos Aires cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇨🇦 Hay River, NT

🕒 Local time

12:32 12:32 PM

09:32 9:32 AM

3 h behind Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

3,600

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to ARS – Argentine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇷 Argentine Peso ($)

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,706 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Buenos Aires Hay River, NT 11,810 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Buenos Aires
Hay River, NT

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 Hay River, NT: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires and Hay River, NT differ by about 35% in total monthly costs ($1,646 vs $2,228 including rent). Buenos Aires is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 362% lower in Hay River, NT. 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: $750 in Buenos Aires versus $1,130 in Hay River, NT. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $462 in Buenos Aires versus $760 in Hay River, NT. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 23% higher in Hay River, NT. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,646 in Buenos Aires versus $2,228 in Hay River, NT, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Buenos Aires but tight or insufficient in Hay River, NT. 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 Hay River, NT 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 35% less than in Hay River, NT. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.