Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Invercargill Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Invercargill

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,381 in Buenos Aires versus $1,575 in Invercargill.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,205 in Buenos Aires versus $2,457 in Invercargill.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,030 in Buenos Aires versus $3,338 in Invercargill.

Living in Buenos Aires costs roughly 12% less than in Invercargill, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Buenos Aires 4% above, Invercargill 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.11 ARS 22.6K

$11.85 NZ$20.42

27.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.1 ARS 91.3K

$73.0 NZ$126

-16.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.08 ARS 18.1K

$8.43 NZ$14.52

43.30%

Cappuccino

$4.03 ARS 6,030

$3.50 NZ$6.03

15.14%

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

$2.18 ARS 3,259

$1.75 NZ$3.01

24.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 ARS 2,309

$1.47 NZ$2.53

4.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.68 ARS 5,495

$6.09 NZ$10.49

-39.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 ARS 5,918

$4.74 NZ$8.16

-16.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 ARS 2,383

$1.51 NZ$2.60

5.30%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 ARS 3,805

$1.81 NZ$3.11

40.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 ARS 3,452

$1.79 NZ$3.09

29.05%

Eggs

$3.25 ARS 4,866

$5.66 NZ$9.75

-42.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.05 ARS 18.0K

$8.12 NZ$13.99

48.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.83 ARS 11.7K

$9.49 NZ$16.35

-17.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.16 ARS 13.7K

$13.20 NZ$22.75

-30.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.56 ARS 3,833

$2.84 NZ$4.89

-9.86%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 ARS 3,056

$2.36 NZ$4.06

-13.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.26 ARS 1,882

$2.67 NZ$4.60

-52.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.57 ARS 3,839

$3.67 NZ$6.32

-29.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.44 ARS 2,155

$1.98 NZ$3.41

-27.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ARS 2,208

$1.76 NZ$3.03

-15.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.82 ARS 2,718

$2.47 NZ$4.26

-26.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 ARS 2,158

$1.10 NZ$1.90

30.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.20 ARS 4,786

$22.35 NZ$38.51

-85.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.75 ARS 8,598

$8.46 NZ$14.57

-32.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.25 ARS 3,361

$4.02 NZ$6.92

-44.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 ARS 4,704

$3.51 NZ$6.06

-10.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 ARS 1,084

$1.59 NZ$2.74

-54.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.93 ARS 23.8K

$62.9 NZ$108

-74.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.59 ARS 2,376

$2.34 NZ$4.03

-32.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ARS 1,267

$1.88 NZ$3.24

-54.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 ARS 8,934

$30.28 NZ$52.2

-80.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 ARS 1,676

$1.65 NZ$2.85

-32.12%

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

$25.3K ARS 37.9M

$25.5K NZ$43.9K

-0.56%

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

$28.6K ARS 42.7M

$19.8K NZ$34.2K

43.96%

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

$111 ARS 165.6K

$102 NZ$176

8.24%

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

$21.83 ARS 32.6K

$36.37 NZ$62.7

-39.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.16 ARS 43.6K

$49.29 NZ$84.9

-40.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.06 ARS 64.4K

$29.70 NZ$51.2

44.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.39 ARS 17.0K

$12.26 NZ$21.12

-7.10%

Cinema Ticket

$9.13 ARS 13.6K

$9.74 NZ$16.79

-6.26%

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

$331 ARS 495.0K

$592 NZ$1,020

-44.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,203 ARS 7.8M

$12.2K NZ$21.0K

-57.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$112 ARS 168.1K

$66.9 NZ$115

68.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$87.7 ARS 131.1K

$35.28 NZ$60.8

148.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 ARS 187.8K

$81.3 NZ$140

54.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 ARS 194.5K

$83.8 NZ$144

55.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$648 ARS 968.6K

$641 NZ$1,105

1.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$441 ARS 658.6K

$578 NZ$996

-23.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,186 ARS 1.8M

$869 NZ$1,498

36.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$804 ARS 1.2M

$1,079 NZ$1,859

-25.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,617 ARS 3.9M

$5,735 NZ$9,882

-54.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,898 ARS 2.8M

$5,153 NZ$8,879

-63.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$850 ARS 1.3M

$3,099 NZ$5,340

-72.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

52.71

6.87

667.25%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: July 27, 2026

Last update for Invercargill: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $648 in Buenos Aires and $641 in Invercargill. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Invercargill pays 264% 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: $61.0 in Buenos Aires vs $73.0 in Invercargill for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $270 vs $308 per month, with Buenos Aires cheaper across the board.

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 Invercargill: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires and Invercargill differ by about 14% in total monthly costs ($1,381 vs $1,575 including rent). Buenos Aires is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 264% lower in Invercargill. 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: $648 in Buenos Aires versus $641 in Invercargill. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $331 in Buenos Aires versus $592 in Invercargill. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Invercargill. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,381 in Buenos Aires versus $1,575 in Invercargill, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Buenos Aires but tight or insufficient in Invercargill. 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 Invercargill 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 14% less than in Invercargill. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.