Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Iquitos

For one person, living is cheaper in Iquitos: $663 a month against $1,656 in Buenos Aires, rent and utilities included – about $11,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
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Buenos Aires Living Index

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Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,656

/mo nomad

Iquitos

🇵🇪 Peru

$663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,656 in Buenos Aires versus $663 in Iquitos.

Buenos Aires $1,656
Iquitos $663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,697 in Buenos Aires versus $1,185 in Iquitos.

Buenos Aires $2,697
Iquitos $1,185

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,737 in Buenos Aires versus $1,707 in Iquitos.

Buenos Aires $3,737
Iquitos $1,707

Living in Buenos Aires is roughly 150% more expensive than in Iquitos, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Buenos Aires is 23% above, Iquitos is 51% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.09 ARS 29.0K

$4.31 PEN 14.81

342.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 ARS 99.9K

$38.44 PEN 132

71.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.20 ARS 20.0K

$7.30 PEN 25.06

80.82%

Cappuccino

$3.85 ARS 5,841

$3.57 PEN 12.26

7.84%

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

$1.99 ARS 3,020

$0.85 PEN 2.92

134.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ARS 2,430

$0.56 PEN 1.91

185.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.93 ARS 5,959

$2.82 PEN 9.69

39.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 ARS 7,003

$7.41 PEN 25.45

-37.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 ARS 2,272

$1.76 PEN 6.05

-14.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 ARS 3,837

$2.30 PEN 7.91

10.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 ARS 2,445

Eggs

$2.84 ARS 4,316

$2.56 PEN 8.80

10.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.30 ARS 15.6K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

$3.28 PEN 11.26

204.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.30 ARS 20.2K

Apples (1kg)

$2.88 ARS 4,366

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 ARS 3,334

Oranges (1kg)

$1.40 ARS 2,120

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 ARS 3,004

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 ARS 1,835

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 ARS 1,910

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 ARS 2,592

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 ARS 2,603

$0.89 PEN 3.07

93.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 ARS 6,505

Wine (Bottle)

$5.70 ARS 8,645

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 ARS 3,288

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ARS 4,188

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ARS 1,141

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.27 ARS 41.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.57 ARS 2,375

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ARS 1,558

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ARS 12.0K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ARS 2,160

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

$27.9K ARS 42.4M

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

$35.0K ARS 53.1M

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

$195 ARS 296.2K

$34.73 PEN 119

462.05%

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

$25.16 ARS 38.2K

$11.34 PEN 38.95

121.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.54 ARS 47.9K

$8.74 PEN 30.03

260.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.9 ARS 77.3K

$29.05 PEN 99.8

75.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.73 ARS 25.4K

$8.75 PEN 30.06

91.20%

Cinema Ticket

$10.34 ARS 15.7K

$5.64 PEN 19.37

83.33%

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

$463 ARS 703.2K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,793 ARS 13.3M

$2,789 PEN 9,576

215.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$120 ARS 181.8K

$87.7 PEN 301

36.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$95.5 ARS 144.9K

$35.24 PEN 121

170.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 ARS 173.1K

$52.9 PEN 182

115.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 ARS 211.4K

$26.21 PEN 90.0

431.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 ARS 1.1M

$343 PEN 1,180

120.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$520 ARS 788.8K

$265 PEN 909

96.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,590 ARS 2.4M

$882 PEN 3,029

80.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,198 ARS 1.8M

$712 PEN 2,445

68.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,713 ARS 4.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,901 ARS 2.9M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$938 ARS 1.4M

$573 PEN 1,968

63.66%

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 11, 2026

Last update for Iquitos: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$520 31.4%

Iquitos

–

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$283 17.1%

Iquitos

–

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$282 17%

Iquitos

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$252 15.2%

Iquitos

–

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$211 12.7%

Iquitos

–

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$72 4.3%

Iquitos

–

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2%

Iquitos

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $756 in Buenos Aires and $343 in Iquitos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buenos Aires pays 64% 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 Iquitos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $78.0 per month, with Iquitos cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇵🇪 Iquitos

🕒 Local time

16:51 4:51 PM

14:51 2:51 PM

2 h behind Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

32,853

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,706 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR).

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 3.43 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Buenos Aires Iquitos 3,760 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Buenos Aires
Iquitos

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 Iquitos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires and Iquitos differ by about 150% in total monthly costs ($1,656 vs $663 including rent). Iquitos is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 64% 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 $343 in Iquitos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Iquitos – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $66.0 in Buenos Aires. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,656 per month in Buenos Aires versus $663 in Iquitos – a 150% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $663 in Iquitos versus $1,656 in Buenos Aires, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Iquitos but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes Iquitos 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 Iquitos 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 Iquitos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 150% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.