Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Isla Mujeres

For one person, living is cheaper in Isla Mujeres: $1,087 a month against $1,685 in Buenos Aires, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 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
54

Cost of Living Index in Isla Mujeres
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Isla Mujeres Living Index

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Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,685

/mo nomad

Isla Mujeres

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,087

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Buenos Aires and in Isla Mujeres

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,685 in Buenos Aires versus $1,087 in Isla Mujeres.

Buenos Aires $1,685
Isla Mujeres $1,087

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,742 in Buenos Aires versus $1,747 in Isla Mujeres.

Buenos Aires $2,742
Isla Mujeres $1,747

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,799 in Buenos Aires versus $2,407 in Isla Mujeres.

Buenos Aires $3,799
Isla Mujeres $2,407

Living in Buenos Aires is roughly 55% more expensive than in Isla Mujeres, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Buenos Aires is 26% above, Isla Mujeres is 19% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.73 ARS 28.4K

$10.60 MX$193

76.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 ARS 97.8K

$39.12 MX$714

64.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.88 ARS 19.5K

$8.06 MX$147

59.80%

Cappuccino

$3.98 ARS 6,029

$3.38 MX$61.8

17.75%

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

$2.05 ARS 3,103

$1.24 MX$22.59

65.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 ARS 2,349

$0.96 MX$17.61

61.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.84 ARS 5,830

$2.24 MX$40.87

71.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 ARS 6,970

$3.80 MX$69.3

21.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 ARS 2,181

$1.43 MX$26.12

0.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 ARS 3,738

$2.64 MX$48.25

-6.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 ARS 2,467

$1.57 MX$28.74

3.82%

Eggs

$2.89 ARS 4,385

$2.38 MX$43.51

21.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.65 ARS 16.1K

$8.23 MX$150

29.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

$8.00 MX$146

25.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.74 ARS 20.8K

$10.78 MX$197

27.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ARS 4,166

$2.72 MX$49.58

1.10%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 ARS 3,300

$1.40 MX$25.58

55.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 ARS 2,205

$1.78 MX$32.53

-18.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ARS 3,013

$1.65 MX$30.19

20.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ARS 1,885

$1.84 MX$33.66

-32.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 ARS 1,921

$1.93 MX$35.22

-34.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 ARS 2,575

$1.26 MX$22.92

34.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 ARS 2,617

$0.97 MX$17.72

78.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.18 ARS 6,337

$4.27 MX$78.0

-2.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.80 ARS 8,790

$10.66 MX$195

-45.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 ARS 3,163

$1.55 MX$28.30

34.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 ARS 4,198

$2.74 MX$50.0

1.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ARS 1,132

$0.66 MX$11.98

13.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.15 ARS 41.2K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.62 ARS 2,451

$2.65 MX$48.47

-38.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 ARS 1,481

$1.52 MX$27.81

-35.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.72 ARS 11.7K

$8.37 MX$153

-7.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ARS 2,058

$1.33 MX$24.25

2.26%

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

$28.0K ARS 42.5M

$21.2K MX$387.4K

32.02%

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

$34.5K ARS 52.4M

$22.8K MX$416.8K

51.25%

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

$216 ARS 326.9K

$56.0 MX$1,023

284.74%

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

$25.61 ARS 38.8K

$22.35 MX$408

14.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.36 ARS 47.6K

$27.89 MX$509

12.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.82 ARS 75.6K

$36.84 MX$673

35.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 ARS 25.9K

$16.02 MX$292

6.49%

Cinema Ticket

$10.43 ARS 15.8K

$4.68 MX$85.4

122.86%

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

$466 ARS 706.7K

$206 MX$3,758

126.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,057 ARS 13.7M

$3,587 MX$65.5K

152.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$122 ARS 185.2K

$53.9 MX$984

126.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$97.4 ARS 147.8K

$39.65 MX$724

145.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ARS 177.4K

$89.3 MX$1,630

31.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 ARS 211.9K

$77.9 MX$1,423

79.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$763 ARS 1.2M

$518 MX$9,466

47.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$505 ARS 766.1K

$390 MX$7,123

29.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,598 ARS 2.4M

$923 MX$16.9K

73.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,185 ARS 1.8M

$762 MX$13.9K

55.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,678 ARS 4.1M

$1,785 MX$32.6K

50.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,858 ARS 2.8M

$1,153 MX$21.1K

61.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$954 ARS 1.4M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

11.48

398.69%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 6, 2026

Last update for Isla Mujeres: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$505 30.4%

Isla Mujeres

$390 35.4% 22.8% $115

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$284 17.1%

Isla Mujeres

$252 22.8% 11.4% $32

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$279 16.8%

Isla Mujeres

$177 16.1% 36.5% $102

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$273 16.4%

Isla Mujeres

$106 9.7% 61% $166

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$214 12.9%

Isla Mujeres

$117 10.7% 45.3% $97

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$71 4.3%

Isla Mujeres

$46 4.2% 34.6% $24

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2%

Isla Mujeres

$13 * 1.2% 64.8% $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 $518 in Isla Mujeres. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $64.0 in Buenos Aires vs $39.00 in Isla Mujeres for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $284 vs $252 per month, with Isla Mujeres cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇲🇽 Isla Mujeres

🕒 Local time

05:42 5:42 AM

03:42 3:42 AM

2 h behind Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

13,174

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR

100 MXN = 5.48 USD

100 MXN = 4.89 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 13, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,700 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 18.26 MXN (100 MXN = 5.48 USD). 1 EUR = 20.46 MXN (100 MXN = 4.89 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Buenos Aires Isla Mujeres 6,890 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Buenos Aires
Isla Mujeres

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 Isla Mujeres: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires and Isla Mujeres differ by about 55% in total monthly costs ($1,685 vs $1,087 including rent). Isla Mujeres is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,528 in Buenos Aires and $1,631 in Isla Mujeres to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $763 in Buenos Aires versus $518 in Isla Mujeres. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $466 in Buenos Aires versus $206 in Isla Mujeres. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Isla Mujeres – a meal for two runs $39.00 versus $64.0 in Buenos Aires. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,087 in Isla Mujeres versus $1,685 in Buenos Aires, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Isla Mujeres but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes Isla Mujeres 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 Isla Mujeres 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 Isla Mujeres gentler on the wallet – expenses run 55% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.