Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and La Plata, MD

For one person, living is cheaper in Buenos Aires: $1,633 a month against $2,441 in La Plata, MD, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
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Buenos Aires Living Index
117

Cost of Living Index in La Plata, MD
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La Plata, MD Living Index

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Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,633

/mo nomad

La Plata, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,441

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Buenos Aires and in La Plata, MD

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 La Plata, MD actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,633 in Buenos Aires versus $2,441 in La Plata, MD.

Buenos Aires $1,633
La Plata, MD $2,441

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,640 in Buenos Aires versus $3,635 in La Plata, MD.

Buenos Aires $2,640
La Plata, MD $3,635

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,646 in Buenos Aires versus $4,829 in La Plata, MD.

Buenos Aires $3,646
La Plata, MD $4,829

Living in Buenos Aires costs roughly 33% less than in La Plata, MD, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Buenos Aires 20% above, La Plata, MD 79% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.24 ARS 28.1K

$13.52 $13.52

34.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.3 ARS 101.9K

$90.4 $90.4

-26.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.96 ARS 19.9K

$7.62 $7.62

70.08%

Cappuccino

$3.73 ARS 5,742

$6.29 $6.29

-40.70%

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

$2.03 ARS 3,128

$2.82 $2.82

-28.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 ARS 2,612

$2.56 $2.56

-33.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.06 ARS 6,243

$3.46 $3.46

17.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.75 ARS 7,301

$4.96 $4.96

-4.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 ARS 2,249

$1.68 $1.68

-13.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.54 ARS 3,904

$4.42 $4.42

-42.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ARS 2,434

$6.23 $6.23

-74.64%

Eggs

$2.68 ARS 4,123

$1.81 $1.81

48.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.14 ARS 17.1K

$12.70 $12.70

-12.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.08 ARS 15.5K

$8.81 $8.81

14.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.18 ARS 20.3K

$13.15 $13.15

0.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.76 ARS 4,250

$4.89 $4.89

-43.56%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 ARS 3,384

$1.65 $1.65

33.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.40 ARS 2,148

$6.32 $6.32

-77.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ARS 3,055

$4.44 $4.44

-55.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 ARS 1,845

$3.04 $3.04

-60.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ARS 1,774

$2.08 $2.08

-44.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.63 ARS 2,500

$2.10 $2.10

-22.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ARS 2,769

$2.72 $2.72

-33.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.21 ARS 6,478

$11.85 $11.85

-64.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.51 ARS 8,480

$14.37 $14.37

-61.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 ARS 3,177

$1.68 $1.68

23.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 ARS 4,254

$5.10 $5.10

-45.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.74 ARS 1,143

$1.94 $1.94

-61.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 ARS 45.9K

$58.1 $58.1

-48.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.61 ARS 2,481

$2.73 $2.73

-41.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.97 ARS 1,497

$1.67 $1.67

-41.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.15 ARS 12.5K

$29.72 $29.72

-72.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 ARS 2,160

$1.02 $1.02

37.25%

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

$23.2K ARS 35.7M

$32.6K $32.6K

-28.81%

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

$32.8K ARS 50.5M

$30.5K $30.5K

7.55%

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

$196 ARS 301.9K

$97.8 $97.8

100.59%

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

$23.91 ARS 36.8K

$42.02 $42.02

-43.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.50 ARS 48.5K

$73.5 $73.5

-57.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.01 ARS 73.8K

$40.39 $40.39

18.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.62 ARS 25.6K

Cinema Ticket

$10.57 ARS 16.3K

$15.14 $15.14

-30.18%

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

$501 ARS 770.1K

$1,210 $1,210

-58.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,870 ARS 13.6M

$23.0K $23.0K

-61.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$121 ARS 186.8K

$47.79 $47.79

154.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$95.6 ARS 147.0K

$36.43 $36.43

162.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 ARS 178.5K

$112 $112

3.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 ARS 213.2K

$121 $121

14.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$731 ARS 1.1M

$1,575 $1,575

-53.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$503 ARS 773.8K

$1,284 $1,284

-60.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,477 ARS 2.3M

$2,492 $2,492

-40.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,119 ARS 1.7M

$2,098 $2,098

-46.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,703 ARS 4.2M

$3,038 $3,038

-11.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 ARS 3.0M

$2,428 $2,428

-20.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$921 ARS 1.4M

$6,502 $6,502

-85.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

6.25

816.00%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 26, 2026

Last update for La Plata, MD: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$503 30.8%

La Plata, MD

$1.3K 52.6% 155% $781

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$284 17.4%

La Plata, MD

$398 16.3% 40.3% $114

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$274 16.8%

La Plata, MD

$255 10.5% 7% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$252 15.4%

La Plata, MD

$213 8.7% 15.2% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$212 13%

La Plata, MD

$143 5.8% 32.8% $70

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$69 4.2%

La Plata, MD

$71 2.9% 2.2% $1.5

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$39 2.4%

La Plata, MD

$77 3.2% 96% $38

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $731 in Buenos Aires and $1,575 in La Plata, MD. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

La Plata, MD pays about 7.1 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $66 in Buenos Aires vs $90 in La Plata, MD for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $284 vs $398 per month, with Buenos Aires cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇺🇸 La Plata, MD

🕒 Local time

18:01 6:01 PM

17:01 5:01 PM

1 h behind Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

10,000

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.5 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.84 EUR

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to ARS – Argentine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇷 Argentine Peso ($)

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1,538 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.5 USD). 1 EUR = 1,712 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.84 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

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Between locations

Buenos Aires La Plata, MD 8,350 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Buenos Aires
La Plata, MD

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 La Plata, MD: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,633 in Buenos Aires and $2,441 in La Plata, MD, so Buenos Aires is about 33% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 86% lower in Buenos Aires. 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: $731 in Buenos Aires versus $1,575 in La Plata, MD. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $501 in Buenos Aires versus $1,210 in La Plata, MD. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 40% higher in La Plata, MD. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Buenos Aires gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.

Expats usually find Buenos Aires gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in La Plata, MD. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.