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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,412 in Buenos Aires versus $872 in La Plata.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,197 in Buenos Aires versus $1,501 in La Plata.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,982 in Buenos Aires versus $2,129 in La Plata.

Living in Buenos Aires is roughly 62% more expensive than La Plata, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Buenos Aires is 5% above, La Plata is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.09 ARS 21.5K

$11.95 ARS 17.1K

26.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.7 ARS 86.6K

$27.98 ARS 39.9K

116.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.89 ARS 17.0K

$5.29 ARS 7,544

124.76%

Cappuccino

$4.01 ARS 5,720

$2.94 ARS 4,190

36.39%

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

$2.09 ARS 2,976

$0.78 ARS 1,112

167.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 ARS 2,115

$0.72 ARS 1,033

105.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.58 ARS 5,111

$1.03 ARS 1,464

247.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 ARS 5,816

$3.92 ARS 5,597

4.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 ARS 2,276

$1.22 ARS 1,741

31.15%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 ARS 3,603

$1.60 ARS 2,276

58.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.28 ARS 3,259

$1.60 ARS 2,285

42.50%

Eggs

$3.32 ARS 4,739

$2.18 ARS 3,108

52.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.15 ARS 17.3K

$7.51 ARS 10.7K

61.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.85 ARS 11.2K

$5.64 ARS 8,039

39.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.66 ARS 13.8K

$8.29 ARS 11.8K

16.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.49 ARS 3,548

$2.44 ARS 3,484

2.05%

Banana (1kg)

$2.06 ARS 2,938

$1.82 ARS 2,600

13.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.27 ARS 1,805

$1.10 ARS 1,571

15.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 ARS 3,631

$2.54 ARS 3,619

0.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 ARS 2,126

$0.77 ARS 1,097

93.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 ARS 2,094

$1.16 ARS 1,654

26.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 ARS 2,628

$1.81 ARS 2,581

1.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 ARS 2,059

$1.23 ARS 1,759

17.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.27 ARS 4,671

$2.93 ARS 4,179

11.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.75 ARS 8,199

$5.07 ARS 7,238

13.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.24 ARS 3,202

$2.21 ARS 3,149

1.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 ARS 4,565

$3.17 ARS 4,526

0.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 ARS 1,026

$0.32 ARS 459

125.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.12 ARS 23.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.65 ARS 2,347

$1.55 ARS 2,205

6.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.91 ARS 1,294

$0.89 ARS 1,271

2.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.93 ARS 8,461

$6.13 ARS 8,739

-3.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ARS 1,584

$0.92 ARS 1,319

20.65%

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

$24.6K ARS 35.0M

$25.1K ARS 35.9M

-2.33%

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

$28.8K ARS 41.1M

$28.5K ARS 40.7M

0.97%

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

$109 ARS 155.6K

$35.88 ARS 51.2K

203.99%

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

$21.60 ARS 30.8K

$16.52 ARS 23.6K

30.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.00 ARS 41.4K

$23.40 ARS 33.4K

23.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.80 ARS 61.1K

$22.03 ARS 31.4K

94.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.76 ARS 16.8K

$13.72 ARS 19.6K

-14.29%

Cinema Ticket

$9.01 ARS 12.9K

$6.91 ARS 9,853

30.39%

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

$324 ARS 462.1K

$323 ARS 460.7K

0.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,180 ARS 7.4M

$5,208 ARS 7.4M

-0.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 ARS 154.9K

$92.4 ARS 131.8K

17.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$86.8 ARS 123.8K

$85.0 ARS 121.3K

2.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 ARS 176.4K

$120 ARS 171.1K

3.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ARS 189.3K

$133 ARS 189.0K

0.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$658 ARS 939.0K

$301 ARS 429.8K

118.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$447 ARS 638.3K

$185 ARS 264.0K

141.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,155 ARS 1.6M

$649 ARS 925.2K

78.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$811 ARS 1.2M

$500 ARS 713.6K

62.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,627 ARS 3.7M

$1,992 ARS 2.8M

31.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,830 ARS 2.6M

$1,426 ARS 2.0M

28.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$820 ARS 1.2M

$655 ARS 933.9K

25.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

52.71

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: June 1, 2026

Last update for La Plata: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $658 in Buenos Aires and $301 in La Plata. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buenos Aires pays 25% 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 $28.00 in La Plata for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $213 per month, with La Plata 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 La Plata: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires and La Plata differ by about 62% in total monthly costs ($1,412 vs $872 including rent). La Plata is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Buenos Aires pays 25% more on average, 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: $658 in Buenos Aires versus $301 in La Plata. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $324 in Buenos Aires versus $323 in La Plata. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in La Plata – a meal for two runs $28.00 versus $61.0 in Buenos Aires. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $872 in La Plata versus $1,412 in Buenos Aires, a $2,000 budget is realistic in La Plata but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes La Plata 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 La Plata 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 La Plata gentler on the wallet – expenses run 62% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.