Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and La Plata

For one person, living is cheaper in La Plata: $959 a month against $1,656 in Buenos Aires, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
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Buenos Aires Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in La Plata
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La Plata Living Index

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Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,656

/mo nomad

La Plata

🇦🇷 Argentina

$959

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,656 in Buenos Aires versus $959 in La Plata.

Buenos Aires $1,656
La Plata $959

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,697 in Buenos Aires versus $1,711 in La Plata.

Buenos Aires $2,697
La Plata $1,711

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,737 in Buenos Aires versus $2,464 in La Plata.

Buenos Aires $3,737
La Plata $2,464

Living in Buenos Aires is roughly 73% more expensive than in La Plata, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Buenos Aires is 23% above, La Plata is 29% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.09 ARS 29.0K

$15.43 ARS 23.4K

23.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 ARS 99.9K

$49.89 ARS 75.7K

31.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.20 ARS 20.0K

$9.82 ARS 14.9K

34.42%

Cappuccino

$3.85 ARS 5,841

$3.84 ARS 5,829

0.26%

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

$1.99 ARS 3,020

$1.54 ARS 2,344

29.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ARS 2,430

$0.91 ARS 1,386

75.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.93 ARS 5,959

$4.04 ARS 6,125

-2.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 ARS 7,003

$3.60 ARS 5,459

28.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 ARS 2,272

$1.04 ARS 1,580

44.23%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 ARS 3,837

$2.18 ARS 3,303

16.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 ARS 2,445

$0.88 ARS 1,328

82.95%

Eggs

$2.84 ARS 4,316

$2.23 ARS 3,387

27.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.30 ARS 15.6K

$9.00 ARS 13.7K

14.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

$5.40 ARS 8,187

85.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.30 ARS 20.2K

$9.44 ARS 14.3K

40.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.88 ARS 4,366

$2.08 ARS 3,157

38.46%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 ARS 3,334

$1.94 ARS 2,943

13.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.40 ARS 2,120

$0.74 ARS 1,122

89.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 ARS 3,004

$1.55 ARS 2,357

27.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 ARS 1,835

$0.52 ARS 789

132.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 ARS 1,910

$0.60 ARS 917

110.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 ARS 2,592

$1.01 ARS 1,535

69.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 ARS 2,603

$1.01 ARS 1,538

70.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 ARS 6,505

$3.23 ARS 4,903

32.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.70 ARS 8,645

$4.99 ARS 7,578

14.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 ARS 3,288

$2.09 ARS 3,178

3.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ARS 4,188

$2.83 ARS 4,288

-2.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ARS 1,141

$0.73 ARS 1,107

2.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.27 ARS 41.4K

$4.59 ARS 6,965

494.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.57 ARS 2,375

$1.55 ARS 2,352

1.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ARS 1,558

$0.67 ARS 1,020

53.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ARS 12.0K

$7.76 ARS 11.8K

1.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ARS 2,160

$1.16 ARS 1,756

22.41%

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

$27.9K ARS 42.4M

$22.0K ARS 33.4M

26.95%

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

$35.0K ARS 53.1M

$34.5K ARS 52.4M

1.28%

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

$195 ARS 296.2K

$70.9 ARS 107.6K

175.20%

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

$25.16 ARS 38.2K

$11.14 ARS 16.9K

125.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.54 ARS 47.9K

$24.13 ARS 36.6K

30.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.9 ARS 77.3K

$26.16 ARS 39.7K

94.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.73 ARS 25.4K

$10.80 ARS 16.4K

54.91%

Cinema Ticket

$10.34 ARS 15.7K

$5.36 ARS 8,127

92.91%

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

$463 ARS 703.2K

$138 ARS 209.6K

235.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,793 ARS 13.3M

$4,189 ARS 6.4M

109.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$120 ARS 181.8K

$108 ARS 163.2K

11.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$95.5 ARS 144.9K

$20.87 ARS 31.7K

357.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 ARS 173.1K

$94.5 ARS 143.3K

20.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 ARS 211.4K

$54.1 ARS 82.1K

157.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 ARS 1.1M

$346 ARS 525.2K

118.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$520 ARS 788.8K

$238 ARS 361.3K

118.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,590 ARS 2.4M

$1,207 ARS 1.8M

31.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,198 ARS 1.8M

$758 ARS 1.2M

58.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,713 ARS 4.1M

$2,009 ARS 3.0M

35.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,901 ARS 2.9M

$1,190 ARS 1.8M

59.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$938 ARS 1.4M

$716 ARS 1.1M

30.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

36.31%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 11, 2026

Last update for La Plata: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$520 31.4%

La Plata

$238 24.8% 54.2% $282

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$283 17.1%

La Plata

$205 21.4% 27.7% $79

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$282 17%

La Plata

$236 24.6% 16.2% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$252 15.2%

La Plata

$106 11.1% 57.8% $146

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$211 12.7%

La Plata

$125 13% 40.9% $86

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$72 4.3%

La Plata

$37 3.8% 48.5% $35

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2%

La Plata

$12 1.3% 66.4% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $756 in Buenos Aires and $346 in La Plata. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buenos Aires pays 31% 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 $50.0 in La Plata for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $205 per month, with La Plata cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 La Plata

🕒 Local time

11:57 11:57 AM

Same time as Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

193,144

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 73% in total monthly costs ($1,656 vs $959 including rent). La Plata is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 31% 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 $346 in La Plata. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $463 in Buenos Aires versus $138 in La Plata. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 38% higher in Buenos Aires. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $959 in La Plata versus $1,656 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 73% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.