Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Lima

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $996 a month against $1,685 in Buenos Aires, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 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
49

Cost of Living Index in Lima
Learn more

Lima Living Index

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Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,685

/mo nomad

Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$996

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,685 in Buenos Aires versus $996 in Lima.

Buenos Aires $1,685
Lima $996

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,742 in Buenos Aires versus $1,594 in Lima.

Buenos Aires $2,742
Lima $1,594

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,799 in Buenos Aires versus $2,191 in Lima.

Buenos Aires $3,799
Lima $2,191

Living in Buenos Aires is roughly 69% more expensive than in Lima, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.73 ARS 28.4K

$4.42 PEN 15.21

323.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 ARS 97.7K

$35.04 PEN 121

84.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.88 ARS 19.5K

$6.84 PEN 23.52

88.30%

Cappuccino

$3.98 ARS 6,027

$3.27 PEN 11.26

21.71%

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

$2.05 ARS 3,102

$1.10 PEN 3.80

86.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 ARS 2,348

$0.65 PEN 2.23

138.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.84 ARS 5,828

$2.58 PEN 8.88

48.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 ARS 6,968

$4.47 PEN 15.39

2.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 ARS 2,180

$1.59 PEN 5.48

-9.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 ARS 3,737

$2.58 PEN 8.89

-4.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 ARS 2,466

$1.36 PEN 4.67

19.85%

Eggs

$2.89 ARS 4,384

$2.95 PEN 10.14

-2.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.65 ARS 16.1K

$9.10 PEN 31.30

17.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

$5.81 PEN 19.98

72.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.74 ARS 20.8K

$9.83 PEN 33.80

39.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ARS 4,165

$2.01 PEN 6.92

36.82%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 ARS 3,299

$1.08 PEN 3.70

101.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 ARS 2,204

$1.37 PEN 4.71

5.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ARS 3,012

$1.48 PEN 5.08

34.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ARS 1,884

$0.96 PEN 3.32

29.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 ARS 1,920

$0.85 PEN 2.93

49.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 ARS 2,574

$0.88 PEN 3.03

93.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 ARS 2,616

$0.87 PEN 2.98

98.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.18 ARS 6,335

$5.90 PEN 20.31

-29.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.80 ARS 8,787

$8.81 PEN 30.31

-34.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 ARS 3,162

$1.92 PEN 6.59

8.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 ARS 4,197

$3.20 PEN 11.02

-13.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ARS 1,131

$0.68 PEN 2.33

10.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.15 ARS 41.2K

$26.74 PEN 92.0

1.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.62 ARS 2,450

$3.81 PEN 13.10

-57.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 ARS 1,480

$2.04 PEN 7.02

-51.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.72 ARS 11.7K

$7.14 PEN 24.57

8.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ARS 2,057

$1.65 PEN 5.67

-17.58%

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

$28.0K ARS 42.5M

$22.2K PEN 76.3K

26.31%

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

$34.5K ARS 52.3M

$25.7K PEN 88.3K

34.53%

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

$216 ARS 326.8K

$73.0 PEN 251

195.14%

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

$25.61 ARS 38.8K

$16.26 PEN 55.9

57.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.36 ARS 47.5K

$27.60 PEN 94.9

13.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.82 ARS 75.5K

$33.07 PEN 114

50.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 ARS 25.9K

$19.49 PEN 67.1

-12.47%

Cinema Ticket

$10.43 ARS 15.8K

$7.39 PEN 25.41

41.14%

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

$466 ARS 706.5K

$182 PEN 626

156.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,057 ARS 13.7M

$13.3K PEN 45.8K

-32.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$122 ARS 185.1K

$52.6 PEN 181

132.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$97.4 ARS 147.7K

$34.23 PEN 118

184.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ARS 177.3K

$83.8 PEN 288

39.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 ARS 211.8K

$79.0 PEN 272

76.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$763 ARS 1.2M

$723 PEN 2,488

5.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$505 ARS 765.8K

$340 PEN 1,170

48.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,598 ARS 2.4M

$1,184 PEN 4,074

34.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,185 ARS 1.8M

$635 PEN 2,183

86.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,678 ARS 4.1M

$2,449 PEN 8,423

9.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,858 ARS 2.8M

$1,372 PEN 4,718

35.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$954 ARS 1.4M

$653 PEN 2,245

46.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

8.94

540.38%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 6, 2026

Last update for Lima: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$505 30.4%

Lima

$340 33.6% 32.7% $165

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$284 17.1%

Lima

$226 22.4% 20.3% $58

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$279 16.8%

Lima

$124 12.3% 55.5% $155

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$273 16.4%

Lima

$117 11.6% 57.1% $156

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$214 12.9%

Lima

$112 11.1% 47.6% $102

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$71 4.3%

Lima

$48 4.7% 32.3% $23

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2%

Lima

$43 4.3% 18.7% $6.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $763 in Buenos Aires and $723 in Lima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buenos Aires pays 46% 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: $64.0 in Buenos Aires vs $35.00 in Lima for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $284 vs $226 per month, with Lima cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇵🇪 Lima

🕒 Local time

02:06 2:06 AM

00:06 12:06 AM

2 h behind Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

9,989,369 Capital

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.6 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.88 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,516 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.6 USD). 1 EUR = 1,700 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR).

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.44 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 Lima 3,130 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Buenos Aires
Lima

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 Lima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires and Lima differ by about 69% in total monthly costs ($1,685 vs $996 including rent). Lima is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 46% 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: $763 in Buenos Aires versus $723 in Lima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $466 in Buenos Aires versus $182 in Lima. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 26% higher in Buenos Aires. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $996 in Lima versus $1,685 in Buenos Aires, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lima but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes Lima 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 Lima 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 Lima gentler on the wallet – expenses run 69% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.