Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Locarno

For one person, living is cheaper in Buenos Aires: $1,656 a month against $2,905 in Locarno, rent and utilities included – about $15,000 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
141

Cost of Living Index in Locarno
Learn more

Locarno Living Index

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Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,656

/mo nomad

Locarno

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$2,905

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,656 in Buenos Aires versus $2,905 in Locarno.

Buenos Aires $1,656
Locarno $2,905

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,697 in Buenos Aires versus $4,583 in Locarno.

Buenos Aires $2,697
Locarno $4,583

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,737 in Buenos Aires versus $6,262 in Locarno.

Buenos Aires $3,737
Locarno $6,262

Living in Buenos Aires costs roughly 43% less than in Locarno, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Buenos Aires 23% above, Locarno 115% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.09 ARS 29.0K

$27.42 CHF 22.58

-30.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 ARS 99.9K

$120 CHF 99.0

-45.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.20 ARS 20.0K

$18.22 CHF 15.00

-27.55%

Cappuccino

$3.85 ARS 5,841

$4.97 CHF 4.10

-22.54%

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

$1.99 ARS 3,020

$5.24 CHF 4.32

-62.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ARS 2,430

$4.26 CHF 3.51

-62.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.93 ARS 5,959

$8.28 CHF 6.82

-52.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 ARS 7,003

$5.93 CHF 4.88

-22.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 ARS 2,272

$2.19 CHF 1.81

-31.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 ARS 3,837

$3.71 CHF 3.05

-31.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 ARS 2,445

$3.08 CHF 2.54

-47.73%

Eggs

$2.84 ARS 4,316

$7.05 CHF 5.80

-59.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.30 ARS 15.6K

$26.24 CHF 21.61

-60.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

$16.00 CHF 13.18

-37.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.30 ARS 20.2K

$35.33 CHF 29.10

-62.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.88 ARS 4,366

$3.04 CHF 2.50

-5.26%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 ARS 3,334

$1.65 CHF 1.36

33.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.40 ARS 2,120

$2.08 CHF 1.71

-32.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 ARS 3,004

$3.70 CHF 3.05

-46.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 ARS 1,835

$1.27 CHF 1.05

-4.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 ARS 1,910

$1.83 CHF 1.51

-31.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 ARS 2,592

$1.95 CHF 1.60

-12.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 ARS 2,603

$1.20 CHF 0.99

43.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 ARS 6,505

$10.68 CHF 8.80

-59.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.70 ARS 8,645

$12.83 CHF 10.57

-55.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 ARS 3,288

$3.04 CHF 2.50

-28.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ARS 4,188

$2.99 CHF 2.46

-7.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ARS 1,141

$2.56 CHF 2.11

-70.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.27 ARS 41.4K

$96.2 CHF 79.3

-71.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.57 ARS 2,375

$11.78 CHF 9.70

-86.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ARS 1,558

$2.43 CHF 2.00

-57.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ARS 12.0K

$61.1 CHF 50.3

-87.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ARS 2,160

$2.16 CHF 1.78

-34.26%

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

$27.9K ARS 42.4M

$38.4K CHF 31.6K

-27.18%

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

$35.0K ARS 53.1M

$38.9K CHF 32.0K

-10.10%

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

$195 ARS 296.2K

$470 CHF 387

-58.46%

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

$25.16 ARS 38.2K

$27.00 CHF 22.24

-6.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.54 ARS 47.9K

$55.9 CHF 46.06

-43.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.9 ARS 77.3K

$71.7 CHF 59.1

-29.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.73 ARS 25.4K

$30.19 CHF 24.87

-44.58%

Cinema Ticket

$10.34 ARS 15.7K

$19.93 CHF 16.41

-48.12%

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

$463 ARS 703.2K

$1,458 CHF 1,201

-68.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,793 ARS 13.3M

$19.3K CHF 15.9K

-54.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$120 ARS 181.8K

$97.1 CHF 79.9

23.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$95.5 ARS 144.9K

$56.7 CHF 46.67

68.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 ARS 173.1K

$96.6 CHF 79.6

18.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 ARS 211.4K

$116 CHF 95.8

19.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 ARS 1.1M

$1,035 CHF 852

-26.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$520 ARS 788.8K

$1,027 CHF 846

-49.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,590 ARS 2.4M

$2,390 CHF 1,969

-33.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,198 ARS 1.8M

$2,182 CHF 1,797

-45.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,713 ARS 4.1M

$9,417 CHF 7,756

-71.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,901 ARS 2.9M

$7,295 CHF 6,008

-73.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$938 ARS 1.4M

$5,812 CHF 4,786

-83.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

1.97

2806.09%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 11, 2026

Last update for Locarno: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$520 31.4%

Locarno

$1K 35.4% 97.6% $508

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$283 17.1%

Locarno

$493 17% 73.9% $209

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$282 17%

Locarno

$425 14.6% 50.8% $143

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$252 15.2%

Locarno

$553 19% 120% $301

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$211 12.7%

Locarno

$165 5.7% 21.8% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$72 4.3%

Locarno

$112 3.8% 55.9% $40

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2%

Locarno

$130 4.5% 253% $93

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $756 in Buenos Aires and $1,035 in Locarno. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Locarno pays 520% 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 $120 in Locarno for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $493 per month, with Buenos Aires cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇨🇭 Locarno

🕒 Local time

13:31 1:31 PM

18:31 6:31 PM

5 h ahead of Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

16,000

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CHF, USD, EUR to ARS – Argentine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇷 Argentine Peso ($)

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,706 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.824 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.926 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Buenos Aires Locarno 11,220 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Buenos Aires
Locarno

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 Locarno: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires and Locarno differ by about 75% in total monthly costs ($1,656 vs $2,905 including rent). Buenos Aires is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 520% lower in Locarno. 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: $756 in Buenos Aires versus $1,035 in Locarno. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $463 in Buenos Aires versus $1,458 in Locarno. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 74% higher in Locarno. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,656 in Buenos Aires versus $2,905 in Locarno, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Buenos Aires but tight or insufficient in Locarno. The gap between the two cities makes Buenos Aires 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 Locarno 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 Buenos Aires gentler on the wallet – expenses run 75% less than in Locarno. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.