Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Marathon

For one person, living is cheaper in Buenos Aires: $1,646 a month against $2,218 in Marathon, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
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Buenos Aires Living Index
108

Cost of Living Index in Marathon
Learn more

Marathon Living Index

Jump to prices

Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,646

/mo nomad

Marathon

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,218

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,646 in Buenos Aires versus $2,218 in Marathon.

Buenos Aires $1,646
Marathon $2,218

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,680 in Buenos Aires versus $3,213 in Marathon.

Buenos Aires $2,680
Marathon $3,213

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,714 in Buenos Aires versus $4,209 in Marathon.

Buenos Aires $3,714
Marathon $4,209

Living in Buenos Aires costs roughly 26% less than in Marathon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Buenos Aires 21% above, Marathon 64% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.81 ARS 27.0K

$17.17 CA$24.27

3.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.2 ARS 98.9K

$66.1 CA$93.4

-1.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.12 ARS 19.9K

$10.61 CA$15.00

23.66%

Cappuccino

$3.86 ARS 5,863

$3.65 CA$5.16

5.75%

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

$2.06 ARS 3,133

$1.93 CA$2.72

6.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 ARS 2,542

$1.60 CA$2.26

5.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.10 ARS 6,218

$5.13 CA$7.25

-20.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.73 ARS 7,181

$5.57 CA$7.88

-15.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 ARS 2,285

$1.99 CA$2.81

-24.12%

White Bread (500g)

$2.60 ARS 3,950

$2.52 CA$3.56

3.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 ARS 2,380

$3.27 CA$4.62

-51.99%

Eggs

$2.73 ARS 4,144

$3.42 CA$4.83

-20.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.86 ARS 16.5K

$10.04 CA$14.19

8.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.07 ARS 15.3K

$11.16 CA$15.78

-9.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.22 ARS 20.1K

$14.71 CA$20.80

-10.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.80 ARS 4,255

$3.85 CA$5.44

-27.27%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 ARS 3,170

$1.29 CA$1.82

62.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 ARS 2,194

$3.69 CA$5.21

-60.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 ARS 3,040

$3.77 CA$5.32

-46.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 ARS 1,826

$2.48 CA$3.51

-51.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 ARS 1,821

$2.13 CA$3.01

-43.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.69 ARS 2,569

$2.44 CA$3.45

-30.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 ARS 2,711

$1.55 CA$2.19

15.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.00 ARS 6,074

$14.15 CA$20.01

-71.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.53 ARS 8,388

$12.51 CA$17.68

-55.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 ARS 3,219

$2.55 CA$3.60

-16.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ARS 4,212

$3.01 CA$4.25

-7.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 ARS 1,049

$2.32 CA$3.28

-70.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.90 ARS 42.3K

$62.1 CA$87.8

-55.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.63 ARS 2,471

$2.95 CA$4.18

-44.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.97 ARS 1,478

$1.41 CA$1.99

-31.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 ARS 12.0K

$23.24 CA$32.86

-66.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ARS 2,156

$1.13 CA$1.60

25.66%

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

$23.3K ARS 35.4M

$27.6K CA$39.0K

-15.48%

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

$31.9K ARS 48.5M

$19.1K CA$27.0K

67.13%

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

$199 ARS 302.7K

$132 CA$187

51.11%

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

$23.36 ARS 35.4K

$38.75 CA$54.8

-39.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.44 ARS 47.7K

$54.5 CA$77.1

-42.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.81 ARS 75.6K

$39.87 CA$56.4

24.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.63 ARS 25.2K

$17.63 CA$24.92

-5.67%

Cinema Ticket

$10.80 ARS 16.4K

$11.17 CA$15.79

-3.31%

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

$462 ARS 701.7K

$760 CA$1,074

-39.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,790 ARS 13.3M

$12.8K CA$18.0K

-31.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$120 ARS 181.6K

$53.5 CA$75.6

123.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$94.6 ARS 143.6K

$37.54 CA$53.1

152.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 ARS 176.4K

$84.0 CA$119

38.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$137 ARS 208.6K

$103 CA$145

34.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$750 ARS 1.1M

$1,241 CA$1,754

-39.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$514 ARS 780.5K

$1,114 CA$1,575

-53.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,567 ARS 2.4M

$1,930 CA$2,728

-18.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,196 ARS 1.8M

$1,701 CA$2,405

-29.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,632 ARS 4.0M

$4,211 CA$5,953

-37.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,874 ARS 2.8M

$3,537 CA$5,000

-47.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$924 ARS 1.4M

$1,720 CA$2,431

-46.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

4.66

1128.54%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 19, 2026

Last update for Marathon: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$514 31.3%

Marathon

$1.1K 50.2% 117% $600

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$285 17.3%

Marathon

$346 15.6% 21.6% $62

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$273 16.6%

Marathon

$264 11.9% 3.4% $9.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$254 15.5%

Marathon

$225 10.2% 11.4% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$211 12.8%

Marathon

$125 5.6% 40.7% $86

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$71 4.3%

Marathon

$62 2.8% 12.9% $9.2

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.3%

Marathon

$81 3.7% 119% $44

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $750 in Buenos Aires and $1,241 in Marathon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Marathon pays 86% 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: $65.0 in Buenos Aires vs $66.0 in Marathon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $285 vs $346 per month, with Buenos Aires cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇨🇦 Marathon

🕒 Local time

12:31 12:31 PM

11:31 11:31 AM

1 h behind Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

3,300

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to ARS – Argentine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇷 Argentine Peso ($)

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,706 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Buenos Aires Marathon 9,670 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Buenos Aires
Marathon

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 Marathon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires and Marathon differ by about 35% in total monthly costs ($1,646 vs $2,218 including rent). Buenos Aires is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 86% lower in Marathon. 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: $750 in Buenos Aires versus $1,241 in Marathon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $462 in Buenos Aires versus $760 in Marathon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Marathon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,646 in Buenos Aires versus $2,218 in Marathon, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Buenos Aires but tight or insufficient in Marathon. 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 Marathon 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 35% less than in Marathon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.