Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Mary

For one person, living is cheaper in Mary: $474 a month against $1,685 in Buenos Aires, rent and utilities included – about $14,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
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Buenos Aires Living Index

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Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,685

/mo nomad

Mary

🇹🇲 Turkmenistan

$474

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,685 in Buenos Aires versus $474 in Mary.

Buenos Aires $1,685
Mary $474

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,742 in Buenos Aires versus $705 in Mary.

Buenos Aires $2,742
Mary $705

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,799 in Buenos Aires versus $936 in Mary.

Buenos Aires $3,799
Mary $936

Living in Buenos Aires is roughly 256% more expensive than in Mary, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Buenos Aires is 26% above, Mary is 65% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.73 ARS 28.4K

$11.60 TMT 38.88

61.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 ARS 97.7K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.88 ARS 19.5K

$8.30 TMT 27.79

55.18%

Cappuccino

$3.98 ARS 6,027

$8.78 TMT 29.42

-54.67%

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

$2.05 ARS 3,102

$12.63 TMT 42.31

-83.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 ARS 2,348

$1.41 TMT 4.72

9.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.84 ARS 5,828

$14.48 TMT 48.50

-73.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 ARS 6,968

$11.57 TMT 38.77

-60.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 ARS 2,180

$2.89 TMT 9.67

-50.17%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 ARS 3,737

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 ARS 2,466

Eggs

$2.89 ARS 4,384

$6.81 TMT 22.80

-57.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.65 ARS 16.1K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.74 ARS 20.8K

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ARS 4,165

$2.23 TMT 7.48

23.32%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 ARS 3,299

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 ARS 2,204

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ARS 3,012

$1.38 TMT 4.61

44.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ARS 1,884

$2.05 TMT 6.87

-39.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 ARS 1,920

$1.73 TMT 5.81

-26.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 ARS 2,574

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 ARS 2,616

$1.16 TMT 3.90

49.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.18 ARS 6,335

$16.92 TMT 56.7

-75.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.80 ARS 8,787

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 ARS 3,162

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 ARS 4,197

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ARS 1,131

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.15 ARS 41.2K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.62 ARS 2,450

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 ARS 1,480

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.72 ARS 11.7K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ARS 2,057

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

$28.0K ARS 42.5M

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

$34.5K ARS 52.3M

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

$216 ARS 326.8K

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

$25.61 ARS 38.8K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.36 ARS 47.5K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.82 ARS 75.5K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 ARS 25.9K

Cinema Ticket

$10.43 ARS 15.8K

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

$466 ARS 706.5K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,057 ARS 13.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$122 ARS 185.1K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$97.4 ARS 147.7K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ARS 177.3K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 ARS 211.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$763 ARS 1.2M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$505 ARS 765.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,598 ARS 2.4M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,185 ARS 1.8M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,678 ARS 4.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,858 ARS 2.8M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$954 ARS 1.4M

$208 TMT 698

358.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 6, 2026

Last update for Mary: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$505 30.4%

Mary

–

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$284 17.1%

Mary

–

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$279 16.8%

Mary

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$273 16.4%

Mary

–

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$214 12.9%

Mary

–

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$71 4.3%

Mary

–

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2%

Mary

–

Cost Breakdown

Buenos Aires pays 358% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇹🇲 Mary

🕒 Local time

05:51 5:51 AM

13:51 1:51 PM

8 h ahead of Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

123,000

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

Turkmenistani Manat TMT m

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.6 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR

1 TMT = 0.299 USD

1 TMT = 0.266 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TMT, 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).

Turkmenistani Manat exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.35 TMT (1 TMT = 0.299 USD). 1 EUR = 3.76 TMT (1 TMT = 0.266 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Buenos Aires Mary 14,730 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Buenos Aires
Mary

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 Mary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires and Mary differ by about 256% in total monthly costs ($1,685 vs $474 including rent). Mary is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 358% 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 191% higher in Buenos Aires. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,685 per month in Buenos Aires versus $474 in Mary – a 256% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $474 in Mary versus $1,685 in Buenos Aires, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Mary but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes Mary 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 Mary 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 Mary gentler on the wallet – expenses run 256% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.