Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Mayari

For one person, living is cheaper in Mayari: $1,484 a month against $1,685 in Buenos Aires, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Buenos Aires
🇦🇷 Argentina
$1,685
/mo nomad
Mayari
🇨🇺 Cuba
$1,484
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,685 in Buenos Aires versus $1,484 in Mayari.

  • Buenos Aires $1,685
  • Mayari $1,484

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,742 in Buenos Aires versus $2,453 in Mayari.

  • Buenos Aires $2,742
  • Mayari $2,453

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,799 in Buenos Aires versus $3,423 in Mayari.

  • Buenos Aires $3,799
  • Mayari $3,423

Living in Buenos Aires is roughly 14% more expensive than in Mayari, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Buenos Aires 26% above, Mayari 11% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Buenos Aires
Mayari
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.73 ARS 28.4K
$5.87 CUP 141
219.08%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$64.5 ARS 97.8K
$19.85 CUP 476
224.84%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.88 ARS 19.5K
$6.42 CUP 154
100.62%
Cappuccino
$3.98 ARS 6,029
$1.32 CUP 31.74
201.52%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.05 ARS 3,103
$2.14 CUP 51.5
-4.21%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.55 ARS 2,349
$1.23 CUP 29.49
26.02%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.84 ARS 5,830
$2.52 CUP 60.5
52.38%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.60 ARS 6,970
$2.95 CUP 70.8
55.93%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Buenos Aires
Mayari
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.44 ARS 2,181
$3.01 CUP 72.2
-52.16%
White Bread (500g)
$2.46 ARS 3,738
$0.77 CUP 18.40
219.48%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.63 ARS 2,467
$2.43 CUP 58.3
-32.92%
Eggs
$2.89 ARS 4,385
$3.07 CUP 73.7
-5.86%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.65 ARS 16.1K
$5.81 CUP 139
83.30%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.00 ARS 15.2K
$5.23 CUP 125
91.20%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.74 ARS 20.8K
$11.96 CUP 287
14.88%
Apples (1kg)
$2.75 ARS 4,166
$5.05 CUP 121
-45.54%
Banana (1kg)
$2.18 ARS 3,300
$1.18 CUP 28.41
84.75%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.45 ARS 2,205
$1.42 CUP 34.11
2.11%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.99 ARS 3,013
$1.42 CUP 33.97
40.14%
Potato (1kg)
$1.24 ARS 1,885
$1.93 CUP 46.37
-35.75%
Onion (1kg)
$1.27 ARS 1,921
$2.88 CUP 69.1
-55.90%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.70 ARS 2,575
$1.02 CUP 24.39
66.67%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.73 ARS 2,617
$1.12 CUP 26.88
54.46%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.18 ARS 6,337
$3.55 CUP 85.1
17.75%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.80 ARS 8,790
$9.86 CUP 237
-41.18%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.09 ARS 3,163
$1.71 CUP 40.96
22.22%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.77 ARS 4,198
$1.99 CUP 47.78
39.20%
🚌 Getting Around
Buenos Aires
Mayari
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.75 ARS 1,132
$0.19 CUP 4.46
294.74%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.15 ARS 41.2K
$20.16 CUP 484
34.67%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.62 ARS 2,451
$2.29 CUP 55.1
-29.26%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.98 ARS 1,481
$0.41 CUP 9.92
139.02%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.72 ARS 11.7K
$19.78 CUP 475
-60.97%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.36 ARS 2,058
$1.24 CUP 29.74
9.68%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.0K ARS 42.5M
$70.0K CUP 1.7M
-59.97%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.5K ARS 52.4M
$80.4K CUP 1.9M
-57.07%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Buenos Aires
Mayari
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$216 ARS 326.9K
$35.53 CUP 853
506.73%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$25.61 ARS 38.8K
$40.35 CUP 968
-36.53%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$31.36 ARS 47.6K
$252 CUP 6,052
-87.56%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Buenos Aires
Mayari
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$49.82 ARS 75.6K
$39.42 CUP 946
26.38%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.06 ARS 25.9K
$14.92 CUP 358
14.34%
Cinema Ticket
$10.43 ARS 15.8K
$0.98 CUP 23.61
964.29%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Buenos Aires
Mayari
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$466 ARS 706.7K
$119 CUP 2,859
291.16%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,057 ARS 13.7M
$17.2K CUP 412.2K
-47.27%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Buenos Aires
Mayari
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$122 ARS 185.2K
$54.3 CUP 1,303
124.96%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$97.4 ARS 147.8K
$40.33 CUP 968
141.61%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$117 ARS 177.4K
$45.69 CUP 1,096
155.96%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$140 ARS 211.9K
$49.17 CUP 1,180
184.18%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Buenos Aires
Mayari
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$763 ARS 1.2M
$211 CUP 5,069
261.43%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$505 ARS 766.1K
$679 CUP 16.3K
-25.55%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,598 ARS 2.4M
$376 CUP 9,016
325.50%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,185 ARS 1.8M
$1,737 CUP 41.7K
-31.78%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,678 ARS 4.1M
$390 CUP 9,357
586.98%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,858 ARS 2.8M
$354 CUP 8,506
424.24%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Buenos Aires
Mayari
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$954 ARS 1.4M
$21.80 CUP 523
4278.07%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
57.25
10
472.50%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 6, 2026

Last update for Mayari: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Buenos Aires
$505
Mayari
$679 34.3% $173
Groceries & Markets
Buenos Aires
$284
Mayari
$246 13.5% $38
Eating Out
Buenos Aires
$279
Mayari
$114 59.1% $165
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Buenos Aires
$273
Mayari
$328 20.4% $56
Clothing & Footwear
Buenos Aires
$214
Mayari
$85 60.2% $129
Sport & Entertainment
Buenos Aires
$71
Mayari
$41 41.5% $29
Getting Around
Buenos Aires
$37
Mayari
$25 31% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $763 in Buenos Aires and $211 in Mayari. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buenos Aires pays 4278% 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 $20.00 in Mayari for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $284 vs $246 per month, with Mayari cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇦🇷 Buenos Aires
🇨🇺 Mayari
🕒 Local time
02:03 2:03 AM
01:03 1:03 AM
1 h behind Buenos Aires
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,891,082 Capital
29,259
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CUP, USD, EUR to ARS – Argentine Peso Converter

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,701 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR).

Cuban Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 24 CUP (100 CUP = 4.17 USD). 1 EUR = 26.92 CUP (100 CUP = 3.72 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Buenos Aires Mayari 6,410 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Buenos Aires
  • Mayari

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 Mayari: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Buenos Aires and in Mayari?
Buenos Aires and Mayari differ by about 14% in total monthly costs ($1,685 vs $1,484 including rent). Mayari is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Buenos Aires or Mayari?
Average pay runs 4278% 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Buenos Aires and in Mayari?
Rent for a central apartment: $763 in Buenos Aires versus $211 in Mayari. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Buenos Aires and Mayari?
Childcare runs $466 in Buenos Aires versus $119 in Mayari. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Buenos Aires. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $1,000 per month?
At $1,484 in Mayari versus $1,685 in Buenos Aires, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Mayari but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes Mayari the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Buenos Aires and Mayari?
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.
Is Buenos Aires or Mayari safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Buenos Aires and Mayari are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Buenos Aires or Mayari?
Expats usually find Mayari gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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