Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and McLean, VA

For one person, living is cheaper in Buenos Aires: $1,685 a month against $3,046 in McLean, VA, rent and utilities included – about $16,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

81

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
Learn more

Buenos Aires Living Index
145

Cost of Living Index in McLean, VA
Learn more

McLean, VA Living Index

Jump to prices

Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,685

/mo nomad

McLean, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,046

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Buenos Aires and in McLean, VA

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,685 in Buenos Aires versus $3,046 in McLean, VA.

Buenos Aires $1,685
McLean, VA $3,046

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,742 in Buenos Aires versus $4,819 in McLean, VA.

Buenos Aires $2,742
McLean, VA $4,819

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,799 in Buenos Aires versus $6,593 in McLean, VA.

Buenos Aires $3,799
McLean, VA $6,593

Living in Buenos Aires costs roughly 45% less than in McLean, VA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Buenos Aires 26% above, McLean, VA 127% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.73 ARS 28.4K

$16.20 $16.20

15.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 ARS 97.8K

$70.7 $70.7

-8.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.88 ARS 19.5K

$11.51 $11.51

11.90%

Cappuccino

$3.98 ARS 6,029

$5.35 $5.35

-25.61%

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

$2.05 ARS 3,103

$2.36 $2.36

-13.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 ARS 2,349

$1.94 $1.94

-20.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.84 ARS 5,830

$8.74 $8.74

-56.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 ARS 6,970

$10.07 $10.07

-54.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 ARS 2,181

$1.34 $1.34

7.46%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 ARS 3,738

$4.15 $4.15

-40.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 ARS 2,467

$2.22 $2.22

-26.58%

Eggs

$2.89 ARS 4,385

$4.70 $4.70

-38.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.65 ARS 16.1K

$17.33 $17.33

-38.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

$16.91 $16.91

-40.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.74 ARS 20.8K

$18.48 $18.48

-25.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ARS 4,166

$6.07 $6.07

-54.70%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 ARS 3,300

$1.69 $1.69

28.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 ARS 2,205

$4.88 $4.88

-70.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ARS 3,013

$5.80 $5.80

-65.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ARS 1,885

$2.89 $2.89

-57.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 ARS 1,921

$3.75 $3.75

-66.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 ARS 2,575

$2.68 $2.68

-36.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 ARS 2,617

$2.66 $2.66

-34.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.18 ARS 6,337

$14.02 $14.02

-70.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.80 ARS 8,790

$16.12 $16.12

-64.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 ARS 3,163

$3.30 $3.30

-36.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 ARS 4,198

$5.81 $5.81

-52.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ARS 1,132

$2.56 $2.56

-70.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.15 ARS 41.2K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.62 ARS 2,451

$3.97 $3.97

-59.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 ARS 1,481

$1.63 $1.63

-39.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.72 ARS 11.7K

$25.34 $25.34

-69.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ARS 2,058

$0.91 $0.91

49.45%

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

$28.0K ARS 42.5M

$35.9K $35.9K

-21.89%

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

$34.5K ARS 52.4M

$26.9K $26.9K

28.60%

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

$216 ARS 326.9K

$213 $213

0.99%

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

$25.61 ARS 38.8K

$76.5 $76.5

-66.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.36 ARS 47.6K

$54.3 $54.3

-42.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.82 ARS 75.6K

$89.6 $89.6

-44.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 ARS 25.9K

Cinema Ticket

$10.43 ARS 15.8K

$18.20 $18.20

-42.69%

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

$466 ARS 706.7K

$1,932 $1,932

-75.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,057 ARS 13.7M

$42.2K $42.2K

-78.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$122 ARS 185.2K

$52.5 $52.5

132.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$97.4 ARS 147.8K

$43.98 $43.98

121.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ARS 177.4K

$69.5 $69.5

68.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 ARS 211.9K

$66.1 $66.1

111.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$763 ARS 1.2M

$2,822 $2,822

-72.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$505 ARS 766.1K

$1,601 $1,601

-68.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,598 ARS 2.4M

$3,954 $3,954

-59.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,185 ARS 1.8M

$3,436 $3,436

-65.52%

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

$5,759 $5,759

-83.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

6.63

763.50%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 6, 2026

Last update for McLean, VA: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$505 30.4%

McLean, VA

$1.6K 53.5% 217% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$284 17.1%

McLean, VA

$483 16.2% 70% $199

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$279 16.8%

McLean, VA

$309 10.4% 10.9% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$273 16.4%

McLean, VA

$344 11.5% 26.3% $72

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$214 12.9%

McLean, VA

$104 3.5% 51.3% $110

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$71 4.3%

McLean, VA

$126 4.2% 78.3% $55

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2%

McLean, VA

$22 * 0.8% 39% $14

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $763 in Buenos Aires and $2,822 in McLean, VA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

McLean, VA pays 503% 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 $71.0 in McLean, VA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $284 vs $483 per month, with Buenos Aires cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇺🇸 McLean, VA

🕒 Local time

10:38 10:38 AM

09:38 9:38 AM

1 h behind Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

48,115

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to ARS – Argentine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇷 Argentine Peso ($)

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 11, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,699 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 11, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Buenos Aires McLean, VA 8,400 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Buenos Aires
McLean, VA

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 McLean, VA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires and McLean, VA differ by about 81% in total monthly costs ($1,685 vs $3,046 including rent). Buenos Aires is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 503% lower in McLean, VA. 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: $763 in Buenos Aires versus $2,822 in McLean, VA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $466 in Buenos Aires versus $1,932 in McLean, VA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Buenos Aires – a meal for two runs $64.0 versus $71.0 in McLean, VA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,685 in Buenos Aires versus $3,046 in McLean, VA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Buenos Aires but tight or insufficient in McLean, VA. 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 McLean, VA 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 81% less than in McLean, VA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.