Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Mechelen

For one person, living is cheaper in Buenos Aires: $1,656 a month against $2,050 in Mechelen, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
Learn more

Buenos Aires Living Index
100

Cost of Living Index in Mechelen
Learn more

Mechelen Living Index

Jump to prices

Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,656

/mo nomad

Mechelen

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,050

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,656 in Buenos Aires versus $2,050 in Mechelen.

Buenos Aires $1,656
Mechelen $2,050

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,697 in Buenos Aires versus $3,141 in Mechelen.

Buenos Aires $2,697
Mechelen $3,141

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,737 in Buenos Aires versus $4,232 in Mechelen.

Buenos Aires $3,737
Mechelen $4,232

Living in Buenos Aires costs roughly 19% less than in Mechelen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Buenos Aires 23% above, Mechelen 52% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.09 ARS 28.9K

$22.22 €19.84

-14.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 ARS 99.5K

$106 €94.6

-37.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.20 ARS 20.0K

$13.20 €11.78

Cappuccino

$3.85 ARS 5,821

$4.16 €3.71

-7.45%

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

$1.99 ARS 3,010

$3.49 €3.12

-42.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ARS 2,422

$2.95 €2.63

-45.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.93 ARS 5,940

$5.55 €4.95

-29.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 ARS 6,979

$5.57 €4.97

-17.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 ARS 2,264

$1.20 €1.07

25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 ARS 3,825

$2.79 €2.49

-9.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 ARS 2,437

$2.13 €1.90

-24.41%

Eggs

$2.84 ARS 4,302

$3.62 €3.23

-21.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.30 ARS 15.6K

$17.00 €15.18

-39.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 ARS 15.1K

$11.76 €10.49

-14.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.30 ARS 20.1K

$19.68 €17.56

-32.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.88 ARS 4,351

$2.73 €2.43

5.49%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 ARS 3,323

$2.42 €2.16

-9.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.40 ARS 2,113

$2.50 €2.23

-44.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 ARS 2,994

$2.80 €2.50

-29.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 ARS 1,829

$2.10 €1.87

-42.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 ARS 1,904

$1.87 €1.67

-32.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 ARS 2,583

$1.35 €1.21

26.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 ARS 2,595

$1.02 €0.91

68.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 ARS 6,484

$13.15 €11.74

-67.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.70 ARS 8,617

$8.84 €7.89

-35.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 ARS 3,277

$1.72 €1.54

26.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ARS 4,174

$2.17 €1.94

27.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ARS 1,137

$3.41 €3.04

-78.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.27 ARS 41.3K

$55.1 €49.14

-50.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.57 ARS 2,367

$5.44 €4.85

-71.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ARS 1,553

$2.62 €2.34

-60.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ARS 11.9K

$43.75 €39.05

-81.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ARS 2,153

$2.02 €1.80

-29.70%

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

$27.9K ARS 42.3M

$35.3K €31.5K

-20.90%

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

$35.0K ARS 52.9M

$34.0K €30.4K

2.79%

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

$195 ARS 295.2K

$204 €182

-4.17%

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

$25.16 ARS 38.0K

$21.82 €19.47

15.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.54 ARS 47.7K

$46.94 €41.90

-32.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.9 ARS 77.0K

$29.65 €26.46

71.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.73 ARS 25.3K

$13.64 €12.18

22.65%

Cinema Ticket

$10.34 ARS 15.6K

$14.95 €13.34

-30.84%

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

$463 ARS 700.9K

$554 €494

-16.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,793 ARS 13.3M

$21.4K €19.1K

-58.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$120 ARS 181.2K

$106 €94.2

13.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$95.5 ARS 144.4K

$49.11 €43.83

94.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 ARS 172.6K

$109 €97.2

4.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 ARS 210.7K

$147 €131

-5.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 ARS 1.1M

$927 €827

-18.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$520 ARS 786.2K

$771 €688

-32.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,590 ARS 2.4M

$1,436 €1,282

10.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,198 ARS 1.8M

$1,207 €1,077

-0.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,713 ARS 4.1M

$4,998 €4,460

-45.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,901 ARS 2.9M

$3,620 €3,231

-47.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$938 ARS 1.4M

$2,172 €1,939

-56.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

3.46

1554.62%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 11, 2026

Last update for Mechelen: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$520 31.4%

Mechelen

$771 37.6% 48.4% $252

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$283 17.1%

Mechelen

$342 16.7% 20.8% $59

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$282 17%

Mechelen

$332 16.2% 17.8% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$252 15.2%

Mechelen

$272 13.3% 8.2% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$211 12.7%

Mechelen

$185 9% 12.3% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$72 4.3%

Mechelen

$60 2.9% 16.8% $12

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2%

Mechelen

$87 4.3% 136% $50

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $756 in Buenos Aires and $927 in Mechelen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mechelen pays 132% 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 $106 in Mechelen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $342 per month, with Buenos Aires cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇧🇪 Mechelen

🕒 Local time

03:29 3:29 AM

08:29 8:29 AM

5 h ahead of Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

80,000

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.61 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.91 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to ARS – Argentine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇷 Argentine Peso ($)

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 1,513 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.61 USD). 1 EUR = 1,693 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.91 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Buenos Aires Mechelen 11,330 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Buenos Aires
Mechelen

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 Mechelen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires and Mechelen differ by about 24% in total monthly costs ($1,656 vs $2,050 including rent). Buenos Aires is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 132% lower in Mechelen. 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 $927 in Mechelen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $463 in Buenos Aires versus $554 in Mechelen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Mechelen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,656 in Buenos Aires versus $2,050 in Mechelen, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Buenos Aires but tight or insufficient in Mechelen. 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 Mechelen 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 24% less than in Mechelen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.