Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Meilen

For one person, living is cheaper in Buenos Aires: $1,656 a month against $3,372 in Meilen, rent and utilities included – about $20,600 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
163

Cost of Living Index in Meilen
Learn more

Meilen Living Index

Jump to prices

Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,656

/mo nomad

Meilen

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,372

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,656 in Buenos Aires versus $3,372 in Meilen.

Buenos Aires $1,656
Meilen $3,372

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,697 in Buenos Aires versus $5,942 in Meilen.

Buenos Aires $2,697
Meilen $5,942

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,737 in Buenos Aires versus $8,512 in Meilen.

Buenos Aires $3,737
Meilen $8,512

Living in Buenos Aires costs roughly 51% less than in Meilen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Buenos Aires 23% above, Meilen 150% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.09 ARS 29.0K

$32.47 CHF 26.74

-41.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 ARS 99.9K

$122 CHF 101

-46.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.20 ARS 20.0K

$16.33 CHF 13.45

-19.17%

Cappuccino

$3.85 ARS 5,841

$6.31 CHF 5.19

-38.99%

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

$1.99 ARS 3,020

$5.68 CHF 4.67

-64.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ARS 2,430

$5.01 CHF 4.13

-68.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.93 ARS 5,959

$8.46 CHF 6.97

-53.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 ARS 7,003

$8.29 CHF 6.83

-44.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 ARS 2,272

$2.21 CHF 1.82

-32.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 ARS 3,837

$3.27 CHF 2.69

-22.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 ARS 2,445

$3.78 CHF 3.11

-57.41%

Eggs

$2.84 ARS 4,316

$7.49 CHF 6.17

-62.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.30 ARS 15.6K

$26.56 CHF 21.87

-61.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

$25.69 CHF 21.16

-61.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.30 ARS 20.2K

$40.25 CHF 33.15

-66.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.88 ARS 4,366

$3.42 CHF 2.82

-15.79%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 ARS 3,334

$2.03 CHF 1.67

8.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.40 ARS 2,120

$2.67 CHF 2.20

-47.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 ARS 3,004

$4.58 CHF 3.77

-56.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 ARS 1,835

$1.96 CHF 1.61

-38.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 ARS 1,910

$2.16 CHF 1.78

-41.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 ARS 2,592

$2.32 CHF 1.91

-26.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 ARS 2,603

$1.25 CHF 1.03

37.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 ARS 6,505

$11.03 CHF 9.09

-61.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.70 ARS 8,645

$13.25 CHF 10.91

-56.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 ARS 3,288

$2.26 CHF 1.86

-3.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ARS 4,188

$3.23 CHF 2.66

-14.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ARS 1,141

$4.59 CHF 3.78

-83.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.27 ARS 41.4K

$96.8 CHF 79.7

-71.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.57 ARS 2,375

$7.55 CHF 6.21

-79.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ARS 1,558

$4.50 CHF 3.71

-77.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ARS 12.0K

$88.0 CHF 72.5

-91.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ARS 2,160

$2.26 CHF 1.86

-37.17%

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

$27.9K ARS 42.4M

$38.7K CHF 31.9K

-27.73%

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

$35.0K ARS 53.1M

$39.4K CHF 32.5K

-11.28%

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

$195 ARS 296.2K

$235 CHF 194

-17.06%

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

$25.16 ARS 38.2K

$36.06 CHF 29.70

-30.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.54 ARS 47.9K

$65.3 CHF 53.8

-51.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.9 ARS 77.3K

$88.1 CHF 72.6

-42.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.73 ARS 25.4K

$44.50 CHF 36.65

-62.40%

Cinema Ticket

$10.34 ARS 15.7K

$21.90 CHF 18.04

-52.79%

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

$463 ARS 703.2K

$2,816 CHF 2,319

-83.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,793 ARS 13.3M

$42.3K CHF 34.8K

-79.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$120 ARS 181.8K

$137 CHF 113

-12.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$95.5 ARS 144.9K

$59.2 CHF 48.77

61.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 ARS 173.1K

$144 CHF 118

-20.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 ARS 211.4K

$174 CHF 143

-19.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 ARS 1.1M

$1,690 CHF 1,392

-55.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$520 ARS 788.8K

$1,471 CHF 1,211

-64.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,590 ARS 2.4M

$2,831 CHF 2,332

-43.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,198 ARS 1.8M

$4,065 CHF 3,348

-70.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,713 ARS 4.1M

$15.8K CHF 13.0K

-82.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,901 ARS 2.9M

$11.9K CHF 9,812

-84.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$938 ARS 1.4M

$8,259 CHF 6,802

-88.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

1.72

3228.49%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 11, 2026

Last update for Meilen: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$520 31.4%

Meilen

$1.5K 43.6% 183% $951

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$283 17.1%

Meilen

$570 16.9% 101% $287

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$282 17%

Meilen

$486 14.4% 72.5% $204

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$252 15.2%

Meilen

$337 10% 33.7% $85

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$211 12.7%

Meilen

$231 6.9% 9.7% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$72 4.3%

Meilen

$132 3.9% 84.2% $60

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2%

Meilen

$145 4.3% 293% $108

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $756 in Buenos Aires and $1,690 in Meilen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Meilen pays 781% 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 $122 in Meilen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $570 per month, with Buenos Aires cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇨🇭 Meilen

🕒 Local time

16:00 4:00 PM

21:00 9:00 PM

5 h ahead of Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

13,515

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CHF, USD, EUR to ARS – Argentine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇷 Argentine Peso ($)

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,706 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.824 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.926 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Buenos Aires Meilen 11,290 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Buenos Aires
Meilen

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 Meilen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires and Meilen differ by about 104% in total monthly costs ($1,656 vs $3,372 including rent). Buenos Aires is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 781% lower in Meilen. 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 $1,690 in Meilen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $463 in Buenos Aires versus $2,816 in Meilen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 101% higher in Meilen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,656 in Buenos Aires versus $3,372 in Meilen, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Buenos Aires but tight or insufficient in Meilen. 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 Meilen 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 104% less than in Meilen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.