Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Mendoza

For one person, living is cheaper in Mendoza: $1,387 a month against $1,656 in Buenos Aires, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 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
67

Cost of Living Index in Mendoza
Learn more

Mendoza Living Index

Jump to prices

Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,656

/mo nomad

Mendoza

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,387

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,656 in Buenos Aires versus $1,387 in Mendoza.

Buenos Aires $1,656
Mendoza $1,387

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,697 in Buenos Aires versus $2,185 in Mendoza.

Buenos Aires $2,697
Mendoza $2,185

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,737 in Buenos Aires versus $2,984 in Mendoza.

Buenos Aires $3,737
Mendoza $2,984

Living in Buenos Aires is roughly 19% more expensive than in Mendoza, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Buenos Aires 23% above, Mendoza 3% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.09 ARS 29.0K

$10.98 ARS 16.7K

73.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 ARS 99.9K

$49.80 ARS 75.6K

32.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.20 ARS 20.0K

$14.36 ARS 21.8K

-8.08%

Cappuccino

$3.85 ARS 5,841

$4.54 ARS 6,896

-15.20%

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

$1.99 ARS 3,020

$2.32 ARS 3,517

-14.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ARS 2,430

$1.94 ARS 2,949

-17.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.93 ARS 5,959

$4.08 ARS 6,191

-3.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 ARS 7,003

$4.46 ARS 6,775

3.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 ARS 2,272

$1.38 ARS 2,102

8.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 ARS 3,837

$2.21 ARS 3,358

14.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 ARS 2,445

$2.66 ARS 4,034

-39.47%

Eggs

$2.84 ARS 4,316

$3.19 ARS 4,836

-10.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.30 ARS 15.6K

$14.72 ARS 22.3K

-30.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

$6.23 ARS 9,447

60.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.30 ARS 20.2K

$11.05 ARS 16.8K

20.36%

Apples (1kg)

$2.88 ARS 4,366

$2.29 ARS 3,478

25.76%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 ARS 3,334

$2.23 ARS 3,386

-1.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.40 ARS 2,120

$1.34 ARS 2,036

4.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 ARS 3,004

$3.28 ARS 4,974

-39.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 ARS 1,835

$2.02 ARS 3,067

-40.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 ARS 1,910

$1.49 ARS 2,268

-15.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 ARS 2,592

$2.03 ARS 3,074

-15.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 ARS 2,603

$2.47 ARS 3,743

-30.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 ARS 6,505

$2.82 ARS 4,275

52.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.70 ARS 8,645

$5.08 ARS 7,712

12.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 ARS 3,288

$1.72 ARS 2,608

26.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ARS 4,188

$3.02 ARS 4,583

-8.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ARS 1,141

$0.98 ARS 1,486

-23.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.27 ARS 41.4K

$19.73 ARS 29.9K

38.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.57 ARS 2,375

$2.02 ARS 3,059

-22.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ARS 1,558

$0.99 ARS 1,495

4.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ARS 12.0K

$4.82 ARS 7,318

63.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ARS 2,160

$1.25 ARS 1,897

13.60%

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

$27.9K ARS 42.4M

$27.6K ARS 41.9M

1.33%

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

$35.0K ARS 53.1M

$33.0K ARS 50.1M

5.85%

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

$195 ARS 296.2K

$144 ARS 218.4K

35.62%

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

$25.16 ARS 38.2K

$17.72 ARS 26.9K

41.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.54 ARS 47.9K

$23.92 ARS 36.3K

31.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.9 ARS 77.3K

$32.32 ARS 49.0K

57.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.73 ARS 25.4K

$18.07 ARS 27.4K

-7.42%

Cinema Ticket

$10.34 ARS 15.7K

$7.10 ARS 10.8K

45.63%

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

$463 ARS 703.2K

$176 ARS 266.3K

164.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,793 ARS 13.3M

$4,178 ARS 6.3M

110.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$120 ARS 181.8K

$127 ARS 192.2K

-5.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$95.5 ARS 144.9K

$141 ARS 214.2K

-32.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 ARS 173.1K

$144 ARS 217.9K

-20.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 ARS 211.4K

$157 ARS 238.0K

-11.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 ARS 1.1M

$553 ARS 838.5K

36.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$520 ARS 788.8K

$350 ARS 531.6K

48.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,590 ARS 2.4M

$993 ARS 1.5M

60.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,198 ARS 1.8M

$680 ARS 1.0M

76.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,713 ARS 4.1M

$1,751 ARS 2.7M

54.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,901 ARS 2.9M

$1,141 ARS 1.7M

66.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$938 ARS 1.4M

$766 ARS 1.2M

22.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

-2.97%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 11, 2026

Last update for Mendoza: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$520 31.4%

Mendoza

$350 25.3% 32.6% $169

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$283 17.1%

Mendoza

$286 20.6% 1% $2.7

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$282 17%

Mendoza

$232 16.7% 17.7% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$252 15.2%

Mendoza

$186 13.4% 26.3% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$211 12.7%

Mendoza

$256 18.4% 21.2% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$72 4.3%

Mendoza

$47 3.4% 35% $25

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2%

Mendoza

$31 2.2% 17.3% $6.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $756 in Buenos Aires and $553 in Mendoza. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buenos Aires pays 22% 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 $50.0 in Mendoza. Groceries flip the comparison at $283 vs $286, with Buenos Aires cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Mendoza

🕒 Local time

10:34 10:34 AM

Same time as Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

937,154

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Buenos Aires Mendoza 980 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Buenos Aires
Mendoza

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 Mendoza: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires and Mendoza differ by about 19% in total monthly costs ($1,656 vs $1,387 including rent). Mendoza is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 22% 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $756 in Buenos Aires versus $553 in Mendoza. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $463 in Buenos Aires versus $176 in Mendoza. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Buenos Aires pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,387 in Mendoza versus $1,656 in Buenos Aires, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Mendoza but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes Mendoza 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 Mendoza 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 Mendoza gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.