Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Mendoza Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Mendoza

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,632 in Buenos Aires versus $1,341 in Mendoza.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,712 in Buenos Aires versus $2,114 in Mendoza.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,793 in Buenos Aires versus $2,887 in Mendoza.

Living in Buenos Aires is roughly 22% more expensive than in Mendoza, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Buenos Aires is 19% above, Mendoza is 2% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.34 ARS 29.2K

$11.13 ARS 16.8K

73.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.9 ARS 107.2K

$50.8 ARS 76.9K

39.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.81 ARS 19.4K

$14.90 ARS 22.5K

-14.03%

Cappuccino

$4.00 ARS 6,044

$4.45 ARS 6,727

-10.11%

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

$2.06 ARS 3,114

$2.33 ARS 3,527

-11.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 ARS 2,500

$1.97 ARS 2,976

-16.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.67 ARS 5,547

$4.09 ARS 6,179

-10.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ARS 6,705

$4.44 ARS 6,719

-0.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 ARS 2,170

$1.40 ARS 2,117

2.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.51 ARS 3,789

$2.28 ARS 3,455

10.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 ARS 2,284

$2.78 ARS 4,206

-45.68%

Eggs

$2.71 ARS 4,103

$3.25 ARS 4,910

-16.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.12 ARS 15.3K

$14.47 ARS 21.9K

-30.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.98 ARS 15.1K

$6.17 ARS 9,337

61.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.85 ARS 20.9K

$11.00 ARS 16.6K

25.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.74 ARS 4,145

$2.35 ARS 3,556

16.60%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 ARS 3,041

$2.17 ARS 3,281

-7.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.36 ARS 2,061

$1.30 ARS 1,974

4.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.11 ARS 3,197

$3.29 ARS 4,972

-35.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.14 ARS 1,731

$2.02 ARS 3,051

-43.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 ARS 1,750

$1.51 ARS 2,288

-23.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.75 ARS 2,645

$1.92 ARS 2,910

-8.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ARS 2,627

$2.47 ARS 3,732

-29.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.36 ARS 6,592

$2.72 ARS 4,109

60.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 ARS 8,580

$4.97 ARS 7,524

14.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 ARS 3,169

$1.79 ARS 2,709

17.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ARS 4,056

$2.95 ARS 4,466

-9.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ARS 1,127

$0.97 ARS 1,468

-22.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.38 ARS 41.4K

$19.74 ARS 29.9K

38.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.56 ARS 2,359

$2.05 ARS 3,097

-23.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 ARS 1,487

$1.02 ARS 1,540

-3.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.59 ARS 11.5K

$4.84 ARS 7,317

56.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ARS 2,041

$1.20 ARS 1,821

12.50%

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

$28.8K ARS 43.6M

$26.6K ARS 40.2M

8.39%

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

$33.2K ARS 50.2M

$32.8K ARS 49.5M

1.23%

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

$208 ARS 314.4K

$135 ARS 204.4K

53.83%

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

$24.04 ARS 36.4K

$17.47 ARS 26.4K

37.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.70 ARS 46.4K

$23.78 ARS 36.0K

29.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.9 ARS 76.9K

$29.83 ARS 45.1K

70.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.96 ARS 25.7K

$18.32 ARS 27.7K

-7.42%

Cinema Ticket

$10.94 ARS 16.5K

$7.27 ARS 11.0K

50.48%

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

$461 ARS 697.0K

$176 ARS 265.9K

162.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,744 ARS 13.2M

$4,124 ARS 6.2M

112.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$114 ARS 171.8K

$116 ARS 175.1K

-1.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$93.6 ARS 141.6K

$127 ARS 191.7K

-26.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 ARS 177.9K

$140 ARS 211.7K

-16.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 ARS 206.2K

$128 ARS 192.9K

6.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$735 ARS 1.1M

$483 ARS 729.9K

52.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$514 ARS 776.9K

$335 ARS 507.2K

53.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,680 ARS 2.5M

$876 ARS 1.3M

91.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 ARS 2.0M

$651 ARS 984.1K

98.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,679 ARS 4.1M

$1,691 ARS 2.6M

58.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,895 ARS 2.9M

$1,112 ARS 1.7M

70.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$901 ARS 1.4M

$780 ARS 1.2M

15.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

56.56

-4.14%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: August 30, 2026

Last update for Mendoza: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $735 in Buenos Aires and $483 in Mendoza. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buenos Aires pays 16% 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: $71.0 in Buenos Aires vs $51.0 in Mendoza. Groceries flip the comparison at $281 vs $286, with Buenos Aires cheaper for home cooking.

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 22% in total monthly costs ($1,632 vs $1,341 including rent). Mendoza is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 16% 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: $735 in Buenos Aires versus $483 in Mendoza. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $461 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 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,341 in Mendoza versus $1,632 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 22% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.