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: $1,393 in Buenos Aires versus $1,069 in Mendoza.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,191 in Buenos Aires versus $1,723 in Mendoza.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,988 in Buenos Aires versus $2,378 in Mendoza.

Living in Buenos Aires is roughly 30% more expensive than in Mendoza, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Buenos Aires is 4% above, Mendoza is 20% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.82 ARS 21.9K

$10.93 ARS 16.2K

35.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.1 ARS 88.8K

$41.47 ARS 61.3K

44.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.97 ARS 17.7K

$9.60 ARS 14.2K

24.69%

Cappuccino

$3.99 ARS 5,898

$3.79 ARS 5,601

5.28%

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

$2.17 ARS 3,207

$2.32 ARS 3,424

-6.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 ARS 2,169

$1.98 ARS 2,925

-25.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.68 ARS 5,440

$1.94 ARS 2,875

89.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ARS 5,761

$2.93 ARS 4,337

33.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 ARS 2,371

$1.29 ARS 1,906

24.03%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 ARS 3,738

$1.48 ARS 2,183

70.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.22 ARS 3,279

$2.03 ARS 2,996

9.36%

Eggs

$3.17 ARS 4,683

$2.12 ARS 3,137

49.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.03 ARS 17.8K

$11.73 ARS 17.3K

2.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.84 ARS 11.6K

$7.69 ARS 11.4K

1.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.25 ARS 13.7K

$9.46 ARS 14.0K

-2.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.45 ARS 3,624

$2.01 ARS 2,974

21.89%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 ARS 3,012

$1.53 ARS 2,255

33.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.31 ARS 1,932

$1.51 ARS 2,236

-13.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.53 ARS 3,745

$2.18 ARS 3,229

16.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 ARS 2,150

$1.01 ARS 1,497

43.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ARS 2,191

$1.03 ARS 1,517

43.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.79 ARS 2,643

$1.02 ARS 1,515

75.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 ARS 2,141

$2.62 ARS 3,878

-44.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.18 ARS 4,697

$2.44 ARS 3,613

30.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.83 ARS 8,622

$5.10 ARS 7,544

14.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 ARS 3,277

$1.95 ARS 2,883

13.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 ARS 4,535

$3.56 ARS 5,266

-13.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 ARS 988

$0.69 ARS 1,018

-2.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.26 ARS 24.0K

$18.28 ARS 27.0K

-11.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.58 ARS 2,333

$0.41 ARS 605

285.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.86 ARS 1,267

$1.02 ARS 1,506

-15.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.97 ARS 8,826

$4.85 ARS 7,170

23.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 ARS 1,653

$1.19 ARS 1,761

-5.88%

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

$24.8K ARS 36.6M

$31.6K ARS 46.7M

-21.64%

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

$29.2K ARS 43.2M

$33.0K ARS 48.8M

-11.44%

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

$109 ARS 161.0K

$76.0 ARS 112.3K

43.35%

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

$21.47 ARS 31.7K

$17.52 ARS 25.9K

22.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.58 ARS 42.2K

$21.72 ARS 32.1K

31.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.73 ARS 61.7K

$27.75 ARS 41.0K

50.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.77 ARS 17.4K

$16.19 ARS 23.9K

-27.30%

Cinema Ticket

$9.25 ARS 13.7K

$6.10 ARS 9,021

51.64%

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

$325 ARS 479.6K

$102 ARS 150.4K

218.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,275 ARS 7.8M

$2,172 ARS 3.2M

142.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$112 ARS 165.0K

$80.9 ARS 119.6K

38.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$85.9 ARS 127.0K

$77.5 ARS 114.6K

10.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 ARS 181.5K

$147 ARS 217.8K

-16.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 ARS 190.6K

$120 ARS 177.4K

7.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$657 ARS 970.6K

$363 ARS 536.4K

80.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ARS 661.6K

$270 ARS 398.9K

65.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,150 ARS 1.7M

$609 ARS 899.8K

88.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$814 ARS 1.2M

$502 ARS 741.9K

62.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,577 ARS 3.8M

$1,705 ARS 2.5M

51.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,844 ARS 2.7M

$1,121 ARS 1.7M

64.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$842 ARS 1.2M

$722 ARS 1.1M

16.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

52.71

-33.28%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: July 13, 2026

Last update for Mendoza: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $657 in Buenos Aires and $363 in Mendoza. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buenos Aires pays 17% 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: $60.0 in Buenos Aires vs $41.00 in Mendoza for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $250 per month, with Mendoza cheaper across the board.

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 30% in total monthly costs ($1,393 vs $1,069 including rent). Mendoza is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 17% 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: $657 in Buenos Aires versus $363 in Mendoza. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $325 in Buenos Aires versus $102 in Mendoza. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Buenos Aires. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,069 in Mendoza versus $1,393 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 30% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.