Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Philipsburg

For one person, living is cheaper in Buenos Aires: $1,685 a month against $3,149 in Philipsburg, rent and utilities included – about $17,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

81

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
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Buenos Aires Living Index
148

Cost of Living Index in Philipsburg
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Philipsburg Living Index

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Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,685

/mo nomad

Philipsburg

🇸🇽 Sint Maarten

$3,149

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,685 in Buenos Aires versus $3,149 in Philipsburg.

Buenos Aires $1,685
Philipsburg $3,149

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,742 in Buenos Aires versus $6,004 in Philipsburg.

Buenos Aires $2,742
Philipsburg $6,004

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,799 in Buenos Aires versus $8,859 in Philipsburg.

Buenos Aires $3,799
Philipsburg $8,859

Living in Buenos Aires costs roughly 46% less than in Philipsburg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Buenos Aires 26% above, Philipsburg 135% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.73 ARS 28.4K

$15.49 ANG 27.73

20.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 ARS 97.8K

$70.8 ANG 127

-8.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.88 ARS 19.5K

$8.04 ANG 14.39

60.20%

Cappuccino

$3.98 ARS 6,029

$4.38 ANG 7.83

-9.13%

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

$2.05 ARS 3,103

$2.90 ANG 5.19

-29.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 ARS 2,349

$4.11 ANG 7.35

-62.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.84 ARS 5,830

$2.97 ANG 5.31

29.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 ARS 6,970

$6.55 ANG 11.72

-29.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 ARS 2,181

$3.06 ANG 5.48

-52.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 ARS 3,738

$2.64 ANG 4.72

-6.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 ARS 2,467

$2.53 ANG 4.53

-35.57%

Eggs

$2.89 ARS 4,385

$6.54 ANG 11.70

-55.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.65 ARS 16.1K

$18.69 ANG 33.46

-43.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

$13.75 ANG 24.61

-27.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.74 ARS 20.8K

$14.89 ANG 26.66

-7.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ARS 4,166

$5.07 ANG 9.07

-45.76%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 ARS 3,300

$5.07 ANG 9.08

-57.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 ARS 2,205

$9.20 ANG 16.46

-84.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ARS 3,013

$7.58 ANG 13.57

-73.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ARS 1,885

$4.06 ANG 7.27

-69.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 ARS 1,921

$4.04 ANG 7.22

-68.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 ARS 2,575

$4.88 ANG 8.74

-65.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 ARS 2,617

$1.34 ANG 2.40

29.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.18 ARS 6,337

$8.16 ANG 14.61

-48.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.80 ARS 8,790

$10.82 ANG 19.37

-46.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 ARS 3,163

$5.13 ANG 9.19

-59.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 ARS 4,198

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ARS 1,132

$2.26 ANG 4.05

-66.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.15 ARS 41.2K

$1.47 ANG 2.63

1746.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.62 ARS 2,451

$15.04 ANG 26.92

-89.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 ARS 1,481

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.72 ARS 11.7K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ARS 2,058

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

$28.0K ARS 42.5M

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

$34.5K ARS 52.4M

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

$216 ARS 326.9K

$152 ANG 271

42.28%

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

$25.61 ARS 38.8K

$32.40 ANG 58.0

-20.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.36 ARS 47.6K

$65.8 ANG 118

-52.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.82 ARS 75.6K

$62.7 ANG 112

-20.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 ARS 25.9K

Cinema Ticket

$10.43 ARS 15.8K

$10.92 ANG 19.54

-4.49%

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

$466 ARS 706.7K

$248 ANG 443

88.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,057 ARS 13.7M

$12.0K ANG 21.4K

-24.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$122 ARS 185.2K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$97.4 ARS 147.8K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ARS 177.4K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 ARS 211.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$763 ARS 1.2M

$2,145 ANG 3,840

-64.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$505 ARS 766.1K

$1,994 ANG 3,570

-74.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,598 ARS 2.4M

$6,614 ANG 11.8K

-75.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,185 ARS 1.8M

$6,466 ANG 11.6K

-81.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,678 ARS 4.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,858 ARS 2.8M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$954 ARS 1.4M

$1,132 ANG 2,026

-15.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

1045.00%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 6, 2026

Last update for Philipsburg: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$505 30.4%

Philipsburg

$2K 64.2% 295% $1.5K

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$284 17.1%

Philipsburg

$496 * 16% 74.7% $212

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$279 16.8%

Philipsburg

$256 8.3% 8.1% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$273 16.4%

Philipsburg

$250 8% 8.4% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$214 12.9%

Philipsburg

- * 0% 100%

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$71 4.3%

Philipsburg

$85 2.7% 19.6% $14

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2%

Philipsburg

$26 * 0.8% 30.2% $11

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $763 in Buenos Aires and $2,145 in Philipsburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Philipsburg pays 19% 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: $64.0 in Buenos Aires vs $71.0 in Philipsburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $284 vs $496 per month, with Buenos Aires cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇸🇽 Philipsburg

🕒 Local time

07:20 7:20 AM

06:20 6:20 AM

1 h behind Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

1,900 Capital

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

Netherlands Antillean Guilder ANG ƒ

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR

1 ANG = 0.559 USD

1 ANG = 0.499 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ANG, USD, EUR to ARS – Argentine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇷 Argentine Peso ($)

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,699 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR).

Netherlands Antillean Guilder exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.79 ANG (1 ANG = 0.559 USD). 1 EUR = 2.01 ANG (1 ANG = 0.499 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Buenos Aires Philipsburg 5,870 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Buenos Aires
Philipsburg

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 Philipsburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires and Philipsburg differ by about 87% in total monthly costs ($1,685 vs $3,149 including rent). Buenos Aires is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 19% lower in Philipsburg. 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: $763 in Buenos Aires versus $2,145 in Philipsburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $466 in Buenos Aires versus $248 in Philipsburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 75% higher in Philipsburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,685 in Buenos Aires versus $3,149 in Philipsburg, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Buenos Aires but tight or insufficient in Philipsburg. 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 Philipsburg 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 87% less than in Philipsburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.