Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Piedras Negras

For one person, living is cheaper in Piedras Negras: $1,137 a month against $1,656 in Buenos Aires, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
Learn more

Buenos Aires Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Piedras Negras
Learn more

Piedras Negras Living Index

Jump to prices

Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,656

/mo nomad

Piedras Negras

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,137

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Buenos Aires and in Piedras Negras

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,656 in Buenos Aires versus $1,137 in Piedras Negras.

Buenos Aires $1,656
Piedras Negras $1,137

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,697 in Buenos Aires versus $1,838 in Piedras Negras.

Buenos Aires $2,697
Piedras Negras $1,838

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,737 in Buenos Aires versus $2,539 in Piedras Negras.

Buenos Aires $3,737
Piedras Negras $2,539

Living in Buenos Aires is roughly 46% more expensive than in Piedras Negras, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Buenos Aires is 23% above, Piedras Negras is 16% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.09 ARS 29.0K

$11.12 MX$205

71.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 ARS 99.9K

$44.57 MX$824

47.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.20 ARS 20.0K

$8.45 MX$156

56.21%

Cappuccino

$3.85 ARS 5,841

$3.63 MX$67.1

6.06%

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

$1.99 ARS 3,020

$1.42 MX$26.26

40.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ARS 2,430

$1.00 MX$18.50

60.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.93 ARS 5,959

$2.53 MX$46.72

55.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 ARS 7,003

$4.05 MX$74.9

13.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 ARS 2,272

$1.66 MX$30.69

-9.64%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 ARS 3,837

$2.53 MX$46.83

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 ARS 2,445

$1.71 MX$31.52

-5.85%

Eggs

$2.84 ARS 4,316

$2.45 MX$45.35

15.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.30 ARS 15.6K

$8.36 MX$155

23.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

$8.11 MX$150

23.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.30 ARS 20.2K

$11.28 MX$209

17.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.88 ARS 4,366

$2.76 MX$51.1

4.35%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 ARS 3,334

$1.59 MX$29.34

38.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.40 ARS 2,120

$1.88 MX$34.68

-25.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 ARS 3,004

$1.82 MX$33.67

8.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 ARS 1,835

$1.99 MX$36.84

-39.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 ARS 1,910

$1.80 MX$33.24

-30.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 ARS 2,592

$1.48 MX$27.36

15.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 ARS 2,603

$1.08 MX$19.96

59.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 ARS 6,505

$4.50 MX$83.1

-4.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.70 ARS 8,645

$10.60 MX$196

-46.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 ARS 3,288

$1.81 MX$33.37

19.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ARS 4,188

$3.12 MX$57.7

-11.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ARS 1,141

$0.68 MX$12.55

10.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.27 ARS 41.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.57 ARS 2,375

$2.66 MX$49.22

-40.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ARS 1,558

$2.25 MX$41.56

-54.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ARS 12.0K

$11.14 MX$206

-29.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ARS 2,160

$1.33 MX$24.65

6.77%

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

$27.9K ARS 42.4M

$20.8K MX$385.2K

34.09%

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

$35.0K ARS 53.1M

$24.0K MX$443.9K

45.56%

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

$195 ARS 296.2K

$49.75 MX$919

292.36%

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

$25.16 ARS 38.2K

$22.89 MX$423

9.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.54 ARS 47.9K

$29.83 MX$551

5.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.9 ARS 77.3K

$34.41 MX$636

47.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.73 ARS 25.4K

$20.06 MX$371

-16.60%

Cinema Ticket

$10.34 ARS 15.7K

$5.31 MX$98.0

94.73%

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

$463 ARS 703.2K

$221 MX$4,089

109.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,793 ARS 13.3M

$4,069 MX$75.2K

116.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$120 ARS 181.8K

$55.1 MX$1,018

117.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$95.5 ARS 144.9K

$40.69 MX$752

134.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 ARS 173.1K

$100 MX$1,854

13.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 ARS 211.4K

$90.7 MX$1,675

53.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 ARS 1.1M

$596 MX$11.0K

26.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$520 ARS 788.8K

$393 MX$7,263

32.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,590 ARS 2.4M

$1,039 MX$19.2K

53.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,198 ARS 1.8M

$776 MX$14.3K

54.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,713 ARS 4.1M

$1,876 MX$34.7K

44.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,901 ARS 2.9M

$1,173 MX$21.7K

62.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$938 ARS 1.4M

$1,618 MX$29.9K

-42.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

11.3

406.64%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 11, 2026

Last update for Piedras Negras: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$520 31.4%

Piedras Negras

$393 34.6% 24.4% $127

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$283 17.1%

Piedras Negras

$263 23.1% 7.2% $20

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$282 17%

Piedras Negras

$188 16.6% 33.2% $93

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$252 15.2%

Piedras Negras

$102 9% 59.3% $149

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$211 12.7%

Piedras Negras

$129 11.3% 38.8% $82

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$72 4.3%

Piedras Negras

$45 4% 37.1% $27

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2%

Piedras Negras

$17 * 1.5% 55% $20

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 $756 in Buenos Aires and $596 in Piedras Negras. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Piedras Negras pays 73% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $66.0 in Buenos Aires vs $45.00 in Piedras Negras for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $263 per month, with Piedras Negras cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇲🇽 Piedras Negras

🕒 Local time

01:58 1:58 AM

23:58 11:58 PM

2 h behind Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

173,959

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to ARS – Argentine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇷 Argentine Peso ($)

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,706 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Buenos Aires Piedras Negras 8,310 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Buenos Aires
Piedras Negras

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 Piedras Negras: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires and Piedras Negras differ by about 46% in total monthly costs ($1,656 vs $1,137 including rent). Piedras Negras is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 73% lower in Piedras Negras. 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 $596 in Piedras Negras. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $463 in Buenos Aires versus $221 in Piedras Negras. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Piedras Negras – a meal for two runs $45.00 versus $66.0 in Buenos Aires. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,137 in Piedras Negras versus $1,656 in Buenos Aires, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Piedras Negras but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes Piedras Negras 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 Piedras Negras 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 Piedras Negras gentler on the wallet – expenses run 46% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.