Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Playa del Coco

For one person, living costs are similar in Buenos Aires and in Playa del Coco: $1,685 and $1,765 a month, rent and utilities included.

81

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
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Buenos Aires Living Index
85

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Coco
Learn more

Playa del Coco Living Index

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Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,685

/mo nomad

Playa del Coco

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,765

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Buenos Aires and in Playa del Coco

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 Playa del Coco actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,685 in Buenos Aires versus $1,765 in Playa del Coco.

Buenos Aires $1,685
Playa del Coco $1,765

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,742 in Buenos Aires versus $2,806 in Playa del Coco.

Buenos Aires $2,742
Playa del Coco $2,806

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,799 in Buenos Aires versus $3,847 in Playa del Coco.

Buenos Aires $3,799
Playa del Coco $3,847

Living in Buenos Aires costs roughly 5% less than in Playa del Coco, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Buenos Aires 26% above, Playa del Coco 32% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.73 ARS 28.4K

$18.05 ₡8,137

3.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 ARS 97.7K

$57.5 ₡25.9K

12.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.88 ARS 19.5K

$11.25 ₡5,070

14.49%

Cappuccino

$3.98 ARS 6,027

$4.08 ₡1,839

-2.45%

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

$2.05 ARS 3,102

$2.52 ₡1,138

-18.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 ARS 2,348

$1.63 ₡736

-4.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.84 ARS 5,828

$3.56 ₡1,605

7.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 ARS 6,968

$6.15 ₡2,774

-25.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 ARS 2,180

$2.42 ₡1,089

-40.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 ARS 3,737

$2.88 ₡1,298

-14.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 ARS 2,466

$2.46 ₡1,107

-33.74%

Eggs

$2.89 ARS 4,384

$3.44 ₡1,553

-15.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.65 ARS 16.1K

$10.86 ₡4,894

-1.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

$10.65 ₡4,800

-6.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.74 ARS 20.8K

$14.23 ₡6,417

-3.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ARS 4,165

$5.11 ₡2,302

-46.18%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 ARS 3,299

$1.65 ₡744

32.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 ARS 2,204

$3.37 ₡1,520

-56.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ARS 3,012

$3.38 ₡1,522

-41.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ARS 1,884

$3.00 ₡1,351

-58.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 ARS 1,920

$3.21 ₡1,446

-60.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 ARS 2,574

$1.08 ₡487

57.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 ARS 2,616

$2.70 ₡1,219

-35.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.18 ARS 6,335

$5.59 ₡2,521

-25.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.80 ARS 8,787

$16.65 ₡7,504

-65.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 ARS 3,162

$2.66 ₡1,200

-21.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 ARS 4,197

$2.73 ₡1,229

1.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ARS 1,131

$1.33 ₡602

-43.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.15 ARS 41.2K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.62 ARS 2,450

$3.33 ₡1,501

-51.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 ARS 1,480

$1.58 ₡713

-37.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.72 ARS 11.7K

$8.90 ₡4,011

-13.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ARS 2,057

$1.93 ₡870

-29.53%

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

$28.0K ARS 42.5M

$22.2K ₡10.0M

26.12%

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

$34.5K ARS 52.3M

$34.5K ₡15.6M

0.02%

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

$216 ARS 326.8K

$94.1 ₡42.4K

128.99%

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

$25.61 ARS 38.8K

$29.60 ₡13.3K

-13.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.36 ARS 47.5K

$60.8 ₡27.4K

-48.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.82 ARS 75.5K

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-30.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 ARS 25.9K

Cinema Ticket

$10.43 ARS 15.8K

$8.08 ₡3,641

29.08%

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

$466 ARS 706.5K

$827 ₡372.9K

-43.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,057 ARS 13.7M

$16.8K ₡7.6M

-46.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$122 ARS 185.1K

$71.9 ₡32.4K

69.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$97.4 ARS 147.7K

$56.6 ₡25.5K

72.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ARS 177.3K

$130 ₡58.6K

-10.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 ARS 211.8K

$135 ₡60.6K

3.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$763 ARS 1.2M

$819 ₡369.1K

-6.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$505 ARS 765.8K

$638 ₡287.7K

-20.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,598 ARS 2.4M

$1,894 ₡854.1K

-15.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,185 ARS 1.8M

$1,244 ₡561.0K

-4.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,678 ARS 4.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,858 ARS 2.8M

$332 ₡149.6K

459.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$954 ARS 1.4M

$765 ₡344.7K

24.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

8.78

552.05%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 6, 2026

Last update for Playa del Coco: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$505 30.4%

Playa del Coco

$638 36.4% 26.3% $133

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$284 17.1%

Playa del Coco

$375 21.4% 32% $91

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$279 16.8%

Playa del Coco

$274 15.6% 1.8% $5.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$273 16.4%

Playa del Coco

$185 10.5% 32.3% $88

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$214 12.9%

Playa del Coco

$177 10.1% 17.5% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$71 4.3%

Playa del Coco

$88 5% 24.9% $18

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2%

Playa del Coco

$17 * 1% 54.7% $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 $763 in Buenos Aires and $819 in Playa del Coco. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buenos Aires pays 25% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $64.0 in Buenos Aires vs $57.0 in Playa del Coco. Groceries flip the comparison at $284 vs $375, with Buenos Aires cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇨🇷 Playa del Coco

🕒 Local time

02:31 2:31 AM

23:31 11:31 PM

3 h behind Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.6 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to ARS – Argentine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇷 Argentine Peso ($)

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,516 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.6 USD). 1 EUR = 1,700 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Buenos Aires Playa del Coco 5,790 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Buenos Aires
Playa del Coco

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 Playa del Coco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires and Playa del Coco differ by about 5% in total monthly costs ($1,685 vs $1,765 including rent). Buenos Aires is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 25% 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: $763 in Buenos Aires versus $819 in Playa del Coco. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $466 in Buenos Aires versus $827 in Playa del Coco. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Buenos Aires – a meal for two runs $64.0 versus $57.0 in Playa del Coco. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,685 in Buenos Aires versus $1,765 in Playa del Coco, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Buenos Aires but tight or insufficient in Playa del Coco. 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 Playa del Coco 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 5% less than in Playa del Coco. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.