Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Portsmouth

For one person, living is cheaper in Buenos Aires: $1,656 a month against $2,763 in Portsmouth, rent and utilities included – about $13,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Buenos Aires
🇦🇷 Argentina
$1,656
/mo nomad
Portsmouth
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,763
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,656 in Buenos Aires versus $2,763 in Portsmouth.

  • Buenos Aires $1,656
  • Portsmouth $2,763

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,697 in Buenos Aires versus $3,798 in Portsmouth.

  • Buenos Aires $2,697
  • Portsmouth $3,798

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,737 in Buenos Aires versus $4,834 in Portsmouth.

  • Buenos Aires $3,737
  • Portsmouth $4,834

Living in Buenos Aires costs roughly 40% less than in Portsmouth, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Buenos Aires 23% above, Portsmouth 105% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Buenos Aires
Portsmouth
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.09 ARS 29.0K
$19.81 £14.86
-3.63%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$65.8 ARS 99.9K
$66.4 £49.78
-0.83%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.20 ARS 20.0K
$10.34 £7.76
27.66%
Cappuccino
$3.85 ARS 5,841
$4.79 £3.59
-19.62%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.99 ARS 3,020
$2.66 £1.99
-25.19%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.60 ARS 2,430
$2.27 £1.71
-29.52%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.93 ARS 5,959
$6.18 £4.63
-36.41%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.61 ARS 7,003
$5.83 £4.38
-20.93%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Buenos Aires
Portsmouth
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.50 ARS 2,272
$1.41 £1.06
6.38%
White Bread (500g)
$2.53 ARS 3,837
$1.58 £1.18
60.13%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.61 ARS 2,445
$3.69 £2.77
-56.37%
Eggs
$2.84 ARS 4,316
$3.39 £2.55
-16.22%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.30 ARS 15.6K
$13.26 £9.95
-22.32%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.00 ARS 15.2K
$8.32 £6.24
20.19%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.30 ARS 20.2K
$13.02 £9.77
2.15%
Apples (1kg)
$2.88 ARS 4,366
$3.86 £2.90
-25.39%
Banana (1kg)
$2.20 ARS 3,334
$1.91 £1.43
15.18%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.40 ARS 2,120
$2.85 £2.14
-50.88%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.98 ARS 3,004
$3.34 £2.51
-40.72%
Potato (1kg)
$1.21 ARS 1,835
$1.65 £1.23
-26.67%
Onion (1kg)
$1.26 ARS 1,910
$1.63 £1.23
-22.70%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.71 ARS 2,592
$1.20 £0.90
42.50%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.72 ARS 2,603
$1.52 £1.14
13.16%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.29 ARS 6,505
$23.07 £17.31
-81.40%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.70 ARS 8,645
$11.29 £8.47
-49.51%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.17 ARS 3,288
$2.94 £2.21
-26.19%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.76 ARS 4,188
$2.14 £1.60
28.97%
🚌 Getting Around
Buenos Aires
Portsmouth
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.75 ARS 1,141
$4.08 £3.06
-81.62%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.27 ARS 41.4K
$88.0 £66.0
-69.02%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.57 ARS 2,375
$5.16 £3.87
-69.57%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.03 ARS 1,558
$1.60 £1.20
-35.63%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.90 ARS 12.0K
$20.02 £15.02
-60.54%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.42 ARS 2,160
$2.08 £1.56
-31.73%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.9K ARS 42.4M
$38.6K £29.0K
-27.65%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$35.0K ARS 53.1M
$40.1K £30.1K
-12.87%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Buenos Aires
Portsmouth
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$195 ARS 296.2K
$654 £491
-70.17%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$25.16 ARS 38.2K
$14.83 £11.12
69.66%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$31.54 ARS 47.9K
$42.05 £31.55
-24.99%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Buenos Aires
Portsmouth
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$50.9 ARS 77.3K
$38.39 £28.80
32.64%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.73 ARS 25.4K
$17.15 £12.86
-2.45%
Cinema Ticket
$10.34 ARS 15.7K
$10.65 £7.99
-2.91%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Buenos Aires
Portsmouth
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$463 ARS 703.2K
$1,249 £937
-62.90%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,793 ARS 13.3M
$20.0K £15.0K
-56.12%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Buenos Aires
Portsmouth
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$120 ARS 181.8K
$90.5 £67.9
32.42%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$95.5 ARS 144.9K
$39.83 £29.88
139.72%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$114 ARS 173.1K
$98.6 £74.0
15.72%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$139 ARS 211.4K
$120 £89.8
16.33%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Buenos Aires
Portsmouth
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$756 ARS 1.1M
$1,457 £1,093
-48.08%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$520 ARS 788.8K
$1,098 £824
-52.66%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,590 ARS 2.4M
$2,091 £1,569
-23.96%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,198 ARS 1.8M
$1,714 £1,286
-30.11%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,713 ARS 4.1M
$4,504 £3,378
-39.75%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,901 ARS 2.9M
$3,703 £2,778
-48.67%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Buenos Aires
Portsmouth
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$938 ARS 1.4M
$3,350 £2,513
-72.01%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
57.25
5.16
1009.50%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 11, 2026

Last update for Portsmouth: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Buenos Aires
$520
Portsmouth
$1.1K 111% $578
Groceries & Markets
Buenos Aires
$283
Portsmouth
$310 9.5% $27
Eating Out
Buenos Aires
$282
Portsmouth
$309 9.8% $28
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Buenos Aires
$252
Portsmouth
$711 182% $459
Clothing & Footwear
Buenos Aires
$211
Portsmouth
$157 25.6% $54
Sport & Entertainment
Buenos Aires
$72
Portsmouth
$60 16.6% $12
Getting Around
Buenos Aires
$37
Portsmouth
$118 218% $81

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $756 in Buenos Aires and $1,457 in Portsmouth. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Portsmouth pays 257% 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: $66.0 in Buenos Aires vs $66.0 in Portsmouth for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $310 per month, with Buenos Aires cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇦🇷 Buenos Aires
🇬🇧 Portsmouth
🕒 Local time
19:49 7:49 PM
23:49 11:49 PM
4 h ahead of Buenos Aires
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,891,082 Capital
198,974
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD, EUR to ARS – Argentine Peso Converter

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,706 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Buenos Aires Portsmouth 11,030 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Buenos Aires
  • Portsmouth

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 Portsmouth: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Buenos Aires and in Portsmouth?
Buenos Aires and Portsmouth differ by about 67% in total monthly costs ($1,656 vs $2,763 including rent). Buenos Aires is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 257% lower in Portsmouth. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Buenos Aires and in Portsmouth?
Rent for a central apartment: $756 in Buenos Aires versus $1,457 in Portsmouth. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Buenos Aires and Portsmouth?
Childcare runs $463 in Buenos Aires versus $1,249 in Portsmouth. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Portsmouth. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
At $1,656 in Buenos Aires versus $2,763 in Portsmouth, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Buenos Aires but tight or insufficient in Portsmouth. The gap between the two cities makes Buenos Aires the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Buenos Aires and Portsmouth?
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.
Is Buenos Aires or Portsmouth safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Buenos Aires and Portsmouth are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Buenos Aires or Portsmouth?
Expats usually find Buenos Aires gentler on the wallet – expenses run 67% less than in Portsmouth. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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