Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Puerto Vallarta

For one person, living costs are similar in Buenos Aires and in Puerto Vallarta: $1,685 and $1,635 a month, rent and utilities included.

81

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
Learn more

Buenos Aires Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Puerto Vallarta
Learn more

Puerto Vallarta Living Index

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Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,685

/mo nomad

Puerto Vallarta

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,635

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Buenos Aires and in Puerto Vallarta

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,685 in Buenos Aires versus $1,635 in Puerto Vallarta.

Buenos Aires $1,685
Puerto Vallarta $1,635

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,742 in Buenos Aires versus $2,465 in Puerto Vallarta.

Buenos Aires $2,742
Puerto Vallarta $2,465

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,799 in Buenos Aires versus $3,295 in Puerto Vallarta.

Buenos Aires $3,799
Puerto Vallarta $3,295

Living in Buenos Aires is roughly 3% more expensive than in Puerto Vallarta, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Buenos Aires 26% above, Puerto Vallarta 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.73 ARS 28.4K

$13.94 MX$256

34.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 ARS 97.8K

$57.4 MX$1,054

12.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.88 ARS 19.5K

$10.90 MX$200

18.17%

Cappuccino

$3.98 ARS 6,029

$4.06 MX$74.5

-1.97%

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

$2.05 ARS 3,103

$1.95 MX$35.86

5.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 ARS 2,349

$1.39 MX$25.45

11.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.84 ARS 5,830

$3.09 MX$56.7

24.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 ARS 6,970

$4.34 MX$79.7

5.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 ARS 2,181

$1.91 MX$34.99

-24.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 ARS 3,738

$3.49 MX$64.1

-29.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 ARS 2,467

$2.02 MX$37.07

-19.31%

Eggs

$2.89 ARS 4,385

$2.25 MX$41.33

28.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.65 ARS 16.1K

$9.93 MX$182

7.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

$11.00 MX$202

-9.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.74 ARS 20.8K

$16.15 MX$296

-14.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ARS 4,166

$2.86 MX$52.5

-3.85%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 ARS 3,300

$1.54 MX$28.23

41.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 ARS 2,205

$1.93 MX$35.50

-24.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ARS 3,013

$2.12 MX$38.99

-6.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ARS 1,885

$2.34 MX$43.02

-47.01%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 ARS 1,921

$3.19 MX$58.5

-60.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 ARS 2,575

$1.39 MX$25.55

22.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 ARS 2,617

$1.15 MX$21.16

50.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.18 ARS 6,337

$4.48 MX$82.3

-6.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.80 ARS 8,790

$10.88 MX$200

-46.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 ARS 3,163

$1.87 MX$34.42

11.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 ARS 4,198

$2.71 MX$49.77

2.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ARS 1,132

$0.62 MX$11.42

20.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.15 ARS 41.2K

$21.37 MX$392

27.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.62 ARS 2,451

$4.60 MX$84.4

-64.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 ARS 1,481

$3.01 MX$55.3

-67.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.72 ARS 11.7K

$4.48 MX$82.3

72.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ARS 2,058

$1.56 MX$28.71

-12.82%

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

$28.0K ARS 42.5M

$21.4K MX$393.8K

30.60%

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

$34.5K ARS 52.4M

$24.7K MX$453.5K

39.79%

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

$216 ARS 326.9K

$85.6 MX$1,572

151.75%

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

$25.61 ARS 38.8K

$26.25 MX$482

-2.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.36 ARS 47.6K

$32.63 MX$599

-3.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.82 ARS 75.6K

$36.80 MX$676

35.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 ARS 25.9K

$15.19 MX$279

12.31%

Cinema Ticket

$10.43 ARS 15.8K

$8.75 MX$161

19.20%

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

$466 ARS 706.7K

$328 MX$6,021

42.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,057 ARS 13.7M

$6,190 MX$113.6K

46.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$122 ARS 185.2K

$55.0 MX$1,010

122.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$97.4 ARS 147.8K

$34.89 MX$641

179.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ARS 177.4K

$103 MX$1,897

13.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 ARS 211.9K

$97.8 MX$1,796

42.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$763 ARS 1.2M

$1,303 MX$23.9K

-41.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$505 ARS 766.1K

$699 MX$12.8K

-27.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,598 ARS 2.4M

$2,040 MX$37.5K

-21.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,185 ARS 1.8M

$1,145 MX$21.0K

3.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,678 ARS 4.1M

$5,090 MX$93.4K

-47.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,858 ARS 2.8M

$2,598 MX$47.7K

-28.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$954 ARS 1.4M

$948 MX$17.4K

0.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

11.7

389.32%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 6, 2026

Last update for Puerto Vallarta: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$505 30.4%

Puerto Vallarta

$699 43.2% 38.3% $194

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$284 17.1%

Puerto Vallarta

$316 19.5% 11.1% $31

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$279 16.8%

Puerto Vallarta

$230 14.2% 17.4% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$273 16.4%

Puerto Vallarta

$145 8.9% 47% $128

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$214 12.9%

Puerto Vallarta

$131 8.1% 38.9% $83

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$71 4.3%

Puerto Vallarta

$54 3.4% 23.2% $16

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2%

Puerto Vallarta

$44 2.7% 18.8% $6.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $763 in Buenos Aires and $1,303 in Puerto Vallarta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buenos Aires pays 1% 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 $57.0 in Puerto Vallarta. Groceries flip the comparison at $284 vs $316, with Buenos Aires cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇲🇽 Puerto Vallarta

🕒 Local time

09:24 9:24 AM

06:24 6:24 AM

3 h behind Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

224,166

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,699 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.36 MXN (100 MXN = 5.45 USD). 1 EUR = 20.57 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Buenos Aires Puerto Vallarta 7,880 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Buenos Aires
Puerto Vallarta

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 Puerto Vallarta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires and Puerto Vallarta differ by about 3% in total monthly costs ($1,685 vs $1,635 including rent). Puerto Vallarta is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 1% 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 $1,303 in Puerto Vallarta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $466 in Buenos Aires versus $328 in Puerto Vallarta. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Buenos Aires pay roughly 11% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,635 in Puerto Vallarta versus $1,685 in Buenos Aires, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Puerto Vallarta but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes Puerto Vallarta 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 Puerto Vallarta 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 Puerto Vallarta gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.