Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Quilmes Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Quilmes

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,412 in Buenos Aires versus $899 in Quilmes.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,197 in Buenos Aires versus $1,474 in Quilmes.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,982 in Buenos Aires versus $2,049 in Quilmes.

Living in Buenos Aires is roughly 57% more expensive than Quilmes, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Buenos Aires is 5% above, Quilmes is 33% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.09 ARS 21.5K

$9.11 ARS 13.0K

65.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.7 ARS 86.6K

$30.19 ARS 43.1K

100.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.89 ARS 17.0K

$8.98 ARS 12.8K

32.41%

Cappuccino

$4.01 ARS 5,720

$1.69 ARS 2,415

137.28%

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

$2.09 ARS 2,976

$1.29 ARS 1,837

62.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 ARS 2,115

$1.13 ARS 1,610

30.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.58 ARS 5,111

$1.19 ARS 1,700

200.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 ARS 5,816

$2.69 ARS 3,843

51.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 ARS 2,276

$1.23 ARS 1,749

30.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 ARS 3,603

$1.55 ARS 2,205

63.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.28 ARS 3,259

$1.77 ARS 2,525

28.81%

Eggs

$3.32 ARS 4,739

$2.14 ARS 3,051

55.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.15 ARS 17.3K

$13.32 ARS 19.0K

-8.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.85 ARS 11.2K

$6.08 ARS 8,676

29.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.66 ARS 13.8K

$10.68 ARS 15.2K

-9.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.49 ARS 3,548

$1.80 ARS 2,565

38.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.06 ARS 2,938

$2.07 ARS 2,956

-0.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.27 ARS 1,805

$1.00 ARS 1,433

27.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 ARS 3,631

$2.67 ARS 3,804

-4.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 ARS 2,126

$1.17 ARS 1,672

27.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 ARS 2,094

$1.39 ARS 1,978

5.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 ARS 2,628

$0.87 ARS 1,246

111.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 ARS 2,059

$1.78 ARS 2,542

-19.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.27 ARS 4,671

$3.38 ARS 4,826

-3.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.75 ARS 8,199

$4.22 ARS 6,026

36.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.24 ARS 3,202

$1.24 ARS 1,767

80.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 ARS 4,565

$3.19 ARS 4,557

0.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 ARS 1,026

$0.84 ARS 1,193

-14.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.12 ARS 23.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.65 ARS 2,347

$2.55 ARS 3,643

-35.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.91 ARS 1,294

$0.93 ARS 1,321

-2.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.93 ARS 8,461

$5.97 ARS 8,510

-0.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ARS 1,584

$1.03 ARS 1,476

7.77%

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

$24.6K ARS 35.0M

$24.1K ARS 34.4M

1.72%

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

$28.8K ARS 41.1M

$26.3K ARS 37.6M

9.41%

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

$109 ARS 155.6K

$56.0 ARS 79.8K

94.87%

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

$21.60 ARS 30.8K

$18.13 ARS 25.9K

19.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.00 ARS 41.4K

$14.44 ARS 20.6K

100.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.80 ARS 61.1K

$26.44 ARS 37.7K

61.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.76 ARS 16.8K

$14.04 ARS 20.0K

-16.24%

Cinema Ticket

$9.01 ARS 12.9K

$5.14 ARS 7,337

75.29%

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

$324 ARS 462.1K

$222 ARS 316.5K

46.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,180 ARS 7.4M

$1,069 ARS 1.5M

384.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 ARS 154.9K

$62.0 ARS 88.5K

75.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$86.8 ARS 123.8K

$59.5 ARS 84.8K

45.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 ARS 176.4K

$107 ARS 152.7K

15.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ARS 189.3K

$96.2 ARS 137.2K

38.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$658 ARS 939.0K

$332 ARS 473.3K

98.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$447 ARS 638.3K

$242 ARS 344.9K

85.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,155 ARS 1.6M

$675 ARS 962.7K

71.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$811 ARS 1.2M

$539 ARS 768.5K

50.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,627 ARS 3.7M

$2,352 ARS 3.4M

11.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,830 ARS 2.6M

$1,764 ARS 2.5M

3.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$820 ARS 1.2M

$1,116 ARS 1.6M

-26.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

52.71

100

-47.29%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: June 1, 2026

Last update for Quilmes: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $658 in Buenos Aires and $332 in Quilmes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Quilmes pays 36% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $61.0 in Buenos Aires vs $30.00 in Quilmes for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $237 per month, with Quilmes cheaper across the board.

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 Quilmes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires and Quilmes differ by about 57% in total monthly costs ($1,412 vs $899 including rent). Quilmes is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Quilmes earns 36% less. 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: $658 in Buenos Aires versus $332 in Quilmes. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $324 in Buenos Aires versus $222 in Quilmes. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Quilmes – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $61.0 in Buenos Aires. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $899 in Quilmes versus $1,412 in Buenos Aires, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Quilmes but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes Quilmes 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 Quilmes 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 Quilmes gentler on the wallet – expenses run 57% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.