Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Quito

For one person, living is cheaper in Quito: $979 a month against $1,685 in Buenos Aires, rent and utilities included – about $8,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

81

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
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Buenos Aires Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Quito
Learn more

Quito Living Index

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Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,685

/mo nomad

Quito

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$979

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,685 in Buenos Aires versus $979 in Quito.

Buenos Aires $1,685
Quito $979

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,742 in Buenos Aires versus $1,607 in Quito.

Buenos Aires $2,742
Quito $1,607

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,799 in Buenos Aires versus $2,234 in Quito.

Buenos Aires $3,799
Quito $2,234

Living in Buenos Aires is roughly 72% more expensive than in Quito, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Buenos Aires is 26% above, Quito is 27% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.73 ARS 28.4K

$6.14 $6.14

205.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 ARS 97.8K

$53.9 $53.9

19.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.88 ARS 19.5K

$7.81 $7.81

64.92%

Cappuccino

$3.98 ARS 6,029

$3.42 $3.42

16.37%

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

$2.05 ARS 3,103

$1.44 $1.44

42.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 ARS 2,349

$1.14 $1.14

35.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.84 ARS 5,830

$3.48 $3.48

10.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 ARS 6,970

$5.89 $5.89

-21.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 ARS 2,181

$1.14 $1.14

26.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 ARS 3,738

$1.54 $1.54

59.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 ARS 2,467

$1.51 $1.51

7.95%

Eggs

$2.89 ARS 4,385

$2.16 $2.16

33.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.65 ARS 16.1K

$6.40 $6.40

66.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

$5.48 $5.48

82.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.74 ARS 20.8K

$7.81 $7.81

75.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ARS 4,166

$2.33 $2.33

18.03%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 ARS 3,300

$1.24 $1.24

75.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 ARS 2,205

$1.31 $1.31

10.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ARS 3,013

$1.14 $1.14

74.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ARS 1,885

$1.21 $1.21

2.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 ARS 1,921

$1.02 $1.02

24.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 ARS 2,575

$0.93 $0.93

82.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 ARS 2,617

$1.05 $1.05

64.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.18 ARS 6,337

$6.02 $6.02

-30.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.80 ARS 8,790

$9.93 $9.93

-41.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 ARS 3,163

$1.59 $1.59

31.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 ARS 4,198

$3.08 $3.08

-10.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ARS 1,132

$0.37 $0.37

102.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.15 ARS 41.2K

$20.95 $20.95

29.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.62 ARS 2,451

$1.54 $1.54

5.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 ARS 1,481

$1.53 $1.53

-35.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.72 ARS 11.7K

$10.01 $10.01

-22.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ARS 2,058

$0.87 $0.87

56.32%

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

$28.0K ARS 42.5M

$21.0K $21.0K

33.48%

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

$34.5K ARS 52.4M

$28.6K $28.6K

20.94%

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

$216 ARS 326.9K

$28.97 $28.97

644.11%

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

$25.61 ARS 38.8K

$17.57 $17.57

45.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.36 ARS 47.6K

$28.14 $28.14

11.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.82 ARS 75.6K

$46.48 $46.48

7.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 ARS 25.9K

$17.70 $17.70

-3.62%

Cinema Ticket

$10.43 ARS 15.8K

$6.38 $6.38

63.48%

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

$466 ARS 706.7K

$746 $746

-37.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,057 ARS 13.7M

$9,015 $9,015

0.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$122 ARS 185.2K

$68.8 $68.8

77.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$97.4 ARS 147.8K

$50.4 $50.4

93.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ARS 177.4K

$117 $117

-0.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 ARS 211.9K

$109 $109

28.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$763 ARS 1.2M

$478 $478

59.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$505 ARS 766.1K

$313 $313

61.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,598 ARS 2.4M

$967 $967

65.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,185 ARS 1.8M

$549 $549

115.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,678 ARS 4.1M

$1,763 $1,763

51.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,858 ARS 2.8M

$720 $720

158.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$954 ARS 1.4M

$597 $597

59.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

10.12

465.71%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 6, 2026

Last update for Quito: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$505 30.4%

Quito

$313 31.8% 38% $192

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$284 17.1%

Quito

$198 20.1% 30.5% $87

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$279 16.8%

Quito

$153 15.5% 45.1% $126

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$273 16.4%

Quito

$75 7.6% 72.6% $198

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$214 12.9%

Quito

$156 15.8% 27.4% $59

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$71 4.3%

Quito

$59 6% 16.2% $11

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2%

Quito

$32 3.2% 13.7% $5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $763 in Buenos Aires and $478 in Quito. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buenos Aires pays 60% 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 $54.0 in Quito for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $284 vs $198 per month, with Quito cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇪🇨 Quito

🕒 Local time

23:49 11:49 PM

21:49 9:49 PM

2 h behind Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

2,671,191 Capital

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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 = 1,701 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

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Buenos Aires Quito 4,360 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Buenos Aires
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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 Quito: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires and Quito differ by about 72% in total monthly costs ($1,685 vs $979 including rent). Quito is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 60% 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 $478 in Quito. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $466 in Buenos Aires versus $746 in Quito. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 44% higher in Buenos Aires. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $979 in Quito versus $1,685 in Buenos Aires, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Quito but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes Quito 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 Quito 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 Quito gentler on the wallet – expenses run 72% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.