Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Saint John's

For one person, living is cheaper in Buenos Aires: $1,685 a month against $1,816 in Saint John's, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Saint John's outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

81

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

Cost of Living Index in Saint John's
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Saint John's Living Index

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Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,685

/mo nomad

Saint John's

🇦🇬 Antigua and Barbuda

$1,816

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Buenos Aires and in Saint John's

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,685 in Buenos Aires versus $1,816 in Saint John's.

Buenos Aires $1,685
Saint John's $1,816

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,742 in Buenos Aires versus $2,873 in Saint John's.

Buenos Aires $2,742
Saint John's $2,873

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,799 in Buenos Aires versus $3,929 in Saint John's.

Buenos Aires $3,799
Saint John's $3,929

Living in Buenos Aires costs roughly 7% less than in Saint John's, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Buenos Aires 26% above, Saint John's 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.73 ARS 28.4K

$22.50 EC$60.8

-16.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 ARS 97.8K

$75.0 EC$203

-14.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.88 ARS 19.5K

$10.97 EC$29.62

17.41%

Cappuccino

$3.98 ARS 6,029

$3.80 EC$10.27

4.74%

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

$2.05 ARS 3,103

$2.03 EC$5.47

0.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 ARS 2,349

$0.87 EC$2.34

78.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.84 ARS 5,830

$1.87 EC$5.05

105.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 ARS 6,970

$4.48 EC$12.09

2.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 ARS 2,181

$2.18 EC$5.88

-33.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 ARS 3,738

$2.81 EC$7.59

-12.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 ARS 2,467

$1.90 EC$5.14

-14.21%

Eggs

$2.89 ARS 4,385

$6.63 EC$17.91

-56.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.65 ARS 16.1K

$8.32 EC$22.46

28.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

$8.31 EC$22.44

20.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.74 ARS 20.8K

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ARS 4,166

$6.48 EC$17.49

-57.56%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 ARS 3,300

$2.42 EC$6.54

-9.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 ARS 2,205

$8.12 EC$21.93

-82.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ARS 3,013

$8.10 EC$21.87

-75.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ARS 1,885

$2.92 EC$7.88

-57.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 ARS 1,921

$2.90 EC$7.84

-56.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 ARS 2,575

$2.64 EC$7.12

-35.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 ARS 2,617

$1.61 EC$4.34

7.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.18 ARS 6,337

Wine (Bottle)

$5.80 ARS 8,790

$5.53 EC$14.93

4.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 ARS 3,163

$2.73 EC$7.36

-23.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 ARS 4,198

$4.55 EC$12.29

-39.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ARS 1,132

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.15 ARS 41.2K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.62 ARS 2,451

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 ARS 1,481

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.72 ARS 11.7K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ARS 2,058

$1.63 EC$4.40

-16.56%

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

$28.0K ARS 42.5M

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

$34.5K ARS 52.4M

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

$216 ARS 326.9K

$256 EC$692

-15.93%

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

$25.61 ARS 38.8K

$40.32 EC$109

-36.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.36 ARS 47.6K

$81.4 EC$220

-61.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.82 ARS 75.6K

$65.3 EC$176

-23.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 ARS 25.9K

Cinema Ticket

$10.43 ARS 15.8K

$6.43 EC$17.36

62.21%

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

$466 ARS 706.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,057 ARS 13.7M

$1,855 EC$5,009

388.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$122 ARS 185.2K

$49.21 EC$133

148.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$97.4 ARS 147.8K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ARS 177.4K

$75.4 EC$204

55.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 ARS 211.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$763 ARS 1.2M

$1,036 EC$2,796

-26.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$505 ARS 766.1K

$680 EC$1,835

-25.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,598 ARS 2.4M

$1,694 EC$4,573

-5.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,185 ARS 1.8M

$1,497 EC$4,043

-20.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,678 ARS 4.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,858 ARS 2.8M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$954 ARS 1.4M

$1,344 EC$3,630

-29.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

5.5

940.91%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 6, 2026

Last update for Saint John's: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$505 30.4%

Saint John's

$680 37.2% 34.6% $175

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$284 17.1%

Saint John's

$349 * 19.1% 22.7% $65

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$279 16.8%

Saint John's

$288 15.8% 3.4% $9.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$273 16.4%

Saint John's

$378 20.7% 38.8% $106

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$214 12.9%

Saint John's

$56 * 3.1% 73.8% $158

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$71 4.3%

Saint John's

$78 4.3% 10.6% $7.5

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2%

Saint John's

- * 0% 100%

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 $1,036 in Saint John's. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saint John's pays 41% 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 $75.0 in Saint John's for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $284 vs $349 per month, with Buenos Aires cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇦🇬 Saint John's

🕒 Local time

05:29 5:29 AM

04:29 4:29 AM

1 h behind Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

21,926 Capital

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

East Caribbean Dollar XCD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR

1 XCD = 0.37 USD

1 XCD = 0.33 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XCD, 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).

East Caribbean Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2.7 XCD (1 XCD = 0.37 USD). 1 EUR = 3.03 XCD (1 XCD = 0.33 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Buenos Aires Saint John's 5,760 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Buenos Aires
Saint John's

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 Saint John's: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires and Saint John's differ by about 8% in total monthly costs ($1,685 vs $1,816 including rent). Buenos Aires is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 41% lower in Saint John's. 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: $763 in Buenos Aires versus $1,036 in Saint John's. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Buenos Aires – a meal for two runs $64.0 versus $75.0 in Saint John's. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,685 per month in Buenos Aires versus $1,816 in Saint John's – a 8% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,685 in Buenos Aires versus $1,816 in Saint John's, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Buenos Aires but tight or insufficient in Saint John's. 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 Saint John's 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 8% less than in Saint John's. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.