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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,408 in Buenos Aires versus $1,056 in Salta.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,203 in Buenos Aires versus $1,584 in Salta.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,998 in Buenos Aires versus $2,113 in Salta.

Living in Buenos Aires is roughly 33% more expensive than Salta, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Buenos Aires is 5% above, Salta is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.07 ARS 21.5K

$9.97 ARS 14.2K

51.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ARS 87.4K

$39.50 ARS 56.4K

54.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.91 ARS 17.0K

$6.55 ARS 9,357

81.83%

Cappuccino

$4.05 ARS 5,784

$2.34 ARS 3,337

73.08%

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

$2.17 ARS 3,102

$1.33 ARS 1,900

63.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 ARS 2,199

$1.27 ARS 1,818

21.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 ARS 5,126

$1.81 ARS 2,587

98.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 ARS 5,831

$3.09 ARS 4,413

32.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 ARS 2,170

$1.37 ARS 1,954

10.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 ARS 3,494

$1.78 ARS 2,547

37.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.28 ARS 3,253

$1.95 ARS 2,780

16.92%

Eggs

$3.22 ARS 4,600

$2.50 ARS 3,573

28.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.87 ARS 17.0K

$3.74 ARS 5,336

217.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.74 ARS 11.0K

$4.73 ARS 6,757

63.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.60 ARS 13.7K

$10.10 ARS 14.4K

-4.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.50 ARS 3,571

$1.18 ARS 1,679

111.86%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 ARS 2,900

$1.66 ARS 2,372

22.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.30 ARS 1,852

$0.78 ARS 1,118

66.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 ARS 3,775

$2.11 ARS 3,008

25.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 ARS 2,069

$0.62 ARS 888

133.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ARS 2,113

$0.77 ARS 1,094

92.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 ARS 2,572

$1.32 ARS 1,887

36.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 ARS 2,148

$1.66 ARS 2,377

-9.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.30 ARS 4,709

$3.71 ARS 5,299

-11.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.90 ARS 8,429

$5.05 ARS 7,211

16.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 ARS 3,150

$1.39 ARS 1,981

58.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 ARS 4,383

$3.93 ARS 5,620

-21.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 ARS 982

$0.79 ARS 1,129

-12.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.91 ARS 22.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.59 ARS 2,265

$1.51 ARS 2,161

5.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.93 ARS 1,322

$0.91 ARS 1,303

2.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.95 ARS 8,504

$5.96 ARS 8,518

-0.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 ARS 1,613

$0.98 ARS 1,393

15.31%

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

$24.9K ARS 35.6M

$23.5K ARS 33.6M

5.76%

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

$28.8K ARS 41.1M

$33.4K ARS 47.8M

-13.93%

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

$113 ARS 161.3K

$99.8 ARS 142.6K

13.10%

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

$21.34 ARS 30.5K

$15.10 ARS 21.6K

41.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.46 ARS 40.7K

$10.13 ARS 14.5K

180.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.70 ARS 61.0K

$29.71 ARS 42.4K

43.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.57 ARS 16.5K

$13.88 ARS 19.8K

-16.64%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ARS 13.1K

$5.93 ARS 8,465

54.97%

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

$329 ARS 470.5K

$98.1 ARS 140.2K

235.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,149 ARS 7.4M

$2,692 ARS 3.8M

91.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 ARS 156.3K

$60.7 ARS 86.7K

80.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$87.3 ARS 124.7K

$57.2 ARS 81.7K

52.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 ARS 176.7K

$103 ARS 147.1K

20.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 ARS 189.1K

$99.1 ARS 141.6K

33.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$659 ARS 941.3K

$458 ARS 654.0K

43.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$443 ARS 632.9K

$382 ARS 545.2K

16.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,167 ARS 1.7M

$639 ARS 913.0K

82.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$789 ARS 1.1M

$549 ARS 784.9K

43.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,561 ARS 3.7M

$2,020 ARS 2.9M

26.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,788 ARS 2.6M

$1,504 ARS 2.1M

18.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$808 ARS 1.2M

$849 ARS 1.2M

-4.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

52.71

58.5

-9.90%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: June 9, 2026

Last update for Salta: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $659 in Buenos Aires and $458 in Salta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Salta pays 5% 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 $40.00 in Salta for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $197 per month, with Salta 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 Salta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires and Salta differ by about 33% in total monthly costs ($1,408 vs $1,056 including rent). Salta is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Salta earns 5% 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: $659 in Buenos Aires versus $458 in Salta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $329 in Buenos Aires versus $98.1 in Salta. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Salta – a meal for two runs $40.00 versus $61.0 in Buenos Aires. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,056 in Salta versus $1,408 in Buenos Aires, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Salta but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes Salta 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 Salta 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 Salta gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.