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: $1,381 in Buenos Aires versus $1,034 in Salta.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,205 in Buenos Aires versus $1,568 in Salta.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,030 in Buenos Aires versus $2,103 in Salta.

Living in Buenos Aires is roughly 34% more expensive than in Salta, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Buenos Aires is 4% above, Salta is 22% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.11 ARS 22.6K

$9.92 ARS 14.8K

52.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.1 ARS 91.3K

$39.86 ARS 59.5K

53.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.08 ARS 18.0K

$6.67 ARS 9,963

81.11%

Cappuccino

$4.03 ARS 6,026

$2.40 ARS 3,591

67.92%

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

$2.18 ARS 3,257

$1.34 ARS 2,004

62.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 ARS 2,307

$1.23 ARS 1,834

25.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.68 ARS 5,492

$1.76 ARS 2,633

109.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 ARS 5,914

$3.09 ARS 4,619

28.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 ARS 2,381

$1.39 ARS 2,078

14.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 ARS 3,802

$1.70 ARS 2,538

50.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 ARS 3,450

$2.02 ARS 3,022

14.36%

Eggs

$3.25 ARS 4,863

$2.57 ARS 3,838

26.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.05 ARS 18.0K

$3.71 ARS 5,547

224.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.83 ARS 11.7K

$4.62 ARS 6,899

69.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.16 ARS 13.7K

$10.07 ARS 15.0K

-9.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.56 ARS 3,830

$1.18 ARS 1,757

116.95%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 ARS 3,054

$1.68 ARS 2,508

21.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.26 ARS 1,881

$0.77 ARS 1,145

63.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.57 ARS 3,836

$2.03 ARS 3,033

26.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.44 ARS 2,154

$0.59 ARS 875

144.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ARS 2,206

$0.82 ARS 1,230

80.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.82 ARS 2,717

$1.31 ARS 1,950

38.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 ARS 2,157

$1.68 ARS 2,508

-14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.20 ARS 4,783

$3.77 ARS 5,628

-15.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.75 ARS 8,592

$4.83 ARS 7,216

19.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.25 ARS 3,359

$1.37 ARS 2,051

64.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 ARS 4,701

$4.11 ARS 6,141

-23.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 ARS 1,083

$0.81 ARS 1,210

-11.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.93 ARS 23.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.59 ARS 2,375

$1.48 ARS 2,205

7.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ARS 1,266

$0.87 ARS 1,297

-2.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 ARS 8,928

$5.98 ARS 8,936

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 ARS 1,675

$0.97 ARS 1,442

15.46%

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

$25.3K ARS 37.8M

$23.5K ARS 35.1M

7.87%

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

$28.6K ARS 42.7M

$33.3K ARS 49.8M

-14.26%

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

$111 ARS 165.5K

$96.9 ARS 144.7K

14.37%

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

$21.83 ARS 32.6K

$15.16 ARS 22.7K

44.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.16 ARS 43.6K

$10.10 ARS 15.1K

188.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.06 ARS 64.3K

$29.70 ARS 44.4K

44.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.39 ARS 17.0K

$13.63 ARS 20.4K

-16.43%

Cinema Ticket

$9.13 ARS 13.6K

$6.15 ARS 9,182

48.46%

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

$331 ARS 494.7K

$101 ARS 150.9K

227.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,203 ARS 7.8M

$2,706 ARS 4.0M

92.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$112 ARS 168.0K

$61.2 ARS 91.5K

83.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$87.7 ARS 131.0K

$57.0 ARS 85.2K

53.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 ARS 187.7K

$105 ARS 157.1K

19.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 ARS 194.3K

$98.2 ARS 146.6K

32.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$648 ARS 968.0K

$454 ARS 677.6K

42.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$441 ARS 658.2K

$378 ARS 564.0K

16.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,186 ARS 1.8M

$645 ARS 964.2K

83.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$804 ARS 1.2M

$551 ARS 822.5K

46.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,617 ARS 3.9M

$2,300 ARS 3.4M

13.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,898 ARS 2.8M

$1,522 ARS 2.3M

24.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$850 ARS 1.3M

$864 ARS 1.3M

-1.57%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Salta: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $648 in Buenos Aires and $454 in Salta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Salta pays 2% 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 $270 vs $196 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 34% in total monthly costs ($1,381 vs $1,034 including rent). Salta is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 2% lower in Salta. 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: $648 in Buenos Aires versus $454 in Salta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $331 in Buenos Aires versus $101 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 $1,034 in Salta versus $1,381 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 34% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.