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: $1,426 in Buenos Aires versus $1,051 in Salta.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,203 in Buenos Aires versus $1,559 in Salta.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Buenos Aires versus $2,066 in Salta.

Living in Buenos Aires is roughly 36% more expensive than Salta, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Buenos Aires is 6% above, Salta is 22% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.90 ARS 20.8K

$9.97 ARS 13.9K

49.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.5 ARS 84.4K

$39.09 ARS 54.5K

54.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.09 ARS 16.9K

$6.54 ARS 9,128

84.86%

Cappuccino

$4.09 ARS 5,705

$2.42 ARS 3,371

69.01%

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

$2.09 ARS 2,920

$1.40 ARS 1,957

49.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 ARS 2,115

$1.24 ARS 1,726

22.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.63 ARS 5,060

$1.78 ARS 2,484

103.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 ARS 5,605

$3.06 ARS 4,269

31.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 ARS 2,145

$1.41 ARS 1,968

9.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.42 ARS 3,383

$1.79 ARS 2,492

35.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ARS 3,062

$1.93 ARS 2,690

13.47%

Eggs

$3.19 ARS 4,447

$2.49 ARS 3,474

28.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.22 ARS 17.0K

$3.77 ARS 5,255

224.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.05 ARS 11.2K

$4.67 ARS 6,516

72.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.65 ARS 13.5K

$9.87 ARS 13.8K

-2.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.49 ARS 3,474

$1.22 ARS 1,705

104.10%

Banana (1kg)

$2.10 ARS 2,930

$1.66 ARS 2,320

26.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.31 ARS 1,832

$0.84 ARS 1,168

55.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.65 ARS 3,704

$2.04 ARS 2,846

29.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.43 ARS 1,991

$0.58 ARS 807

146.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 ARS 2,147

$0.84 ARS 1,166

83.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.79 ARS 2,500

$1.26 ARS 1,757

42.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 ARS 2,005

$1.67 ARS 2,335

-13.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.22 ARS 4,495

$3.72 ARS 5,189

-13.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.67 ARS 9,306

$5.10 ARS 7,120

30.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 ARS 3,150

$1.43 ARS 1,996

58.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 ARS 4,233

$3.96 ARS 5,525

-23.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 ARS 1,010

$0.77 ARS 1,069

-6.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.07 ARS 22.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.59 ARS 2,216

$1.52 ARS 2,115

4.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ARS 1,284

$0.86 ARS 1,200

6.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.89 ARS 8,216

$6.04 ARS 8,434

-2.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 ARS 1,567

$0.91 ARS 1,276

23.08%

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

$24.5K ARS 34.2M

$23.4K ARS 32.7M

4.63%

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

$28.9K ARS 40.3M

$33.6K ARS 46.9M

-14.04%

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

$110 ARS 153.4K

$97.4 ARS 136.0K

12.83%

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

$21.81 ARS 30.4K

$15.48 ARS 21.6K

40.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.52 ARS 39.8K

$9.85 ARS 13.7K

189.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.83 ARS 58.4K

$29.55 ARS 41.2K

41.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.59 ARS 16.2K

$13.59 ARS 19.0K

-14.72%

Cinema Ticket

$8.79 ARS 12.3K

$6.15 ARS 8,579

42.93%

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

$322 ARS 449.5K

$98.3 ARS 137.1K

227.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,120 ARS 7.1M

$2,744 ARS 3.8M

86.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 ARS 154.5K

$61.6 ARS 86.0K

79.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$86.1 ARS 120.2K

$56.8 ARS 79.2K

51.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 ARS 175.4K

$105 ARS 146.8K

19.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ARS 184.9K

$102 ARS 141.7K

30.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$650 ARS 907.5K

$452 ARS 630.7K

43.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$444 ARS 619.9K

$387 ARS 539.4K

14.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,154 ARS 1.6M

$664 ARS 925.9K

73.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$789 ARS 1.1M

$552 ARS 770.8K

42.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,679 ARS 3.7M

$2,073 ARS 2.9M

29.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,994 ARS 2.8M

$1,451 ARS 2.0M

37.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$796 ARS 1.1M

$856 ARS 1.2M

-7.06%

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Salta: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $650 in Buenos Aires and $452 in Salta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Salta pays 8% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $60.0 in Buenos Aires vs $39.00 in Salta for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 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 36% in total monthly costs ($1,426 vs $1,051 including rent). Salta is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Salta earns 8% 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: $650 in Buenos Aires versus $452 in Salta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $322 in Buenos Aires versus $98.3 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 $39.00 versus $60.0 in Buenos Aires. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,051 in Salta versus $1,426 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 36% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.