Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and San Isidro Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and San Isidro

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,633 in Buenos Aires versus $1,061 in San Isidro.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,744 in Buenos Aires versus $1,762 in San Isidro.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,855 in Buenos Aires versus $2,462 in San Isidro.

Living in Buenos Aires is roughly 54% more expensive than in San Isidro, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Buenos Aires is 18% above, San Isidro is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.99 ARS 28.6K

$10.10 ARS 15.2K

88.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 ARS 105.1K

$37.19 ARS 56.1K

87.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.75 ARS 19.2K

$11.54 ARS 17.4K

10.49%

Cappuccino

$3.81 ARS 5,755

$2.94 ARS 4,436

29.59%

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

$2.16 ARS 3,262

$1.77 ARS 2,676

22.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 ARS 2,566

$1.69 ARS 2,543

0.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.61 ARS 5,452

$3.63 ARS 5,482

-0.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.55 ARS 6,865

$2.32 ARS 3,493

96.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 ARS 2,132

$1.26 ARS 1,903

11.90%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 ARS 3,717

$1.57 ARS 2,372

56.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ARS 2,390

$1.58 ARS 2,380

Eggs

$2.79 ARS 4,212

$2.25 ARS 3,394

24.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.16 ARS 15.3K

$8.30 ARS 12.5K

22.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.03 ARS 15.1K

$5.83 ARS 8,801

72.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.76 ARS 20.8K

$10.65 ARS 16.1K

29.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 ARS 4,194

$1.91 ARS 2,878

45.55%

Banana (1kg)

$2.07 ARS 3,125

$1.53 ARS 2,315

35.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.42 ARS 2,142

$1.07 ARS 1,614

32.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 ARS 3,100

$2.12 ARS 3,202

-2.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 ARS 1,796

$0.97 ARS 1,469

22.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ARS 1,728

$0.69 ARS 1,036

66.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.75 ARS 2,634

$1.47 ARS 2,217

19.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ARS 2,626

$1.68 ARS 2,541

3.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ARS 6,436

$3.33 ARS 5,030

28.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.65 ARS 8,528

$4.87 ARS 7,351

16.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.21 ARS 3,336

$1.21 ARS 1,833

82.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 ARS 4,052

$2.69 ARS 4,059

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 ARS 1,093

$0.98 ARS 1,482

-26.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.88 ARS 42.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.62 ARS 2,443

$1.57 ARS 2,370

3.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ARS 1,546

$0.98 ARS 1,480

4.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.61 ARS 11.5K

$7.96 ARS 12.0K

-4.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ARS 2,024

$1.11 ARS 1,674

20.72%

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

$28.8K ARS 43.4M

$28.4K ARS 42.9M

1.22%

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

$34.2K ARS 51.6M

$29.8K ARS 45.0M

14.69%

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

$202 ARS 305.1K

$59.4 ARS 89.5K

240.72%

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

$23.17 ARS 35.0K

$19.88 ARS 30.0K

16.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.01 ARS 46.8K

$27.56 ARS 41.6K

12.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.1 ARS 77.1K

$30.16 ARS 45.5K

69.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 ARS 25.8K

Cinema Ticket

$10.99 ARS 16.6K

$4.71 ARS 7,105

133.33%

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

$459 ARS 692.9K

$295 ARS 445.0K

55.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,949 ARS 13.5M

$8,833 ARS 13.3M

1.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$113 ARS 170.6K

$88.8 ARS 134.0K

27.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$91.7 ARS 138.4K

$59.2 ARS 89.3K

54.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 ARS 175.5K

$115 ARS 174.2K

0.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 ARS 203.0K

$136 ARS 205.1K

-1.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$714 ARS 1.1M

$472 ARS 712.7K

51.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$506 ARS 763.5K

$310 ARS 467.5K

63.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,622 ARS 2.4M

$1,004 ARS 1.5M

61.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 ARS 1.9M

$776 ARS 1.2M

66.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,636 ARS 4.0M

$2,405 ARS 3.6M

9.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,847 ARS 2.8M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$907 ARS 1.4M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

56.56

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: September 7, 2026

Last update for San Isidro: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $714 in Buenos Aires and $472 in San Isidro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $70.0 in Buenos Aires vs $37.00 in San Isidro for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $282 vs $215 per month, with San Isidro 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 San Isidro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires and San Isidro differ by about 54% in total monthly costs ($1,633 vs $1,061 including rent). San Isidro is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,449 in Buenos Aires and $1,592 in San Isidro to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $714 in Buenos Aires versus $472 in San Isidro. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $459 in Buenos Aires versus $295 in San Isidro. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in San Isidro – a meal for two runs $37.00 versus $70.0 in Buenos Aires. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,061 in San Isidro versus $1,633 in Buenos Aires, a $2,000 budget is realistic in San Isidro but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes San Isidro 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 San Isidro 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 San Isidro gentler on the wallet – expenses run 54% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.