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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,633 in Buenos Aires versus $868 in San Juan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,744 in Buenos Aires versus $1,372 in San Juan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,855 in Buenos Aires versus $1,877 in San Juan.

Living in Buenos Aires is roughly 88% more expensive than in San Juan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Buenos Aires is 18% above, San Juan is 37% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.99 ARS 28.6K

$7.11 ARS 10.7K

167.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 ARS 105.1K

$40.20 ARS 60.6K

73.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.75 ARS 19.2K

$12.48 ARS 18.8K

2.16%

Cappuccino

$3.81 ARS 5,755

$2.58 ARS 3,890

47.67%

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

$2.16 ARS 3,262

$2.19 ARS 3,301

-1.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 ARS 2,566

$1.75 ARS 2,640

-2.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.61 ARS 5,452

$3.95 ARS 5,959

-8.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.55 ARS 6,865

$4.40 ARS 6,638

3.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 ARS 2,132

$1.32 ARS 1,998

6.82%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 ARS 3,717

$1.41 ARS 2,124

74.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ARS 2,390

$1.41 ARS 2,123

12.06%

Eggs

$2.79 ARS 4,212

$1.46 ARS 2,201

91.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.16 ARS 15.3K

$2.79 ARS 4,207

264.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.03 ARS 15.1K

$6.28 ARS 9,467

59.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.76 ARS 20.8K

$10.79 ARS 16.3K

27.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 ARS 4,194

$1.39 ARS 2,092

100.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.07 ARS 3,125

$1.45 ARS 2,183

42.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.42 ARS 2,142

$1.35 ARS 2,030

5.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 ARS 3,100

$1.41 ARS 2,120

46.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 ARS 1,796

$1.39 ARS 2,098

-14.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ARS 1,728

$1.44 ARS 2,173

-20.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.75 ARS 2,634

$1.39 ARS 2,100

25.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ARS 2,626

$1.45 ARS 2,195

20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ARS 6,436

$2.83 ARS 4,263

50.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.65 ARS 8,528

$5.07 ARS 7,642

11.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.21 ARS 3,336

$1.44 ARS 2,175

53.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 ARS 4,052

$1.41 ARS 2,122

90.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 ARS 1,093

$1.03 ARS 1,547

-30.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.88 ARS 42.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.62 ARS 2,443

$2.02 ARS 3,046

-19.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ARS 1,546

$0.98 ARS 1,478

4.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.61 ARS 11.5K

$4.86 ARS 7,328

56.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ARS 2,024

$1.12 ARS 1,687

19.64%

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

$28.8K ARS 43.4M

$26.6K ARS 40.2M

8.13%

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

$34.2K ARS 51.6M

$33.1K ARS 50.0M

3.30%

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

$202 ARS 305.1K

$137 ARS 206.8K

47.51%

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

$23.17 ARS 35.0K

$10.18 ARS 15.4K

127.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.01 ARS 46.8K

$18.04 ARS 27.2K

71.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.1 ARS 77.1K

$29.82 ARS 45.0K

71.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 ARS 25.8K

Cinema Ticket

$10.99 ARS 16.6K

$7.17 ARS 10.8K

53.28%

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

$459 ARS 692.9K

$173 ARS 260.7K

165.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,949 ARS 13.5M

$4,198 ARS 6.3M

113.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$113 ARS 170.6K

$106 ARS 159.8K

6.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$91.7 ARS 138.4K

$43.07 ARS 65.0K

112.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 ARS 175.5K

$57.7 ARS 87.0K

101.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 ARS 203.0K

$35.91 ARS 54.2K

274.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$714 ARS 1.1M

$250 ARS 376.9K

185.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$506 ARS 763.5K

$203 ARS 305.6K

149.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,622 ARS 2.4M

$507 ARS 765.1K

219.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 ARS 1.9M

$395 ARS 595.1K

226.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,636 ARS 4.0M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,847 ARS 2.8M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$907 ARS 1.4M

$686 ARS 1.0M

32.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

56.56

4.74%

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 Juan: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $714 in Buenos Aires and $250 in San Juan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buenos Aires pays 32% 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: $70.0 in Buenos Aires vs $40.00 in San Juan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $282 vs $189 per month, with San Juan 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 Juan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires and San Juan differ by about 88% in total monthly costs ($1,633 vs $868 including rent). San Juan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 32% higher in Buenos Aires, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $714 in Buenos Aires versus $250 in San Juan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $459 in Buenos Aires versus $173 in San Juan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in San Juan – a meal for two runs $40.00 versus $70.0 in Buenos Aires. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $868 in San Juan versus $1,633 in Buenos Aires, a $1,000 budget is realistic in San Juan but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes San Juan 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 Juan 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 Juan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 88% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.