Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and San Martin de los Andes Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and San Martin de los Andes

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,633 in Buenos Aires versus $1,178 in San Martin de los Andes.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,744 in Buenos Aires versus $2,000 in San Martin de los Andes.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,855 in Buenos Aires versus $2,822 in San Martin de los Andes.

Living in Buenos Aires is roughly 39% more expensive than in San Martin de los Andes, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Buenos Aires is 18% above, San Martin de los Andes is 15% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.99 ARS 28.6K

$15.45 ARS 23.3K

22.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 ARS 105.1K

$55.0 ARS 83.0K

26.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.75 ARS 19.2K

$13.21 ARS 19.9K

-3.48%

Cappuccino

$3.81 ARS 5,755

$3.83 ARS 5,772

-0.52%

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

$2.16 ARS 3,262

$2.06 ARS 3,101

4.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 ARS 2,566

$1.71 ARS 2,573

-0.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.61 ARS 5,452

$3.66 ARS 5,527

-1.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.55 ARS 6,865

$3.78 ARS 5,699

20.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 ARS 2,132

$1.38 ARS 2,078

2.17%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 ARS 3,717

$2.16 ARS 3,262

13.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ARS 2,390

$1.57 ARS 2,373

0.64%

Eggs

$2.79 ARS 4,212

$2.37 ARS 3,575

17.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.16 ARS 15.3K

$10.35 ARS 15.6K

-1.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.03 ARS 15.1K

$6.63 ARS 10.0K

51.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.76 ARS 20.8K

$11.63 ARS 17.5K

18.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 ARS 4,194

$2.37 ARS 3,578

17.30%

Banana (1kg)

$2.07 ARS 3,125

$2.14 ARS 3,227

-3.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.42 ARS 2,142

$1.42 ARS 2,136

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 ARS 3,100

$2.13 ARS 3,207

-3.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 ARS 1,796

$1.06 ARS 1,592

12.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ARS 1,728

$0.97 ARS 1,465

18.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.75 ARS 2,634

$1.63 ARS 2,466

7.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ARS 2,626

$1.66 ARS 2,504

4.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ARS 6,436

$3.28 ARS 4,945

30.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.65 ARS 8,528

$4.89 ARS 7,370

15.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.21 ARS 3,336

$2.05 ARS 3,088

7.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 ARS 4,052

$2.84 ARS 4,291

-5.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 ARS 1,093

$1.02 ARS 1,537

-29.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.88 ARS 42.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.62 ARS 2,443

$1.57 ARS 2,369

3.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ARS 1,546

$0.99 ARS 1,491

3.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.61 ARS 11.5K

$7.40 ARS 11.2K

2.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ARS 2,024

$1.20 ARS 1,817

11.67%

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

$28.8K ARS 43.4M

$27.9K ARS 42.0M

3.27%

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

$34.2K ARS 51.6M

$33.5K ARS 50.5M

2.27%

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

$202 ARS 305.1K

$86.0 ARS 129.7K

135.31%

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

$23.17 ARS 35.0K

$17.47 ARS 26.4K

32.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.01 ARS 46.8K

$27.68 ARS 41.7K

12.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.1 ARS 77.1K

$30.57 ARS 46.1K

67.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 ARS 25.8K

Cinema Ticket

$10.99 ARS 16.6K

$8.34 ARS 12.6K

31.77%

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

$459 ARS 692.9K

$301 ARS 453.6K

52.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,949 ARS 13.5M

$4,261 ARS 6.4M

110.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$113 ARS 170.6K

$107 ARS 160.7K

6.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$91.7 ARS 138.4K

$75.6 ARS 114.1K

21.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 ARS 175.5K

$118 ARS 178.5K

-1.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 ARS 203.0K

$129 ARS 193.9K

4.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$714 ARS 1.1M

$487 ARS 735.2K

46.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$506 ARS 763.5K

$307 ARS 462.4K

65.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,622 ARS 2.4M

$992 ARS 1.5M

63.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 ARS 1.9M

$766 ARS 1.2M

68.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,636 ARS 4.0M

$2,393 ARS 3.6M

10.15%

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 Martin de los Andes: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $714 in Buenos Aires and $487 in San Martin de los Andes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $70.0 in Buenos Aires vs $55.0 in San Martin de los Andes for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $282 vs $249 per month, with San Martin de los Andes 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 Martin de los Andes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires and San Martin de los Andes differ by about 39% in total monthly costs ($1,633 vs $1,178 including rent). San Martin de los Andes 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 $1,767 in San Martin de los Andes 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 $487 in San Martin de los Andes. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $459 in Buenos Aires versus $301 in San Martin de los Andes. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in San Martin de los Andes – a meal for two runs $55.0 versus $70.0 in Buenos Aires. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,178 in San Martin de los Andes versus $1,633 in Buenos Aires, a $1,000 budget is realistic in San Martin de los Andes but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes San Martin de los Andes 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 Martin de los Andes 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 Martin de los Andes gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.