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: $1,412 in Buenos Aires versus $953 in San Martin de los Andes.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,197 in Buenos Aires versus $1,564 in San Martin de los Andes.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,982 in Buenos Aires versus $2,176 in San Martin de los Andes.

Living in Buenos Aires is roughly 48% more expensive than San Martin de los Andes, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Buenos Aires is 5% above, San Martin de los Andes is 29% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.09 ARS 21.5K

$10.57 ARS 15.1K

42.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.7 ARS 86.6K

$33.95 ARS 48.4K

78.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.89 ARS 17.0K

$9.10 ARS 13.0K

30.66%

Cappuccino

$4.01 ARS 5,720

$2.76 ARS 3,935

45.29%

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

$2.09 ARS 2,976

$1.72 ARS 2,449

21.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 ARS 2,115

$1.55 ARS 2,209

-4.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.58 ARS 5,111

$2.15 ARS 3,072

66.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 ARS 5,816

$2.96 ARS 4,216

37.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 ARS 2,276

$1.31 ARS 1,865

22.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 ARS 3,603

$1.57 ARS 2,246

61.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.28 ARS 3,259

$2.02 ARS 2,879

12.87%

Eggs

$3.32 ARS 4,739

$2.25 ARS 3,208

47.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.15 ARS 17.3K

$10.03 ARS 14.3K

21.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.85 ARS 11.2K

$6.17 ARS 8,808

27.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.66 ARS 13.8K

$9.57 ARS 13.6K

0.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.49 ARS 3,548

$1.95 ARS 2,775

27.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.06 ARS 2,938

$2.04 ARS 2,909

0.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.27 ARS 1,805

$1.30 ARS 1,855

-2.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 ARS 3,631

$2.59 ARS 3,700

-1.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 ARS 2,126

$1.18 ARS 1,681

26.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 ARS 2,094

$1.25 ARS 1,777

17.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 ARS 2,628

$1.28 ARS 1,819

43.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 ARS 2,059

$1.50 ARS 2,135

-4.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.27 ARS 4,671

$3.14 ARS 4,484

4.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.75 ARS 8,199

$4.25 ARS 6,064

35.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.24 ARS 3,202

$1.98 ARS 2,823

13.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 ARS 4,565

$3.19 ARS 4,555

0.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 ARS 1,026

$0.78 ARS 1,114

-7.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.12 ARS 23.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.65 ARS 2,347

$1.46 ARS 2,078

13.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.91 ARS 1,294

$0.86 ARS 1,220

5.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.93 ARS 8,461

$6.05 ARS 8,634

-1.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ARS 1,584

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

$24.6K ARS 35.0M

$27.1K ARS 38.7M

-9.48%

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

$28.8K ARS 41.1M

$30.5K ARS 43.5M

-5.43%

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

$109 ARS 155.6K

$66.0 ARS 94.2K

65.23%

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

$21.60 ARS 30.8K

$17.29 ARS 24.7K

24.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.00 ARS 41.4K

$22.31 ARS 31.8K

29.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.80 ARS 61.1K

$26.61 ARS 38.0K

60.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.76 ARS 16.8K

$13.93 ARS 19.9K

-15.58%

Cinema Ticket

$9.01 ARS 12.9K

$6.27 ARS 8,948

43.70%

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

$324 ARS 462.1K

$223 ARS 318.2K

45.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,180 ARS 7.4M

$2,650 ARS 3.8M

95.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 ARS 154.9K

$73.3 ARS 104.6K

48.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$86.8 ARS 123.8K

$69.0 ARS 98.5K

25.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 ARS 176.4K

$114 ARS 162.1K

8.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ARS 189.3K

$111 ARS 158.0K

19.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$658 ARS 939.0K

$333 ARS 474.4K

97.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$447 ARS 638.3K

$242 ARS 344.7K

85.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,155 ARS 1.6M

$669 ARS 954.9K

72.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$811 ARS 1.2M

$527 ARS 751.8K

53.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,627 ARS 3.7M

$2,229 ARS 3.2M

17.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,830 ARS 2.6M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$820 ARS 1.2M

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for San Martin de los Andes: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $658 in Buenos Aires and $333 in San Martin de los Andes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $61.0 in Buenos Aires vs $34.00 in San Martin de los Andes for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $230 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 48% in total monthly costs ($1,412 vs $953 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 $2,119 in Buenos Aires and $1,429 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: $658 in Buenos Aires versus $333 in San Martin de los Andes. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $324 in Buenos Aires versus $223 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 $34.00 versus $61.0 in Buenos Aires. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $953 in San Martin de los Andes versus $1,412 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 48% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.