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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,633 in Buenos Aires versus $1,273 in San Rafael.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,744 in Buenos Aires versus $2,106 in San Rafael.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,855 in Buenos Aires versus $2,939 in San Rafael.

Living in Buenos Aires is roughly 28% more expensive than in San Rafael, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Buenos Aires is 18% above, San Rafael is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.99 ARS 28.6K

$10.83 ARS 16.3K

75.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 ARS 105.1K

$50.7 ARS 76.4K

37.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.75 ARS 19.2K

$14.33 ARS 21.6K

-11.03%

Cappuccino

$3.81 ARS 5,755

$4.39 ARS 6,629

-13.21%

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

$2.16 ARS 3,262

$2.36 ARS 3,555

-8.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 ARS 2,566

$1.89 ARS 2,850

-10.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.61 ARS 5,452

$3.94 ARS 5,949

-8.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.55 ARS 6,865

$4.52 ARS 6,820

0.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 ARS 2,132

$1.38 ARS 2,080

2.17%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 ARS 3,717

$2.31 ARS 3,484

6.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ARS 2,390

$2.68 ARS 4,037

-41.04%

Eggs

$2.79 ARS 4,212

$3.23 ARS 4,877

-13.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.16 ARS 15.3K

$14.41 ARS 21.7K

-29.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.03 ARS 15.1K

$6.35 ARS 9,577

57.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.76 ARS 20.8K

$10.84 ARS 16.3K

26.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 ARS 4,194

$2.31 ARS 3,486

20.35%

Banana (1kg)

$2.07 ARS 3,125

$2.24 ARS 3,378

-7.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.42 ARS 2,142

$1.35 ARS 2,037

5.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 ARS 3,100

$3.29 ARS 4,958

-37.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 ARS 1,796

$1.96 ARS 2,963

-39.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ARS 1,728

$1.50 ARS 2,268

-23.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.75 ARS 2,634

$2.00 ARS 3,020

-12.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ARS 2,626

$2.51 ARS 3,790

-30.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ARS 6,436

$2.77 ARS 4,181

54.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.65 ARS 8,528

$5.02 ARS 7,575

12.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.21 ARS 3,336

$1.77 ARS 2,664

24.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 ARS 4,052

$3.04 ARS 4,589

-11.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 ARS 1,093

$1.03 ARS 1,548

-30.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.88 ARS 42.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.62 ARS 2,443

$2.03 ARS 3,057

-20.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ARS 1,546

$1.01 ARS 1,526

0.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.61 ARS 11.5K

$4.95 ARS 7,466

53.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ARS 2,024

$1.25 ARS 1,888

7.20%

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

$28.8K ARS 43.4M

$27.4K ARS 41.3M

5.21%

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

$34.2K ARS 51.6M

$33.1K ARS 50.0M

3.25%

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

$202 ARS 305.1K

$133 ARS 200.3K

52.29%

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

$23.17 ARS 35.0K

$17.38 ARS 26.2K

33.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.01 ARS 46.8K

$23.55 ARS 35.5K

31.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.1 ARS 77.1K

$29.86 ARS 45.0K

71.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 ARS 25.8K

Cinema Ticket

$10.99 ARS 16.6K

$7.01 ARS 10.6K

56.78%

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

$459 ARS 692.9K

$174 ARS 262.2K

164.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,949 ARS 13.5M

$4,135 ARS 6.2M

116.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$113 ARS 170.6K

$115 ARS 173.6K

-1.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$91.7 ARS 138.4K

$127 ARS 191.6K

-27.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 ARS 175.5K

$140 ARS 211.8K

-17.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 ARS 203.0K

$125 ARS 188.4K

7.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$714 ARS 1.1M

$478 ARS 721.4K

49.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$506 ARS 763.5K

$313 ARS 472.6K

61.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,622 ARS 2.4M

$974 ARS 1.5M

66.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 ARS 1.9M

$766 ARS 1.2M

68.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,636 ARS 4.0M

$2,387 ARS 3.6M

10.45%

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

-4.14%

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 Rafael: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $714 in Buenos Aires and $478 in San Rafael. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $70.0 in Buenos Aires vs $51.0 in San Rafael. Groceries flip the comparison at $282 vs $287, with Buenos Aires cheaper for home cooking.

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 Rafael: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires and San Rafael differ by about 28% in total monthly costs ($1,633 vs $1,273 including rent). San Rafael 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 $1,910 in San Rafael 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 $478 in San Rafael. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $459 in Buenos Aires versus $174 in San Rafael. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in San Rafael – a meal for two runs $51.0 versus $70.0 in Buenos Aires. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,273 in San Rafael versus $1,633 in Buenos Aires, a $1,000 budget is realistic in San Rafael but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes San Rafael 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 Rafael 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 Rafael gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.