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: $1,412 in Buenos Aires versus $899 in San Rafael.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,197 in Buenos Aires versus $1,427 in San Rafael.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,982 in Buenos Aires versus $1,955 in San Rafael.

Living in Buenos Aires is roughly 57% more expensive than San Rafael, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Buenos Aires is 5% above, San Rafael is 33% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.09 ARS 21.5K

$10.06 ARS 14.4K

50.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.7 ARS 86.6K

$19.79 ARS 28.2K

206.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.89 ARS 17.0K

$6.10 ARS 8,704

94.92%

Cappuccino

$4.01 ARS 5,720

$1.83 ARS 2,615

119.13%

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

$2.09 ARS 2,976

$1.02 ARS 1,454

104.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 ARS 2,115

$1.03 ARS 1,465

43.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.58 ARS 5,111

$0.98 ARS 1,403

265.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 ARS 5,816

$1.47 ARS 2,097

177.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 ARS 2,276

$1.05 ARS 1,494

52.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 ARS 3,603

$1.49 ARS 2,119

69.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.28 ARS 3,259

$1.38 ARS 1,974

65.22%

Eggs

$3.32 ARS 4,739

$1.58 ARS 2,249

110.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.15 ARS 17.3K

$5.64 ARS 8,047

115.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.85 ARS 11.2K

$7.62 ARS 10.9K

3.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.66 ARS 13.8K

$6.45 ARS 9,205

49.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.49 ARS 3,548

$1.79 ARS 2,548

39.11%

Banana (1kg)

$2.06 ARS 2,938

$1.47 ARS 2,091

40.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.27 ARS 1,805

$1.51 ARS 2,156

-15.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 ARS 3,631

$0.85 ARS 1,217

200.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 ARS 2,126

$0.65 ARS 922

129.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 ARS 2,094

$0.71 ARS 1,019

107.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 ARS 2,628

$0.61 ARS 868

201.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 ARS 2,059

$1.24 ARS 1,764

16.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.27 ARS 4,671

$1.74 ARS 2,478

87.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.75 ARS 8,199

$4.96 ARS 7,069

15.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.24 ARS 3,202

$1.08 ARS 1,534

107.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 ARS 4,565

$1.66 ARS 2,373

92.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 ARS 1,026

$0.78 ARS 1,106

-7.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.12 ARS 23.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.65 ARS 2,347

$0.41 ARS 585

302.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.91 ARS 1,294

$0.98 ARS 1,403

-7.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.93 ARS 8,461

$4.94 ARS 7,050

20.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ARS 1,584

$0.90 ARS 1,287

23.33%

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

$24.6K ARS 35.0M

$31.8K ARS 45.4M

-22.78%

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

$28.8K ARS 41.1M

$33.4K ARS 47.7M

-13.84%

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

$109 ARS 155.6K

$76.9 ARS 109.7K

41.82%

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

$21.60 ARS 30.8K

$6.92 ARS 9,874

212.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.00 ARS 41.4K

$15.55 ARS 22.2K

86.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.80 ARS 61.1K

$25.95 ARS 37.0K

64.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.76 ARS 16.8K

$13.87 ARS 19.8K

-15.21%

Cinema Ticket

$9.01 ARS 12.9K

$5.88 ARS 8,384

53.23%

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

$324 ARS 462.1K

$104 ARS 148.7K

210.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,180 ARS 7.4M

$2,181 ARS 3.1M

137.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 ARS 154.9K

$83.2 ARS 118.7K

30.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$86.8 ARS 123.8K

$76.4 ARS 108.9K

13.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 ARS 176.4K

$149 ARS 212.4K

-16.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ARS 189.3K

$118 ARS 168.4K

12.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$658 ARS 939.0K

$338 ARS 482.1K

94.78%

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

$693 ARS 989.0K

66.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$811 ARS 1.2M

$531 ARS 757.3K

52.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,627 ARS 3.7M

$2,059 ARS 2.9M

27.60%

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

-33.28%

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 Rafael: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $658 in Buenos Aires and $338 in San Rafael. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $61.0 in Buenos Aires vs $20.00 in San Rafael for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $179 per month, with San Rafael 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 Rafael: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires and San Rafael differ by about 57% in total monthly costs ($1,412 vs $899 including rent). San Rafael is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,119 in Buenos Aires and $1,349 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: $658 in Buenos Aires versus $338 in San Rafael. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $324 in Buenos Aires versus $104 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 $20.00 versus $61.0 in Buenos Aires. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $899 in San Rafael versus $1,412 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 57% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.