Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and San Salvador

For one person, living costs are similar in Buenos Aires and in San Salvador: $1,685 and $1,666 a month, rent and utilities included.

81

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
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Buenos Aires Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in San Salvador
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San Salvador Living Index

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Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,685

/mo nomad

San Salvador

🇸🇻 El Salvador

$1,666

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Buenos Aires and in San Salvador

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Buenos Aires and in San Salvador actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,685 in Buenos Aires versus $1,666 in San Salvador.

Buenos Aires $1,685
San Salvador $1,666

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,742 in Buenos Aires versus $2,465 in San Salvador.

Buenos Aires $2,742
San Salvador $2,465

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,799 in Buenos Aires versus $3,263 in San Salvador.

Buenos Aires $3,799
San Salvador $3,263

Living in Buenos Aires is roughly 1% more expensive than in San Salvador, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Buenos Aires 26% above, San Salvador 24% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.73 ARS 28.4K

$6.72 $6.72

178.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 ARS 97.8K

$45.39 $45.39

42.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.88 ARS 19.5K

$7.07 $7.07

82.18%

Cappuccino

$3.98 ARS 6,029

$3.53 $3.53

12.75%

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

$2.05 ARS 3,103

$1.13 $1.13

81.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 ARS 2,349

$0.85 $0.85

82.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.84 ARS 5,830

$2.04 $2.04

88.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 ARS 6,970

$3.51 $3.51

31.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 ARS 2,181

$1.87 $1.87

-22.99%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 ARS 3,738

$2.89 $2.89

-14.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 ARS 2,467

$1.40 $1.40

16.43%

Eggs

$2.89 ARS 4,385

$3.09 $3.09

-6.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.65 ARS 16.1K

$7.88 $7.88

35.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

$6.93 $6.93

44.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.74 ARS 20.8K

$10.05 $10.05

36.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ARS 4,166

$5.08 $5.08

-45.87%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 ARS 3,300

$1.39 $1.39

56.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 ARS 2,205

$2.53 $2.53

-42.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ARS 3,013

$3.40 $3.40

-41.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ARS 1,885

$2.87 $2.87

-56.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 ARS 1,921

$3.28 $3.28

-61.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 ARS 2,575

$0.97 $0.97

75.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 ARS 2,617

$0.97 $0.97

78.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.18 ARS 6,337

$4.07 $4.07

2.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.80 ARS 8,790

$12.21 $12.21

-52.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 ARS 3,163

$2.19 $2.19

-4.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 ARS 4,198

$2.86 $2.86

-3.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ARS 1,132

$0.34 $0.34

120.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.15 ARS 41.2K

$37.66 $37.66

-27.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.62 ARS 2,451

$6.04 $6.04

-73.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 ARS 1,481

$3.03 $3.03

-67.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.72 ARS 11.7K

$20.11 $20.11

-61.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ARS 2,058

$1.29 $1.29

5.43%

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

$28.0K ARS 42.5M

$24.8K $24.8K

13.17%

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

$34.5K ARS 52.4M

$27.0K $27.0K

28.02%

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

$216 ARS 326.9K

$130 $130

65.23%

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

$25.61 ARS 38.8K

$21.57 $21.57

18.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.36 ARS 47.6K

$43.03 $43.03

-27.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.82 ARS 75.6K

$31.99 $31.99

55.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 ARS 25.9K

$21.57 $21.57

-20.91%

Cinema Ticket

$10.43 ARS 15.8K

$5.06 $5.06

106.13%

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

$466 ARS 706.7K

$165 $165

182.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,057 ARS 13.7M

$4,640 $4,640

95.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$122 ARS 185.2K

$68.2 $68.2

79.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$97.4 ARS 147.8K

$46.79 $46.79

108.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ARS 177.4K

$120 $120

-2.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 ARS 211.9K

$117 $117

19.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$763 ARS 1.2M

$906 $906

-15.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$505 ARS 766.1K

$755 $755

-33.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,598 ARS 2.4M

$1,804 $1,804

-11.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,185 ARS 1.8M

$1,343 $1,343

-11.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,678 ARS 4.1M

$2,813 $2,813

-4.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,858 ARS 2.8M

$1,845 $1,845

0.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$954 ARS 1.4M

$372 $372

156.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

8.5

573.53%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 6, 2026

Last update for San Salvador: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$505 30.4%

San Salvador

$755 46.1% 49.5% $250

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$284 17.1%

San Salvador

$287 17.5% 0.9% $2.5

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$279 16.8%

San Salvador

$142 8.7% 48.9% $137

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$273 16.4%

San Salvador

$195 11.9% 28.4% $77

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$214 12.9%

San Salvador

$158 9.7% 26.2% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$71 4.3%

San Salvador

$42 2.6% 40.4% $29

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2%

San Salvador

$60 3.7% 64.3% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $763 in Buenos Aires and $906 in San Salvador. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buenos Aires pays 156% 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: $64.0 in Buenos Aires vs $45.00 in San Salvador. Groceries flip the comparison at $284 vs $287, with Buenos Aires cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇸🇻 San Salvador

🕒 Local time

08:59 8:59 AM

05:59 5:59 AM

3 h behind Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

316,090 Capital

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to ARS – Argentine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇷 Argentine Peso ($)

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,699 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Buenos Aires San Salvador 6,280 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Buenos Aires
San Salvador

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Salvador: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires and San Salvador differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($1,685 vs $1,666 including rent). San Salvador is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 156% 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: $763 in Buenos Aires versus $906 in San Salvador. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $466 in Buenos Aires versus $165 in San Salvador. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Buenos Aires pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,666 in San Salvador versus $1,685 in Buenos Aires, a $2,000 budget is realistic in San Salvador but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes San Salvador 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 Salvador 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 Salvador gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.