Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Santo Domingo

For one person, living is cheaper in Santo Domingo: $660 a month against $1,656 in Buenos Aires, rent and utilities included – about $12,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
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Buenos Aires Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Santo Domingo
Learn more

Santo Domingo Living Index

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Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,656

/mo nomad

Santo Domingo

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$660

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Buenos Aires and in Santo Domingo

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 Santo Domingo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,656 in Buenos Aires versus $660 in Santo Domingo.

Buenos Aires $1,656
Santo Domingo $660

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,697 in Buenos Aires versus $1,141 in Santo Domingo.

Buenos Aires $2,697
Santo Domingo $1,141

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,737 in Buenos Aires versus $1,622 in Santo Domingo.

Buenos Aires $3,737
Santo Domingo $1,622

Living in Buenos Aires is roughly 151% more expensive than in Santo Domingo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Buenos Aires is 23% above, Santo Domingo is 51% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.09 ARS 28.9K

$4.02 $4.02

374.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 ARS 99.5K

$53.2 $53.2

23.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.20 ARS 20.0K

$9.14 $9.14

44.42%

Cappuccino

$3.85 ARS 5,821

$1.97 $1.97

95.43%

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

$1.99 ARS 3,010

$0.91 $0.91

118.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ARS 2,422

$0.70 $0.70

128.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.93 ARS 5,940

$1.97 $1.97

99.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 ARS 6,979

$4.16 $4.16

10.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 ARS 2,264

$0.99 $0.99

51.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 ARS 3,825

$1.92 $1.92

31.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 ARS 2,437

$1.29 $1.29

24.81%

Eggs

$2.84 ARS 4,302

$1.99 $1.99

42.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.30 ARS 15.6K

$4.34 $4.34

137.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 ARS 15.1K

$3.05 $3.05

227.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.30 ARS 20.1K

$3.41 $3.41

290.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.88 ARS 4,351

$1.48 $1.48

94.59%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 ARS 3,323

$1.01 $1.01

117.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.40 ARS 2,113

$0.99 $0.99

41.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 ARS 2,994

$0.89 $0.89

122.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 ARS 1,829

$0.98 $0.98

23.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 ARS 1,904

$0.96 $0.96

31.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 ARS 2,583

$0.88 $0.88

94.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 ARS 2,595

$0.94 $0.94

82.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 ARS 6,484

$5.98 $5.98

-28.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.70 ARS 8,617

$4.87 $4.87

17.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 ARS 3,277

$1.50 $1.50

44.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ARS 4,174

$2.14 $2.14

28.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ARS 1,137

$0.36 $0.36

108.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.27 ARS 41.3K

$17.55 $17.55

55.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.57 ARS 2,367

$1.39 $1.39

12.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ARS 1,553

$1.78 $1.78

-42.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ARS 11.9K

$12.05 $12.05

-34.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ARS 2,153

$0.87 $0.87

63.22%

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

$27.9K ARS 42.3M

$20.7K $20.7K

35.06%

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

$35.0K ARS 52.9M

$30.8K $30.8K

13.44%

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

$195 ARS 295.2K

$40.18 $40.18

385.81%

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

$25.16 ARS 38.0K

$9.86 $9.86

155.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.54 ARS 47.7K

$22.82 $22.82

38.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.9 ARS 77.0K

$33.64 $33.64

51.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.73 ARS 25.3K

$16.85 $16.85

-0.71%

Cinema Ticket

$10.34 ARS 15.6K

$7.45 $7.45

38.79%

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

$463 ARS 700.9K

$371 $371

24.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,793 ARS 13.3M

$5,686 $5,686

54.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$120 ARS 181.2K

$19.91 $19.91

501.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$95.5 ARS 144.4K

$29.90 $29.90

219.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 ARS 172.6K

$50.9 $50.9

124.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 ARS 210.7K

$49.14 $49.14

183.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 ARS 1.1M

$305 $305

148.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$520 ARS 786.2K

$191 $191

172.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,590 ARS 2.4M

$712 $712

123.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,198 ARS 1.8M

$420 $420

185.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,713 ARS 4.1M

$1,353 $1,353

100.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,901 ARS 2.9M

$781 $781

143.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$938 ARS 1.4M

$404 $404

132.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

10.05

469.65%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 11, 2026

Last update for Santo Domingo: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$520 31.4%

Santo Domingo

$191 28.9% 63.3% $329

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$283 17.1%

Santo Domingo

$144 21.8% 49.3% $140

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$282 17%

Santo Domingo

$108 16.3% 61.7% $174

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$252 15.2%

Santo Domingo

$73 11% 71.1% $179

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$211 12.7%

Santo Domingo

$67 10.2% 68% $143

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$72 4.3%

Santo Domingo

$49 7.4% 32.2% $23

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2%

Santo Domingo

$29 4.4% 20.8% $7.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $756 in Buenos Aires and $305 in Santo Domingo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buenos Aires pays 132% 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: $66.0 in Buenos Aires vs $53.0 in Santo Domingo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $144 per month, with Santo Domingo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇪🇨 Santo Domingo

🕒 Local time

17:04 5:04 PM

15:04 3:04 PM

2 h behind Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

270,875

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.61 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.89 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 16, 2026: 1 USD = 1,513 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.61 USD). 1 EUR = 1,696 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.89 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

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Buenos Aires Santo Domingo 4,390 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Buenos Aires vs Santo Domingo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires and Santo Domingo differ by about 151% in total monthly costs ($1,656 vs $660 including rent). Santo Domingo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 132% 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: $756 in Buenos Aires versus $305 in Santo Domingo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $463 in Buenos Aires versus $371 in Santo Domingo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 97% higher in Buenos Aires. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $660 in Santo Domingo versus $1,656 in Buenos Aires, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Santo Domingo but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes Santo Domingo 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 Santo Domingo 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 Santo Domingo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 151% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.