Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Simpson Bay

For one person, living is cheaper in Buenos Aires: $1,685 a month against $3,851 in Simpson Bay, rent and utilities included – about $26,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
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Buenos Aires Living Index

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Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,685

/mo nomad

Simpson Bay

🇸🇽 Sint Maarten

$3,851

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Buenos Aires and in Simpson Bay

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 Simpson Bay actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,685 in Buenos Aires versus $3,851 in Simpson Bay.

Buenos Aires $1,685
Simpson Bay $3,851

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,742 in Buenos Aires versus $6,504 in Simpson Bay.

Buenos Aires $2,742
Simpson Bay $6,504

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,799 in Buenos Aires versus $9,157 in Simpson Bay.

Buenos Aires $3,799
Simpson Bay $9,157

Living in Buenos Aires costs roughly 56% less than in Simpson Bay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Buenos Aires 26% above, Simpson Bay 187% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.73 ARS 28.4K

$19.11 ANG 34.22

-1.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 ARS 97.8K

$131 ANG 234

-50.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.88 ARS 19.5K

$12.78 ANG 22.88

0.78%

Cappuccino

$3.98 ARS 6,029

$4.44 ANG 7.96

-10.36%

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

$2.05 ARS 3,103

$2.91 ANG 5.22

-29.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 ARS 2,349

$3.04 ANG 5.44

-49.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.84 ARS 5,830

$5.43 ANG 9.73

-29.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 ARS 6,970

$4.11 ANG 7.36

11.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 ARS 2,181

$4.03 ANG 7.21

-64.27%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 ARS 3,738

$2.81 ANG 5.02

-12.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 ARS 2,467

$3.09 ANG 5.53

-47.25%

Eggs

$2.89 ARS 4,385

$4.49 ANG 8.04

-35.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.65 ARS 16.1K

$24.93 ANG 44.63

-57.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

$13.40 ANG 23.98

-25.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.74 ARS 20.8K

$16.98 ANG 30.39

-19.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ARS 4,166

$4.26 ANG 7.63

-35.45%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 ARS 3,300

$3.55 ANG 6.35

-38.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 ARS 2,205

$6.32 ANG 11.31

-77.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ARS 3,013

$5.06 ANG 9.05

-60.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ARS 1,885

$3.96 ANG 7.08

-68.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 ARS 1,921

$3.44 ANG 6.16

-63.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 ARS 2,575

$3.06 ANG 5.47

-44.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 ARS 2,617

$1.47 ANG 2.64

17.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.18 ARS 6,337

Wine (Bottle)

$5.80 ARS 8,790

$15.22 ANG 27.24

-61.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 ARS 3,163

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 ARS 4,198

$1.79 ANG 3.20

54.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ARS 1,132

$3.08 ANG 5.51

-75.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.15 ARS 41.2K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.62 ARS 2,451

$15.22 ANG 27.24

-89.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 ARS 1,481

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.72 ARS 11.7K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ARS 2,058

$1.27 ANG 2.27

7.09%

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

$28.0K ARS 42.5M

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

$34.5K ARS 52.4M

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

$216 ARS 326.9K

$502 ANG 899

-57.05%

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

$25.61 ARS 38.8K

$35.56 ANG 63.7

-27.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.36 ARS 47.6K

$87.6 ANG 157

-64.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.82 ARS 75.6K

$74.8 ANG 134

-33.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 ARS 25.9K

Cinema Ticket

$10.43 ARS 15.8K

$8.18 ANG 14.65

27.51%

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

$466 ARS 706.7K

$761 ANG 1,362

-38.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,057 ARS 13.7M

$12.0K ANG 21.6K

-24.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$122 ARS 185.2K

$50.6 ANG 90.6

141.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$97.4 ARS 147.8K

$39.59 ANG 70.9

146.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ARS 177.4K

$99.5 ANG 178

17.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 ARS 211.9K

$59.5 ANG 106

134.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$763 ARS 1.2M

$2,330 ANG 4,171

-67.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$505 ARS 766.1K

$2,273 ANG 4,069

-77.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,598 ARS 2.4M

$6,007 ANG 10.8K

-73.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,185 ARS 1.8M

$5,604 ANG 10.0K

-78.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,678 ARS 4.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,858 ARS 2.8M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$954 ARS 1.4M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 6, 2026

Last update for Simpson Bay: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$505 30.4%

Simpson Bay

–

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$284 17.1%

Simpson Bay

–

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$279 16.8%

Simpson Bay

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$273 16.4%

Simpson Bay

–

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$214 12.9%

Simpson Bay

–

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$71 4.3%

Simpson Bay

–

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2%

Simpson Bay

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $763 in Buenos Aires and $2,330 in Simpson Bay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $64.0 in Buenos Aires vs $131 in Simpson Bay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $284 vs $467 per month, with Buenos Aires cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇸🇽 Simpson Bay

🕒 Local time

07:13 7:13 AM

06:13 6:13 AM

1 h behind Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

6,000

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

Netherlands Antillean Guilder ANG ƒ

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR

1 ANG = 0.559 USD

1 ANG = 0.499 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ANG, 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).

Netherlands Antillean Guilder exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.79 ANG (1 ANG = 0.559 USD). 1 EUR = 2.01 ANG (1 ANG = 0.499 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

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Buenos Aires Simpson Bay 5,870 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Buenos Aires
Simpson Bay

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 Simpson Bay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires and Simpson Bay differ by about 128% in total monthly costs ($1,685 vs $3,851 including rent). Buenos Aires is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,528 in Buenos Aires and $5,776 in Simpson Bay 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: $763 in Buenos Aires versus $2,330 in Simpson Bay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $466 in Buenos Aires versus $761 in Simpson Bay. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Buenos Aires – a meal for two runs $64.0 versus $131 in Simpson Bay. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,685 in Buenos Aires versus $3,851 in Simpson Bay, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Buenos Aires but tight or insufficient in Simpson Bay. The gap between the two cities makes Buenos Aires 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 Simpson Bay 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 Buenos Aires gentler on the wallet – expenses run 128% less than in Simpson Bay. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.