Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and St. Gallen

For one person, living is cheaper in Buenos Aires: $1,685 a month against $3,632 in St. Gallen, rent and utilities included – about $23,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

81

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
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Buenos Aires Living Index
178

Cost of Living Index in St. Gallen
Learn more

St. Gallen Living Index

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Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,685

/mo nomad

St. Gallen

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,632

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Buenos Aires and in St. Gallen

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 St. Gallen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,685 in Buenos Aires versus $3,632 in St. Gallen.

Buenos Aires $1,685
St. Gallen $3,632

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,742 in Buenos Aires versus $5,284 in St. Gallen.

Buenos Aires $2,742
St. Gallen $5,284

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,799 in Buenos Aires versus $6,937 in St. Gallen.

Buenos Aires $3,799
St. Gallen $6,937

Living in Buenos Aires costs roughly 54% less than in St. Gallen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Buenos Aires 26% above, St. Gallen 171% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.73 ARS 28.4K

$29.41 CHF 24.41

-36.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 ARS 97.8K

$145 CHF 121

-55.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.88 ARS 19.5K

$17.82 CHF 14.79

-27.72%

Cappuccino

$3.98 ARS 6,029

$5.99 CHF 4.97

-33.56%

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

$2.05 ARS 3,103

$5.81 CHF 4.83

-64.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 ARS 2,349

$5.33 CHF 4.42

-70.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.84 ARS 5,830

$9.23 CHF 7.66

-58.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 ARS 6,970

$6.17 CHF 5.12

-25.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 ARS 2,181

$2.23 CHF 1.85

-35.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 ARS 3,738

$3.18 CHF 2.64

-22.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 ARS 2,467

$3.68 CHF 3.06

-55.71%

Eggs

$2.89 ARS 4,385

$7.68 CHF 6.37

-62.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.65 ARS 16.1K

$25.41 CHF 21.09

-58.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

$28.97 CHF 24.05

-65.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.74 ARS 20.8K

$38.85 CHF 32.25

-64.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ARS 4,166

$3.16 CHF 2.62

-12.97%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 ARS 3,300

$1.61 CHF 1.33

35.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 ARS 2,205

$2.31 CHF 1.92

-37.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ARS 3,013

$6.01 CHF 4.99

-66.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ARS 1,885

$1.70 CHF 1.41

-27.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 ARS 1,921

$2.16 CHF 1.80

-41.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 ARS 2,575

$2.16 CHF 1.79

-21.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 ARS 2,617

$1.18 CHF 0.98

46.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.18 ARS 6,337

$10.65 CHF 8.84

-60.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.80 ARS 8,790

$11.32 CHF 9.39

-48.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 ARS 3,163

$2.18 CHF 1.81

-4.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 ARS 4,198

$2.31 CHF 1.92

19.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ARS 1,132

$4.17 CHF 3.46

-82.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.15 ARS 41.2K

$128 CHF 106

-78.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.62 ARS 2,451

$6.64 CHF 5.51

-75.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 ARS 1,481

$4.79 CHF 3.98

-79.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.72 ARS 11.7K

$77.3 CHF 64.2

-90.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ARS 2,058

$2.22 CHF 1.84

-38.74%

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

$28.0K ARS 42.5M

$35.3K CHF 29.3K

-20.69%

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

$34.5K ARS 52.4M

$39.5K CHF 32.7K

-12.49%

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

$216 ARS 326.9K

$305 CHF 253

-29.34%

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

$25.61 ARS 38.8K

$38.46 CHF 31.92

-33.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.36 ARS 47.6K

$54.2 CHF 44.95

-42.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.82 ARS 75.6K

$80.7 CHF 67.0

-38.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 ARS 25.9K

Cinema Ticket

$10.43 ARS 15.8K

$30.32 CHF 25.16

-65.60%

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

$466 ARS 706.7K

$2,308 CHF 1,915

-79.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,057 ARS 13.7M

$31.8K CHF 26.4K

-71.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$122 ARS 185.2K

$146 CHF 122

-16.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$97.4 ARS 147.8K

$64.6 CHF 53.7

50.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ARS 177.4K

$147 CHF 122

-20.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 ARS 211.9K

$179 CHF 148

-21.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$763 ARS 1.2M

$1,734 CHF 1,439

-55.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$505 ARS 766.1K

$1,698 CHF 1,410

-70.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,598 ARS 2.4M

$2,854 CHF 2,369

-43.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,185 ARS 1.8M

$2,153 CHF 1,787

-44.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,678 ARS 4.1M

$12.1K CHF 10.0K

-77.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,858 ARS 2.8M

$9,070 CHF 7,528

-79.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$954 ARS 1.4M

$6,528 CHF 5,418

-85.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

2.1

2626.19%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 6, 2026

Last update for St. Gallen: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$505 30.4%

St. Gallen

$1.7K 46% 236% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$284 17.1%

St. Gallen

$572 15.5% 102% $288

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$279 16.8%

St. Gallen

$464 12.6% 66.2% $185

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$273 16.4%

St. Gallen

$398 10.8% 45.9% $125

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$214 12.9%

St. Gallen

$242 6.6% 12.8% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$71 4.3%

St. Gallen

$141 3.8% 99.9% $71

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2%

St. Gallen

$176 4.8% 379% $139

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $763 in Buenos Aires and $1,734 in St. Gallen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

St. Gallen pays 584% 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 $145 in St. Gallen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $284 vs $572 per month, with Buenos Aires cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇨🇭 St. Gallen

🕒 Local time

03:32 3:32 AM

08:32 8:32 AM

5 h ahead of Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

78,213

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR

1 CHF = 1.2 USD

1 CHF = 1.07 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CHF, 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 = 1,701 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.83 CHF (1 CHF = 1.2 USD). 1 EUR = 0.931 CHF (1 CHF = 1.07 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Buenos Aires St. Gallen 11,340 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Buenos Aires
St. Gallen

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 St. Gallen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires and St. Gallen differ by about 115% in total monthly costs ($1,685 vs $3,632 including rent). Buenos Aires is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 584% lower in St. Gallen. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $763 in Buenos Aires versus $1,734 in St. Gallen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $466 in Buenos Aires versus $2,308 in St. Gallen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 101% higher in St. Gallen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,685 in Buenos Aires versus $3,632 in St. Gallen, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Buenos Aires but tight or insufficient in St. Gallen. 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 St. Gallen 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 115% less than in St. Gallen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.