Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and St John

For one person, living is cheaper in St John: $315 a month against $1,685 in Buenos Aires, rent and utilities included – about $16,400 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

St John

🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands

$315

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Buenos Aires and in St John

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,685 in Buenos Aires versus $315 in St John.

Buenos Aires $1,685
St John $315

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,742 in Buenos Aires versus $928 in St John.

Buenos Aires $2,742
St John $928

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,799 in Buenos Aires versus $1,540 in St John.

Buenos Aires $3,799
St John $1,540

Living in Buenos Aires is roughly 435% more expensive than in St John, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Buenos Aires is 26% above, St John is 77% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.73 ARS 28.4K

$20.15 $20.15

-7.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 ARS 97.8K

$174 $174

-62.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.88 ARS 19.5K

Cappuccino

$3.98 ARS 6,029

$7.10 $7.10

-43.94%

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

$2.05 ARS 3,103

$3.02 $3.02

-32.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 ARS 2,349

$2.05 $2.05

-24.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.84 ARS 5,830

$8.16 $8.16

-52.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 ARS 6,970

$8.05 $8.05

-42.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 ARS 2,181

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 ARS 3,738

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 ARS 2,467

Eggs

$2.89 ARS 4,385

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.65 ARS 16.1K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.74 ARS 20.8K

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ARS 4,166

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 ARS 3,300

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 ARS 2,205

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ARS 3,013

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ARS 1,885

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 ARS 1,921

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 ARS 2,575

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 ARS 2,617

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.18 ARS 6,337

Wine (Bottle)

$5.80 ARS 8,790

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 ARS 3,163

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 ARS 4,198

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ARS 1,132

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.15 ARS 41.2K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.62 ARS 2,451

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

$1.57 $1.57

-13.38%

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

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

$25.61 ARS 38.8K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.36 ARS 47.6K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.82 ARS 75.6K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 ARS 25.9K

Cinema Ticket

$10.43 ARS 15.8K

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

$466 ARS 706.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,057 ARS 13.7M

$13.4K $13.4K

-32.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$122 ARS 185.2K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$97.4 ARS 147.8K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ARS 177.4K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 ARS 211.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$763 ARS 1.2M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$505 ARS 766.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,598 ARS 2.4M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,185 ARS 1.8M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,678 ARS 4.1M

$12.9K $12.9K

-79.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,858 ARS 2.8M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$954 ARS 1.4M

$5,080 $5,080

-81.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

7.05

712.06%

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 John: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$505 30.4%

St John

–

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$284 17.1%

St John

–

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$279 16.8%

St John

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$273 16.4%

St John

–

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$214 12.9%

St John

–

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$71 4.3%

St John

–

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2%

St John

–

Cost Breakdown

St John pays 432% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out at a mid-range restaurant: $64.0 in Buenos Aires vs $174 in St John for two.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇻🇮 St John

🕒 Local time

02:48 2:48 AM

01:48 1:48 AM

1 h behind Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

2,743

💱 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 = 1,701 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 St John 5,920 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Buenos Aires
St John

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 John: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires and St John differ by about 435% in total monthly costs ($1,685 vs $315 including rent). St John is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 432% lower in St John. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Dining out is cheaper in St John – a meal for two runs $174 versus $64.0 in Buenos Aires. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,685 per month in Buenos Aires versus $315 in St John – a 435% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $315 in St John versus $1,685 in Buenos Aires, a $2,000 budget is realistic in St John but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes St John 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 John 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 St John gentler on the wallet – expenses run 435% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.