Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Ushuaia Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Ushuaia

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,408 in Buenos Aires versus $981 in Ushuaia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,203 in Buenos Aires versus $1,605 in Ushuaia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,998 in Buenos Aires versus $2,230 in Ushuaia.

Living in Buenos Aires is roughly 44% more expensive than Ushuaia, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Buenos Aires is 5% above, Ushuaia is 27% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.07 ARS 21.5K

$10.35 ARS 14.8K

45.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ARS 87.4K

$34.15 ARS 48.8K

79.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.91 ARS 17.0K

$8.90 ARS 12.7K

33.82%

Cappuccino

$4.05 ARS 5,784

$2.78 ARS 3,966

45.68%

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

$2.17 ARS 3,102

$1.63 ARS 2,329

33.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 ARS 2,199

$1.50 ARS 2,139

2.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 ARS 5,126

$2.07 ARS 2,963

73.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 ARS 5,831

$3.02 ARS 4,318

35.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 ARS 2,170

$1.26 ARS 1,795

20.63%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 ARS 3,494

$1.56 ARS 2,235

57.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.28 ARS 3,253

$1.94 ARS 2,773

17.53%

Eggs

$3.22 ARS 4,600

$2.26 ARS 3,231

42.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.87 ARS 17.0K

$10.05 ARS 14.4K

18.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.74 ARS 11.0K

$6.16 ARS 8,796

25.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.60 ARS 13.7K

$9.31 ARS 13.3K

3.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.50 ARS 3,571

$2.04 ARS 2,913

22.55%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 ARS 2,900

$2.15 ARS 3,069

-5.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.30 ARS 1,852

$1.30 ARS 1,858

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 ARS 3,775

$2.53 ARS 3,612

4.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 ARS 2,069

$1.18 ARS 1,689

22.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ARS 2,113

$1.25 ARS 1,789

18.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 ARS 2,572

$1.31 ARS 1,865

37.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 ARS 2,148

$1.48 ARS 2,109

1.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.30 ARS 4,709

$3.11 ARS 4,437

6.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.90 ARS 8,429

$4.86 ARS 6,949

21.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 ARS 3,150

$2.01 ARS 2,867

9.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 ARS 4,383

$3.17 ARS 4,524

-3.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 ARS 982

$0.84 ARS 1,198

-17.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.91 ARS 22.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.59 ARS 2,265

$1.51 ARS 2,159

5.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.93 ARS 1,322

$0.93 ARS 1,327

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.95 ARS 8,504

$5.91 ARS 8,442

0.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 ARS 1,613

$1.10 ARS 1,576

2.73%

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

$24.9K ARS 35.6M

$27.0K ARS 38.5M

-7.65%

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

$28.8K ARS 41.1M

$30.2K ARS 43.1M

-4.60%

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

$113 ARS 161.3K

$67.1 ARS 95.9K

68.24%

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

$21.34 ARS 30.5K

$16.95 ARS 24.2K

25.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.46 ARS 40.7K

$22.86 ARS 32.7K

24.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.70 ARS 61.0K

$25.91 ARS 37.0K

64.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.57 ARS 16.5K

$13.67 ARS 19.5K

-15.36%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ARS 13.1K

$6.18 ARS 8,824

48.71%

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

$329 ARS 470.5K

$216 ARS 309.1K

52.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,149 ARS 7.4M

$2,682 ARS 3.8M

91.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 ARS 156.3K

$73.6 ARS 105.2K

48.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$87.3 ARS 124.7K

$68.3 ARS 97.6K

27.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 ARS 176.7K

$113 ARS 161.8K

9.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 ARS 189.1K

$110 ARS 157.0K

20.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$659 ARS 941.3K

$344 ARS 490.7K

91.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$443 ARS 632.9K

$235 ARS 335.9K

88.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,167 ARS 1.7M

$688 ARS 983.4K

69.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$789 ARS 1.1M

$546 ARS 780.3K

44.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,561 ARS 3.7M

$1,870 ARS 2.7M

36.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,788 ARS 2.6M

$1,572 ARS 2.2M

13.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$808 ARS 1.2M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

52.71

58.5

-9.90%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: June 9, 2026

Last update for Ushuaia: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $659 in Buenos Aires and $344 in Ushuaia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $61.0 in Buenos Aires vs $34.00 in Ushuaia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $230 per month, with Ushuaia cheaper across the board.

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 Ushuaia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires and Ushuaia differ by about 44% in total monthly costs ($1,408 vs $981 including rent). Ushuaia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,113 in Buenos Aires and $1,471 in Ushuaia 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: $659 in Buenos Aires versus $344 in Ushuaia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $329 in Buenos Aires versus $216 in Ushuaia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Ushuaia – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $61.0 in Buenos Aires. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $981 in Ushuaia versus $1,408 in Buenos Aires, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ushuaia but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes Ushuaia 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 Ushuaia 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 Ushuaia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.