Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Willemstad

For one person, living is cheaper in Buenos Aires: $1,685 a month against $2,022 in Willemstad, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

81

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
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Buenos Aires Living Index
97

Cost of Living Index in Willemstad
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Willemstad Living Index

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Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,685

/mo nomad

Willemstad

🇨🇼 Curacao

$2,022

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Buenos Aires and in Willemstad

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,685 in Buenos Aires versus $2,022 in Willemstad.

Buenos Aires $1,685
Willemstad $2,022

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,742 in Buenos Aires versus $3,076 in Willemstad.

Buenos Aires $2,742
Willemstad $3,076

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,799 in Buenos Aires versus $4,130 in Willemstad.

Buenos Aires $3,799
Willemstad $4,130

Living in Buenos Aires costs roughly 17% less than in Willemstad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Buenos Aires 26% above, Willemstad 51% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.73 ARS 28.4K

$18.34 ANG 32.83

2.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 ARS 97.8K

$75.5 ANG 135

-14.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.88 ARS 19.5K

$11.33 ANG 20.29

13.68%

Cappuccino

$3.98 ARS 6,029

$3.61 ANG 6.46

10.25%

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

$2.05 ARS 3,103

$3.01 ANG 5.39

-31.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 ARS 2,349

$1.80 ANG 3.22

-13.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.84 ARS 5,830

$5.57 ANG 9.96

-31.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 ARS 6,970

$5.44 ANG 9.75

-15.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 ARS 2,181

$1.96 ANG 3.51

-26.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 ARS 3,738

$2.84 ANG 5.08

-13.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 ARS 2,467

$3.57 ANG 6.39

-54.34%

Eggs

$2.89 ARS 4,385

$4.21 ANG 7.53

-31.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.65 ARS 16.1K

$16.87 ANG 30.19

-36.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

$7.04 ANG 12.60

42.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.74 ARS 20.8K

$12.12 ANG 21.70

13.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ARS 4,166

$5.40 ANG 9.66

-49.07%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 ARS 3,300

$3.12 ANG 5.58

-30.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 ARS 2,205

$3.29 ANG 5.89

-55.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ARS 3,013

$3.80 ANG 6.79

-47.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ARS 1,885

$2.50 ANG 4.47

-50.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 ARS 1,921

$1.95 ANG 3.49

-34.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 ARS 2,575

$2.39 ANG 4.29

-28.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 ARS 2,617

$2.85 ANG 5.10

-39.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.18 ARS 6,337

$10.02 ANG 17.93

-58.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.80 ARS 8,790

$12.48 ANG 22.33

-53.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 ARS 3,163

$2.39 ANG 4.29

-12.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 ARS 4,198

$2.35 ANG 4.20

17.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ARS 1,132

$1.92 ANG 3.44

-60.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.15 ARS 41.2K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.62 ARS 2,451

$22.17 ANG 39.68

-92.69%

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

$1.38 ANG 2.47

-1.45%

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

$20.6K ANG 36.9K

67.57%

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

$216 ARS 326.9K

$271 ANG 486

-20.54%

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

$25.61 ARS 38.8K

$76.8 ANG 138

-66.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.36 ARS 47.6K

$65.1 ANG 117

-51.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.82 ARS 75.6K

$48.55 ANG 86.9

2.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 ARS 25.9K

$43.82 ANG 78.4

-61.07%

Cinema Ticket

$10.43 ARS 15.8K

$11.96 ANG 21.41

-12.79%

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

$466 ARS 706.7K

$323 ANG 578

44.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,057 ARS 13.7M

$12.4K ANG 22.2K

-27.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$122 ARS 185.2K

$103 ANG 185

18.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$97.4 ARS 147.8K

$74.7 ANG 134

30.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ARS 177.4K

$160 ANG 287

-26.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 ARS 211.9K

$93.1 ANG 167

50.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$763 ARS 1.2M

$810 ANG 1,450

-5.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$505 ARS 766.1K

$643 ANG 1,151

-21.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,598 ARS 2.4M

$1,742 ANG 3,119

-8.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,185 ARS 1.8M

$1,221 ANG 2,186

-2.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,678 ARS 4.1M

$838 ANG 1,500

219.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,858 ARS 2.8M

$170 ANG 305

992.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$954 ARS 1.4M

$1,279 ANG 2,289

-25.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

4.97

1051.91%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 6, 2026

Last update for Willemstad: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$505 30.4%

Willemstad

$643 32% 27.3% $138

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$284 17.1%

Willemstad

$376 18.7% 32.3% $92

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$279 16.8%

Willemstad

$282 14% 1.1% $3.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$273 16.4%

Willemstad

$413 20.6% 51.6% $141

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$214 12.9%

Willemstad

$194 9.7% 9.5% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$71 4.3%

Willemstad

$72 3.6% 2.5% $1.8

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2%

Willemstad

$30 * 1.5% 18.5% $6.8

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $763 in Buenos Aires and $810 in Willemstad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Willemstad pays 34% 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 $76.0 in Willemstad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $284 vs $376 per month, with Buenos Aires cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇨🇼 Willemstad

🕒 Local time

07:16 7:16 AM

06:16 6:16 AM

1 h behind Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

140,000 Capital

💱 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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Buenos Aires Willemstad 5,310 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Buenos Aires
Willemstad

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 Willemstad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires and Willemstad differ by about 20% in total monthly costs ($1,685 vs $2,022 including rent). Buenos Aires is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 34% lower in Willemstad. 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 $810 in Willemstad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $466 in Buenos Aires versus $323 in Willemstad. 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 $76.0 in Willemstad. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,685 in Buenos Aires versus $2,022 in Willemstad, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Buenos Aires but tight or insufficient in Willemstad. 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 Willemstad 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 20% less than in Willemstad. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.