Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Zaragoza

For one person, living is cheaper in Zaragoza: $635 a month against $1,656 in Buenos Aires, rent and utilities included – about $12,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
Learn more

Buenos Aires Living Index
31

Cost of Living Index in Zaragoza
Learn more

Zaragoza Living Index

Jump to prices

Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,656

/mo nomad

Zaragoza

🇸🇻 El Salvador

$635

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,656 in Buenos Aires versus $635 in Zaragoza.

Buenos Aires $1,656
Zaragoza $635

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,697 in Buenos Aires versus $1,039 in Zaragoza.

Buenos Aires $2,697
Zaragoza $1,039

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,737 in Buenos Aires versus $1,443 in Zaragoza.

Buenos Aires $3,737
Zaragoza $1,443

Living in Buenos Aires is roughly 161% more expensive than in Zaragoza, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Buenos Aires is 23% above, Zaragoza is 53% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.09 ARS 29.0K

$6.73 $6.73

183.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 ARS 99.9K

$30.58 $30.58

115.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.20 ARS 20.0K

$7.19 $7.19

83.59%

Cappuccino

$3.85 ARS 5,841

$1.46 $1.46

163.70%

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

$1.99 ARS 3,020

$1.13 $1.13

76.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ARS 2,430

$0.84 $0.84

90.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.93 ARS 5,959

$1.21 $1.21

224.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 ARS 7,003

$2.13 $2.13

116.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 ARS 2,272

$1.77 $1.77

-15.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 ARS 3,837

$2.30 $2.30

10.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 ARS 2,445

$0.95 $0.95

69.47%

Eggs

$2.84 ARS 4,316

$2.49 $2.49

14.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.30 ARS 15.6K

$7.64 $7.64

34.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

$3.96 $3.96

152.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.30 ARS 20.2K

$5.46 $5.46

143.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.88 ARS 4,366

$4.03 $4.03

-28.54%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 ARS 3,334

$1.44 $1.44

52.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.40 ARS 2,120

$2.66 $2.66

-47.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 ARS 3,004

$2.17 $2.17

-8.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 ARS 1,835

$2.99 $2.99

-59.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 ARS 1,910

$1.86 $1.86

-32.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 ARS 2,592

$0.95 $0.95

80.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 ARS 2,603

$0.72 $0.72

138.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 ARS 6,505

$3.80 $3.80

12.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.70 ARS 8,645

$8.04 $8.04

-29.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 ARS 3,288

$1.55 $1.55

40.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ARS 4,188

$2.31 $2.31

19.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ARS 1,141

$1.53 $1.53

-50.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.27 ARS 41.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.57 ARS 2,375

$4.96 $4.96

-68.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ARS 1,558

$3.03 $3.03

-66.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ARS 12.0K

$20.38 $20.38

-61.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ARS 2,160

$1.12 $1.12

26.79%

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

$27.9K ARS 42.4M

$25.0K $25.0K

11.69%

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

$35.0K ARS 53.1M

$24.8K $24.8K

40.92%

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

$195 ARS 296.2K

$44.91 $44.91

334.65%

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

$25.16 ARS 38.2K

$21.66 $21.66

16.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.54 ARS 47.9K

$35.58 $35.58

-11.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.9 ARS 77.3K

$35.04 $35.04

45.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.73 ARS 25.4K

Cinema Ticket

$10.34 ARS 15.7K

$5.05 $5.05

104.75%

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

$463 ARS 703.2K

$153 $153

203.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,793 ARS 13.3M

$4,701 $4,701

87.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$120 ARS 181.8K

$68.1 $68.1

75.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$95.5 ARS 144.9K

$46.09 $46.09

107.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 ARS 173.1K

$111 $111

2.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 ARS 211.4K

$69.1 $69.1

101.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 ARS 1.1M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$520 ARS 788.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,590 ARS 2.4M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,198 ARS 1.8M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,713 ARS 4.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,901 ARS 2.9M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$938 ARS 1.4M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

8.5

573.53%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 11, 2026

Last update for Zaragoza: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$520 31.4%

Zaragoza

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$283 17.1%

Zaragoza

$217 34.3% 23.2% $66

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$282 17%

Zaragoza

$111 17.5% 60.6% $171

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$252 15.2%

Zaragoza

$102 16.1% 59.4% $150

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$211 12.7%

Zaragoza

$133 20.9% 37.1% $78

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$72 4.3%

Zaragoza

$45 7.1% 37% $26

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2%

Zaragoza

$26 * 4.1% 29% $11

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $66.0 in Buenos Aires vs $31.00 in Zaragoza for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $217 per month, with Zaragoza cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇸🇻 Zaragoza

🕒 Local time

23:40 11:40 PM

20:40 8:40 PM

3 h behind Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

11,749

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,706 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Buenos Aires Zaragoza 6,270 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Buenos Aires
Zaragoza

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 Zaragoza: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires and Zaragoza differ by about 161% in total monthly costs ($1,656 vs $635 including rent). Zaragoza is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,484 in Buenos Aires and $952 in Zaragoza 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.

Childcare runs $463 in Buenos Aires versus $153 in Zaragoza. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Zaragoza – a meal for two runs $31.00 versus $66.0 in Buenos Aires. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $635 in Zaragoza versus $1,656 in Buenos Aires, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Zaragoza but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes Zaragoza 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 Zaragoza 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 Zaragoza gentler on the wallet – expenses run 161% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.