Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Buenos Aires

For one person, living is cheaper in Buenos Aires: $1,685 a month against $2,232 in Calgary, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

109

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index
81

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
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Buenos Aires Living Index

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Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,232

/mo nomad

Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,685

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Calgary and in Buenos Aires actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,232 in Calgary versus $1,685 in Buenos Aires.

Calgary $2,232
Buenos Aires $1,685

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,363 in Calgary versus $2,742 in Buenos Aires.

Calgary $3,363
Buenos Aires $2,742

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,493 in Calgary versus $3,799 in Buenos Aires.

Calgary $4,493
Buenos Aires $3,799

Living in Calgary is roughly 32% more expensive than in Buenos Aires, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Calgary 67% above, Buenos Aires 26% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.22 CA$24.49

$18.73 ARS 28.4K

-8.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.2 CA$101

$64.5 ARS 97.7K

10.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.56 CA$15.02

$12.88 ARS 19.5K

-18.01%

Cappuccino

$3.77 CA$5.37

$3.98 ARS 6,027

-5.28%

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

$1.91 CA$2.72

$2.05 ARS 3,102

-6.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 CA$2.62

$1.55 ARS 2,348

18.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.86 CA$6.92

$3.84 ARS 5,828

26.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.55 CA$7.90

$4.60 ARS 6,968

20.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 CA$2.67

$1.44 ARS 2,180

30.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.73 CA$3.88

$2.46 ARS 3,737

10.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.34 CA$7.60

$1.63 ARS 2,466

227.61%

Eggs

$3.77 CA$5.36

$2.89 ARS 4,384

30.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.29 CA$16.06

$10.65 ARS 16.1K

6.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.46 CA$16.30

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

14.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.26 CA$25.97

$13.74 ARS 20.8K

32.90%

Apples (1kg)

$4.64 CA$6.60

$2.75 ARS 4,165

68.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.04

$2.18 ARS 3,299

-33.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.22 CA$6.01

$1.45 ARS 2,204

191.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.86 CA$5.49

$1.99 ARS 3,012

93.97%

Potato (1kg)

$2.62 CA$3.73

$1.24 ARS 1,884

111.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 CA$3.78

$1.27 ARS 1,920

109.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.59 CA$3.68

$1.70 ARS 2,574

52.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 CA$2.18

$1.73 ARS 2,616

-11.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.26 CA$20.28

$4.18 ARS 6,335

241.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.27 CA$21.71

$5.80 ARS 8,787

163.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 CA$3.43

$2.09 ARS 3,162

15.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 CA$4.40

$2.77 ARS 4,197

11.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 CA$4.10

$0.75 ARS 1,131

284.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.7 CA$126

$27.15 ARS 41.2K

226.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 CA$4.60

$1.62 ARS 2,450

99.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 CA$1.97

$0.98 ARS 1,480

40.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.49 CA$37.67

$7.72 ARS 11.7K

243.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 CA$1.67

$1.36 ARS 2,057

-13.24%

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

$28.3K CA$40.2K

$28.0K ARS 42.5M

0.94%

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

$20.7K CA$29.5K

$34.5K ARS 52.3M

-39.97%

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

$159 CA$227

$216 ARS 326.8K

-26.12%

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

$37.61 CA$53.5

$25.61 ARS 38.8K

46.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.68 CA$70.7

$31.36 ARS 47.5K

58.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.3 CA$75.7

$49.82 ARS 75.5K

6.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.31 CA$26.04

$17.06 ARS 25.9K

7.33%

Cinema Ticket

$14.08 CA$20.02

$10.43 ARS 15.8K

35.00%

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

$809 CA$1,151

$466 ARS 706.5K

73.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K CA$22.5K

$9,057 ARS 13.7M

75.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.8 CA$83.6

$122 ARS 185.1K

-51.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.84 CA$55.2

$97.4 ARS 147.7K

-60.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.4 CA$130

$117 ARS 177.3K

-21.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 CA$155

$140 ARS 211.8K

-21.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,237 CA$1,760

$763 ARS 1.2M

62.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$996 CA$1,417

$505 ARS 765.8K

97.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,908 CA$2,714

$1,598 ARS 2.4M

19.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,671 CA$2,377

$1,185 ARS 1.8M

41.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,530 CA$5,022

$2,678 ARS 4.1M

31.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,336 CA$4,745

$1,858 ARS 2.8M

79.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,130 CA$4,452

$954 ARS 1.4M

227.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

57.25

-92.12%

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

Last update for Calgary: October 3, 2026

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Calgary

$996 44.8%

Buenos Aires

$505 30.4% 49.3% $491

Groceries & Markets

Calgary

$387 17.4%

Buenos Aires

$284 17.1% 26.6% $103

Eating Out

Calgary

$265 11.9%

Buenos Aires

$279 16.8% 5.2% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calgary

$247 11.1%

Buenos Aires

$273 16.4% 10.5% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Calgary

$134 6%

Buenos Aires

$214 12.9% 59.8% $80

Getting Around

Calgary

$110 5%

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2% 66.8% $74

Sport & Entertainment

Calgary

$81 3.7%

Buenos Aires

$71 4.3% 13.2% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,237 in Calgary and $763 in Buenos Aires. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Calgary pays 228% 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: $71.0 in Calgary vs $64.0 in Buenos Aires for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $387 vs $284 per month, with Buenos Aires cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Calgary

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🕒 Local time

20:48 8:48 PM

23:48 11:48 PM

3 h ahead of Calgary

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,267,344

2,891,082 Capital

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Argentine Peso ARS $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.703 USD

1 CAD = 0.627 EUR

10,000 ARS = 6.6 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ARS, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.627 EUR).

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,516 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.6 USD). 1 EUR = 1,700 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

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From you

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Calgary vs Buenos Aires: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Calgary and Buenos Aires differ by about 32% in total monthly costs ($2,232 vs $1,685 including rent). Buenos Aires is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 228% higher in Calgary, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,237 in Calgary versus $763 in Buenos Aires. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $809 in Calgary versus $466 in Buenos Aires. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 36% higher in Calgary. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,685 in Buenos Aires versus $2,232 in Calgary, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Buenos Aires but tight or insufficient in Calgary. 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, Calgary and Buenos Aires 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 32% less than in Calgary. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.