Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the Canaries and Buenos Aires

For one person, living is cheaper in the Canaries: $187 a month against $1,646 in Buenos Aires, rent and utilities included – about $17,500 less a year.

79

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
Learn more

Buenos Aires Living Index

Jump to prices

Canaries

🇱🇨 Saint Lucia

$187

/mo nomad

Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,646

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in the Canaries 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 the Canaries and in Buenos Aires actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $187 in the Canaries versus $1,646 in Buenos Aires.

Canaries $187
Buenos Aires $1,646

Estimated couple costs with rent: $275 in the Canaries versus $2,680 in Buenos Aires.

Canaries $275
Buenos Aires $2,680

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $364 in the Canaries versus $3,714 in Buenos Aires.

Canaries $364
Buenos Aires $3,714

Living in the Canaries costs roughly 89% less than in Buenos Aires, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Canaries is 86% below, Buenos Aires is 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.81 ARS 27.0K

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.2 ARS 98.9K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.12 ARS 19.9K

Cappuccino

$3.86 ARS 5,863

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

$2.06 ARS 3,133

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 ARS 2,542

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.10 ARS 6,218

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.73 ARS 7,181

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 ARS 2,285

White Bread (500g)

$2.60 ARS 3,950

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 ARS 2,380

Eggs

$2.73 ARS 4,144

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.86 ARS 16.5K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.07 ARS 15.3K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.22 ARS 20.1K

Apples (1kg)

$2.80 ARS 4,255

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 ARS 3,170

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 ARS 2,194

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 ARS 3,040

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 ARS 1,826

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 ARS 1,821

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.69 ARS 2,569

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 ARS 2,711

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.00 ARS 6,074

Wine (Bottle)

$5.53 ARS 8,388

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 ARS 3,219

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ARS 4,212

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 ARS 1,049

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.90 ARS 42.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.63 ARS 2,471

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.97 ARS 1,478

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 ARS 12.0K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ARS 2,156

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

$23.3K ARS 35.4M

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

$31.9K ARS 48.5M

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

$199 ARS 302.7K

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

$23.36 ARS 35.4K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.44 ARS 47.7K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.81 ARS 75.6K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.63 ARS 25.2K

Cinema Ticket

$10.80 ARS 16.4K

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

$462 ARS 701.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,790 ARS 13.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$120 ARS 181.6K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$94.6 ARS 143.6K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 ARS 176.4K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$137 ARS 208.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$187 EC$505

$750 ARS 1.1M

-75.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$187 EC$506

$514 ARS 780.5K

-63.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$298 EC$805

$1,567 ARS 2.4M

-80.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$364 EC$982

$1,196 ARS 1.8M

-69.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$187 EC$506

$2,632 ARS 4.0M

-92.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$261 EC$704

$1,874 ARS 2.8M

-86.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$924 ARS 1.4M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

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

Last update for the Canaries: October 19, 2026

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Canaries

–

Buenos Aires

$514 31.3%

Groceries & Markets

Canaries

–

Buenos Aires

$285 17.3%

Eating Out

Canaries

–

Buenos Aires

$273 16.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Canaries

–

Buenos Aires

$254 15.5%

Clothing & Footwear

Canaries

–

Buenos Aires

$211 12.8%

Sport & Entertainment

Canaries

–

Buenos Aires

$71 4.3%

Getting Around

Canaries

–

Buenos Aires

$37 2.3%

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $187 in the Canaries and $750 in Buenos Aires. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Good to know

🇱🇨 Canaries

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🕒 Local time

00:25 12:25 AM

01:25 1:25 AM

1 h ahead of the Canaries

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,862

2,891,082 Capital

💱 Currency

East Caribbean Dollar XCD $

Argentine Peso ARS $

📈 Exchange rate

1 XCD = 0.37 USD

1 XCD = 0.329 EUR

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ARS, USD, EUR to XCD – East Caribbean Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🌐 East Caribbean Dollar ($)

East Caribbean Dollar exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 2.7 XCD (1 XCD = 0.37 USD). 1 EUR = 3.04 XCD (1 XCD = 0.329 EUR).

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,706 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR).

USD to XCD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Canaries Buenos Aires 5,400 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Canaries
Buenos Aires

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

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

Canaries and Buenos Aires differ by about 778% in total monthly costs ($187 vs $1,646 including rent). Canaries is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $281 in the Canaries and $2,468 in Buenos Aires 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: $187 in the Canaries versus $750 in Buenos Aires. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

At $187 in the Canaries versus $1,646 in Buenos Aires, a $1,000 budget is realistic in the Canaries but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes Canaries 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, Canaries 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 Canaries gentler on the wallet – expenses run 778% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.