Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cartago and Buenos Aires

For one person, living costs are similar in Cartago and in Buenos Aires: $1,713 and $1,656 a month, rent and utilities included.

80

Cost of Living Index in Cartago
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Cartago Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
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Buenos Aires Living Index

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Cartago

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,713

/mo nomad

Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,656

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,713 in Cartago versus $1,656 in Buenos Aires.

Cartago $1,713
Buenos Aires $1,656

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,362 in Cartago versus $2,697 in Buenos Aires.

Cartago $2,362
Buenos Aires $2,697

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,011 in Cartago versus $3,737 in Buenos Aires.

Cartago $3,011
Buenos Aires $3,737

Living in Cartago is roughly 3% more expensive than in Buenos Aires, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cartago 27% above, Buenos Aires 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.64 ₡3,880

$19.09 ARS 28.9K

-54.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.53 ₡15.5K

$65.8 ARS 99.5K

-47.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.92 ₡4,455

$13.20 ARS 20.0K

-24.85%

Cappuccino

$4.54 ₡2,039

$3.85 ARS 5,821

17.92%

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

$2.13 ₡956

$1.99 ARS 3,010

7.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 ₡611

$1.60 ARS 2,422

-15.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.15 ₡966

$3.93 ARS 5,940

-45.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.06 ₡1,822

$4.61 ARS 6,979

-11.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 ₡1,074

$1.50 ARS 2,264

59.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 ₡1,066

$2.53 ARS 3,825

-6.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.47 ₡1,111

$1.61 ARS 2,437

53.42%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$2.84 ARS 4,302

25.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.61 ₡3,866

$10.30 ARS 15.6K

-16.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.38 ₡4,661

$10.00 ARS 15.1K

3.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.94 ₡6,261

$13.30 ARS 20.1K

4.81%

Apples (1kg)

$5.24 ₡2,355

$2.88 ARS 4,351

81.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.29 ₡580

$2.20 ARS 3,323

-41.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.49 ₡2,017

$1.40 ARS 2,113

220.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.91 ₡1,308

$1.98 ARS 2,994

46.97%

Potato (1kg)

$2.24 ₡1,005

$1.21 ARS 1,829

85.12%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 ₡973

$1.26 ARS 1,904

72.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

$1.71 ARS 2,583

-36.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 ₡979

$1.72 ARS 2,595

26.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.07 ₡2,726

$4.29 ARS 6,484

41.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.16 ₡6,807

$5.70 ARS 8,617

165.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.89 ₡1,297

$2.17 ARS 3,277

33.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 ₡913

$2.76 ARS 4,174

-26.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ₡613

$0.75 ARS 1,137

82.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.2 ₡32.9K

$27.27 ARS 41.3K

168.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 ₡599

$1.57 ARS 2,367

-15.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡703

$1.03 ARS 1,553

51.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.95 ₡4,021

$7.90 ARS 11.9K

13.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₡678

$1.42 ARS 2,153

6.34%

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

$21.7K ₡9.7M

$27.9K ARS 42.3M

-22.39%

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

$35.1K ₡15.8M

$35.0K ARS 52.9M

0.42%

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

$52.4 ₡23.5K

$195 ARS 295.2K

-73.14%

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

$35.12 ₡15.8K

$25.16 ARS 38.0K

39.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.9 ₡26.9K

$31.54 ARS 47.7K

89.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

$50.9 ARS 77.0K

44.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$77.8 ₡34.9K

$16.73 ARS 25.3K

364.79%

Cinema Ticket

$7.27 ₡3,267

$10.34 ARS 15.6K

-29.69%

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

$549 ₡246.5K

$463 ARS 700.9K

18.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,878 ₡3.5M

$8,793 ARS 13.3M

-10.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.1 ₡31.5K

$120 ARS 181.2K

-41.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.5 ₡25.4K

$95.5 ARS 144.4K

-40.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 ₡54.5K

$114 ARS 172.6K

6.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.7 ₡39.4K

$139 ARS 210.7K

-37.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$923 ₡414.7K

$756 ARS 1.1M

22.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$704 ₡316.3K

$520 ARS 786.2K

35.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,869 ₡839.2K

$1,590 ARS 2.4M

17.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 ₡325.2K

$1,198 ARS 1.8M

-39.57%

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)

$1,344 ₡603.7K

$938 ARS 1.4M

43.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

57.25

-84.94%

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

Last update for Cartago: October 11, 2026

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cartago

$704 41.1%

Buenos Aires

$520 31.4% 26.2% $184

Groceries & Markets

Cartago

$348 20.3%

Buenos Aires

$283 17.1% 18.7% $65

Eating Out

Cartago

$186 10.9%

Buenos Aires

$282 17% 51.3% $96

Clothing & Footwear

Cartago

$151 8.8%

Buenos Aires

$211 12.7% 39.7% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cartago

$147 8.6%

Buenos Aires

$252 15.2% 70.9% $104

Sport & Entertainment

Cartago

$88 5.2%

Buenos Aires

$72 4.3% 18.9% $17

Getting Around

Cartago

$88 5.1%

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2% 57.9% $51

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $923 in Cartago and $756 in Buenos Aires. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cartago pays 43% 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: $35.00 in Cartago vs $66.0 in Buenos Aires. Groceries flip the comparison at $348 vs $283, with Buenos Aires cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Cartago

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🕒 Local time

01:19 1:19 AM

04:19 4:19 AM

3 h ahead of Cartago

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

110,000

2,891,082 Capital

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Argentine Peso ARS $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

10,000 ARS = 6.61 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.91 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ARS, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 449 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 503 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 1,513 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.61 USD). 1 EUR = 1,693 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.91 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cartago Buenos Aires 5,630 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Cartago
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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

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

Cartago and Buenos Aires differ by about 3% in total monthly costs ($1,713 vs $1,656 including rent). Buenos Aires is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 43% higher in Cartago, 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: $923 in Cartago versus $756 in Buenos Aires. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $549 in Cartago versus $463 in Buenos Aires. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 23% higher in Cartago. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,656 in Buenos Aires versus $1,713 in Cartago, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Buenos Aires but tight or insufficient in Cartago. 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, Cartago 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 3% less than in Cartago. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.