Cost of Living Comparison Between Courtenay and Buenos Aires Cost of Living Comparison Between Courtenay and Buenos Aires

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,150 in Courtenay versus $1,381 in Buenos Aires.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,026 in Courtenay versus $2,205 in Buenos Aires.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,902 in Courtenay versus $3,030 in Buenos Aires.

Living in Courtenay is roughly 56% more expensive than in Buenos Aires, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Courtenay 62% above, Buenos Aires 4% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.76 CA$17.89

$15.11 ARS 22.4K

-15.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.2 CA$81.6

$61.1 ARS 90.7K

-4.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 CA$13.32

$12.08 ARS 17.9K

-21.36%

Cappuccino

$3.98 CA$5.58

$4.03 ARS 5,990

-1.24%

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

$2.06 CA$2.89

$2.18 ARS 3,237

-5.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 CA$1.90

$1.54 ARS 2,293

-11.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.75 CA$8.05

$3.68 ARS 5,458

56.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.81 CA$12.35

$3.96 ARS 5,878

122.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.11 CA$2.96

$1.59 ARS 2,367

32.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.41 CA$3.37

$2.55 ARS 3,779

-5.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.26 CA$3.17

$2.31 ARS 3,429

-2.16%

Eggs

$3.28 CA$4.60

$3.25 ARS 4,833

0.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 CA$12.86

$12.05 ARS 17.9K

-23.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.62 CA$13.48

$7.83 ARS 11.6K

22.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.12 CA$14.18

$9.16 ARS 13.6K

10.48%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 CA$4.28

$2.56 ARS 3,807

19.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 CA$1.92

$2.04 ARS 3,036

-32.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.51 CA$3.51

$1.26 ARS 1,869

99.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.27 CA$4.59

$2.57 ARS 3,813

27.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.50 CA$3.51

$1.44 ARS 2,141

73.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.14 CA$2.99

$1.48 ARS 2,193

44.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 CA$2.77

$1.82 ARS 2,700

8.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 CA$1.64

$1.44 ARS 2,144

-18.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.87 CA$20.84

$3.20 ARS 4,754

364.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.80 CA$15.14

$5.75 ARS 8,540

87.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.21 CA$4.49

$2.25 ARS 3,339

42.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 CA$3.28

$3.15 ARS 4,673

-25.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.46 CA$2.04

$0.72 ARS 1,076

102.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.65 CA$62.6

$15.93 ARS 23.7K

180.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.36 CA$4.71

$1.59 ARS 2,361

111.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 CA$1.93

$0.85 ARS 1,258

62.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.73 CA$26.25

$5.98 ARS 8,874

213.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 CA$1.78

$1.12 ARS 1,665

13.39%

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

$13.1K CA$18.4K

$25.3K ARS 37.6M

-48.09%

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

$18.5K CA$25.9K

$28.6K ARS 42.4M

-35.19%

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

$113 CA$158

$111 ARS 164.5K

1.78%

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

$45.39 CA$63.6

$21.83 ARS 32.4K

107.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.16 CA$64.7

$29.16 ARS 43.3K

58.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.44 CA$60.9

$43.06 ARS 63.9K

0.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.01 CA$56.1

$11.39 ARS 16.9K

251.27%

Cinema Ticket

$11.23 CA$15.75

$9.13 ARS 13.6K

23.00%

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

$943 CA$1,322

$331 ARS 491.7K

184.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.0K CA$18.2K

$5,203 ARS 7.7M

150.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.3 CA$70.5

$112 ARS 166.9K

-55.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.78 CA$47.34

$87.7 ARS 130.2K

-61.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.4 CA$116

$126 ARS 186.5K

-34.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$62.8 CA$88.0

$130 ARS 193.2K

-51.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,353 CA$1,896

$648 ARS 962.2K

108.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,188 CA$1,665

$441 ARS 654.2K

169.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,212 CA$3,101

$1,186 ARS 1.8M

86.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,710 CA$2,397

$804 ARS 1.2M

112.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,400 CA$7,569

$2,617 ARS 3.9M

106.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,898 ARS 2.8M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,279 CA$4,596

$850 ARS 1.3M

285.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.08

52.71

-88.47%

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

Last update for Courtenay: July 25, 2026

Last update for Buenos Aires: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,353 in Courtenay and $648 in Buenos Aires. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Courtenay pays 286% 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: $58.0 in Courtenay vs $61.0 in Buenos Aires. Groceries flip the comparison at $299 vs $270, with Buenos Aires cheaper for home cooking.

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

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

Courtenay and Buenos Aires differ by about 56% in total monthly costs ($2,150 vs $1,381 including rent). Buenos Aires is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 286% higher in Courtenay, 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: $1,353 in Courtenay versus $648 in Buenos Aires. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $943 in Courtenay versus $331 in Buenos Aires. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Courtenay. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,381 in Buenos Aires versus $2,150 in Courtenay, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Buenos Aires but tight or insufficient in Courtenay. 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, Courtenay 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 56% less than in Courtenay. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.