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: $2,146 in Courtenay versus $1,426 in Buenos Aires.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,006 in Courtenay versus $2,203 in Buenos Aires.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,866 in Courtenay versus $2,980 in Buenos Aires.

Living in Courtenay is roughly 51% more expensive than Buenos Aires, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Courtenay 60% above, Buenos Aires 6% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.97 CA$17.77

$14.90 ARS 21.0K

-12.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.8 CA$80.5

$60.5 ARS 85.2K

-2.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 CA$12.97

$12.09 ARS 17.0K

-21.67%

Cappuccino

$4.14 CA$5.67

$4.09 ARS 5,757

1.22%

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

$2.01 CA$2.75

$2.09 ARS 2,947

-3.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 CA$1.87

$1.52 ARS 2,134

-10.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.78 CA$7.91

$3.63 ARS 5,107

59.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.10 CA$12.47

$4.02 ARS 5,656

126.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 CA$2.98

$1.54 ARS 2,165

40.91%

White Bread (500g)

$2.30 CA$3.15

$2.42 ARS 3,414

-4.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 CA$3.06

$2.19 ARS 3,090

2.28%

Eggs

$3.19 CA$4.36

$3.19 ARS 4,488

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.62 CA$13.18

$12.22 ARS 17.2K

-21.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.54 CA$13.07

$8.05 ARS 11.3K

18.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.06 CA$13.78

$9.65 ARS 13.6K

4.25%

Apples (1kg)

$3.21 CA$4.40

$2.49 ARS 3,506

28.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 CA$1.88

$2.10 ARS 2,957

-34.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.47 CA$3.38

$1.31 ARS 1,849

88.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.24 CA$4.44

$2.65 ARS 3,738

22.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.44 CA$3.34

$1.43 ARS 2,009

70.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 CA$2.95

$1.54 ARS 2,167

40.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 CA$2.68

$1.79 ARS 2,523

9.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 CA$1.59

$1.44 ARS 2,024

-19.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.79 CA$20.26

$3.22 ARS 4,537

359.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.81 CA$14.81

$6.67 ARS 9,391

62.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.34 CA$4.58

$2.26 ARS 3,180

47.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 CA$3.10

$3.03 ARS 4,272

-25.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.43 CA$1.96

$0.72 ARS 1,020

98.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.35 CA$59.4

$16.07 ARS 22.6K

169.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.38 CA$4.63

$1.59 ARS 2,237

112.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 CA$1.91

$0.92 ARS 1,295

52.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.23 CA$24.98

$5.89 ARS 8,292

209.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 CA$1.72

$1.12 ARS 1,582

11.61%

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

$13.3K CA$18.2K

$24.5K ARS 34.5M

-45.67%

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

$18.7K CA$25.7K

$28.9K ARS 40.7M

-35.21%

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

$112 CA$153

$110 ARS 154.8K

1.54%

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

$45.13 CA$61.8

$21.81 ARS 30.7K

106.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.04 CA$63.1

$28.52 ARS 40.2K

61.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.46 CA$60.9

$41.83 ARS 58.9K

6.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.77 CA$54.5

$11.59 ARS 16.3K

243.14%

Cinema Ticket

$11.15 CA$15.28

$8.79 ARS 12.4K

26.85%

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

$929 CA$1,273

$322 ARS 453.7K

188.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K CA$18.0K

$5,120 ARS 7.2M

156.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.49 CA$67.8

$111 ARS 156.0K

-55.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.64 CA$46.08

$86.1 ARS 121.3K

-60.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.0 CA$114

$126 ARS 177.0K

-33.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$62.1 CA$85.1

$133 ARS 186.6K

-53.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 CA$1,824

$650 ARS 915.8K

104.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,144 CA$1,568

$444 ARS 625.6K

157.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,241 CA$3,070

$1,154 ARS 1.6M

94.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,664 CA$2,280

$789 ARS 1.1M

110.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,468 CA$7,491

$2,679 ARS 3.8M

104.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,994 ARS 2.8M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,424 CA$4,691

$796 ARS 1.1M

330.38%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Buenos Aires: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,331 in Courtenay and $650 in Buenos Aires. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Courtenay pays 330% 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: $59.0 in Courtenay vs $60.0 in Buenos Aires. Groceries flip the comparison at $300 vs $273, 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 51% in total monthly costs ($2,146 vs $1,426 including rent). Buenos Aires is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Courtenay pays 330% more on average, 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: $1,331 in Courtenay versus $650 in Buenos Aires. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $929 in Courtenay versus $322 in Buenos Aires. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Courtenay. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,426 in Buenos Aires versus $2,146 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 51% less than in Courtenay. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.