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: $2,189 in Courtenay versus $1,652 in Buenos Aires.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,083 in Courtenay versus $2,753 in Buenos Aires.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,978 in Courtenay versus $3,854 in Buenos Aires.

Living in Courtenay is roughly 32% more expensive than in Buenos Aires, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Courtenay 60% above, Buenos Aires 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.59 CA$20.41

$18.90 ARS 28.6K

-22.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.3 CA$80.1

$71.0 ARS 107.3K

-19.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.18 CA$14.24

$12.96 ARS 19.6K

-21.45%

Cappuccino

$3.70 CA$5.18

$3.84 ARS 5,807

-3.65%

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

$2.03 CA$2.84

$2.13 ARS 3,226

-4.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 CA$2.28

$1.72 ARS 2,605

-5.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.74 CA$8.04

$3.72 ARS 5,628

54.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.98 CA$8.37

$4.47 ARS 6,756

33.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.38 CA$3.33

$1.49 ARS 2,254

59.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 CA$2.98

$2.47 ARS 3,734

-13.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 CA$2.98

$1.56 ARS 2,358

36.54%

Eggs

$3.30 CA$4.62

$2.71 ARS 4,094

21.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 CA$14.30

$10.21 ARS 15.4K

0.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.28 CA$12.99

$10.28 ARS 15.5K

-9.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.98 CA$27.95

$13.54 ARS 20.5K

47.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.27 CA$4.58

$2.80 ARS 4,227

16.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 CA$1.83

$2.10 ARS 3,180

-37.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.42 CA$3.39

$1.37 ARS 2,078

76.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.04 CA$4.25

$2.03 ARS 3,062

49.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.71 CA$3.78

$1.19 ARS 1,800

127.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 CA$3.01

$1.19 ARS 1,805

80.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.03 CA$2.83

$1.69 ARS 2,549

20.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 CA$2.39

$1.74 ARS 2,631

-1.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.65 CA$20.50

$4.25 ARS 6,433

244.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.63 CA$14.87

$5.70 ARS 8,612

86.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 CA$3.49

$2.13 ARS 3,217

17.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 CA$3.45

$2.71 ARS 4,101

-9.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.01 CA$2.81

$0.74 ARS 1,112

171.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.72 CA$61.2

$27.96 ARS 42.3K

56.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.75 CA$3.85

$1.64 ARS 2,477

67.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.41 CA$1.97

$0.99 ARS 1,491

42.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.97 CA$25.13

$7.74 ARS 11.7K

132.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 CA$1.71

$1.34 ARS 2,026

-8.96%

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

$20.6K CA$28.8K

$28.9K ARS 43.7M

-28.69%

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

$18.9K CA$26.4K

$33.6K ARS 50.8M

-43.83%

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

$136 CA$190

$205 ARS 310.4K

-33.84%

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

$37.09 CA$51.9

$25.46 ARS 38.5K

45.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.2 CA$91.3

$33.82 ARS 51.1K

92.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.83 CA$61.3

$51.3 ARS 77.6K

-14.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.01 CA$54.6

$17.12 ARS 25.9K

127.86%

Cinema Ticket

$10.71 CA$14.99

$11.24 ARS 17.0K

-4.72%

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

$1,779 CA$2,489

$469 ARS 709.7K

279.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.4K CA$17.3K

$8,802 ARS 13.3M

40.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.9 CA$78.2

$110 ARS 167.0K

-49.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.25 CA$63.3

$92.7 ARS 140.1K

-51.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.1 CA$111

$119 ARS 179.6K

-33.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$61.3 CA$85.8

$139 ARS 210.4K

-55.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 CA$1,724

$730 ARS 1.1M

68.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,112 CA$1,556

$526 ARS 795.7K

111.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,188 CA$3,060

$1,626 ARS 2.5M

34.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,630 CA$2,281

$1,278 ARS 1.9M

27.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,504 CA$7,700

$2,658 ARS 4.0M

107.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,874 ARS 2.8M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,246 CA$4,541

$913 ARS 1.4M

255.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.87

56.56

-91.39%

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

Last update for Courtenay: September 14, 2026

Last update for Buenos Aires: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,232 in Courtenay and $730 in Buenos Aires. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Courtenay pays 256% 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: $57.0 in Courtenay vs $71.0 in Buenos Aires. Groceries flip the comparison at $333 vs $283, 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 32% in total monthly costs ($2,189 vs $1,652 including rent). Buenos Aires is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 256% 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: $1,232 in Courtenay versus $730 in Buenos Aires. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,779 in Courtenay versus $469 in Buenos Aires. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Courtenay. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,652 in Buenos Aires versus $2,189 in Courtenay, a $3,000 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 32% less than in Courtenay. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.