Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ecatepec and Buenos Aires

For one person, living is cheaper in Ecatepec: $961 a month against $1,656 in Buenos Aires, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

47

Cost of Living Index in Ecatepec
Learn more

Ecatepec Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
Learn more

Buenos Aires Living Index

Jump to prices

Ecatepec

🇲🇽 Mexico

$961

/mo nomad

Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,656

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $961 in Ecatepec versus $1,656 in Buenos Aires.

Ecatepec $961
Buenos Aires $1,656

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,670 in Ecatepec versus $2,697 in Buenos Aires.

Ecatepec $1,670
Buenos Aires $2,697

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,380 in Ecatepec versus $3,737 in Buenos Aires.

Ecatepec $2,380
Buenos Aires $3,737

Living in Ecatepec costs roughly 42% less than in Buenos Aires, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ecatepec is 29% below, Buenos Aires is 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.14 MX$206

$19.09 ARS 29.0K

-41.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.1 MX$926

$65.8 ARS 99.9K

-23.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.57 MX$177

$13.20 ARS 20.0K

-27.50%

Cappuccino

$3.71 MX$68.6

$3.85 ARS 5,841

-3.64%

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

$1.62 MX$30.02

$1.99 ARS 3,020

-18.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$20.09

$1.60 ARS 2,430

-31.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.38 MX$62.5

$3.93 ARS 5,959

-13.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.59 MX$103

$4.61 ARS 7,003

21.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$31.71

$1.50 ARS 2,272

14.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.66 MX$49.12

$2.53 ARS 3,837

5.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 MX$36.17

$1.61 ARS 2,445

21.74%

Eggs

$2.75 MX$50.9

$2.84 ARS 4,316

-3.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.82 MX$163

$10.30 ARS 15.6K

-14.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.12 MX$168

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

-8.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 MX$249

$13.30 ARS 20.2K

1.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 MX$58.0

$2.88 ARS 4,366

9.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 MX$30.74

$2.20 ARS 3,334

-24.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$37.65

$1.40 ARS 2,120

45.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.90 MX$35.12

$1.98 ARS 3,004

-4.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$33.16

$1.21 ARS 1,835

47.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.75 MX$32.42

$1.26 ARS 1,910

38.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 MX$27.48

$1.71 ARS 2,592

-12.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 MX$21.95

$1.72 ARS 2,603

-30.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.59 MX$84.9

$4.29 ARS 6,505

6.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.62 MX$307

$5.70 ARS 8,645

191.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 MX$35.43

$2.17 ARS 3,288

-11.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 MX$70.7

$2.76 ARS 4,188

38.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.63 MX$11.72

$0.75 ARS 1,141

-16.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.01 MX$573

$27.27 ARS 41.4K

13.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.99 MX$36.81

$1.57 ARS 2,375

26.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 MX$9.68

$1.03 ARS 1,558

-49.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.32 MX$98.3

$7.90 ARS 12.0K

-32.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$28.48

$1.42 ARS 2,160

8.45%

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

$21.5K MX$397.7K

$27.9K ARS 42.4M

-23.00%

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

$23.5K MX$434.5K

$35.0K ARS 53.1M

-32.77%

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

$57.7 MX$1,067

$195 ARS 296.2K

-70.43%

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

$27.01 MX$499

$25.16 ARS 38.2K

7.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.74 MX$457

$31.54 ARS 47.9K

-21.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.37 MX$487

$50.9 ARS 77.3K

-48.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.00 MX$203

$16.73 ARS 25.4K

-34.25%

Cinema Ticket

$6.47 MX$120

$10.34 ARS 15.7K

-37.43%

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

$270 MX$4,996

$463 ARS 703.2K

-41.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,048 MX$93.3K

$8,793 ARS 13.3M

-42.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.1 MX$1,092

$120 ARS 181.8K

-50.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.94 MX$830

$95.5 ARS 144.9K

-52.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 MX$1,855

$114 ARS 173.1K

-12.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 MX$1,826

$139 ARS 211.4K

-29.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$243 MX$4,487

$756 ARS 1.1M

-67.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$138 MX$2,550

$520 ARS 788.8K

-73.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$683 MX$12.6K

$1,590 ARS 2.4M

-57.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$444 MX$8,205

$1,198 ARS 1.8M

-62.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$755 MX$14.0K

$2,713 ARS 4.1M

-72.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$755 MX$13.9K

$1,901 ARS 2.9M

-60.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$553 MX$10.2K

$938 ARS 1.4M

-41.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

57.25

-80.26%

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

Last update for Ecatepec: October 11, 2026

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Ecatepec

$298 31%

Buenos Aires

$283 17.1% 4.9% $15

Eating Out

Ecatepec

$201 21%

Buenos Aires

$282 17% 39.9% $80

Accommodation & Living

Ecatepec

$138 14.4%

Buenos Aires

$520 31.4% 277% $382

Clothing & Footwear

Ecatepec

$136 14.2%

Buenos Aires

$211 12.7% 54.6% $74

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ecatepec

$109 11.4%

Buenos Aires

$252 15.2% 130% $142

Sport & Entertainment

Ecatepec

$39 4.1%

Buenos Aires

$72 4.3% 82.2% $32

Getting Around

Ecatepec

$38 4%

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2% 3.1% $1.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $243 in Ecatepec and $756 in Buenos Aires. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buenos Aires pays 70% 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: $50.0 in Ecatepec vs $66.0 in Buenos Aires. Groceries flip the comparison at $298 vs $283, with Buenos Aires cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Ecatepec

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🕒 Local time

04:15 4:15 AM

07:15 7:15 AM

3 h ahead of Ecatepec

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,645,352

2,891,082 Capital

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Argentine Peso ARS $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ARS, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 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 MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ecatepec Buenos Aires 7,400 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Ecatepec
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

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

Ecatepec and Buenos Aires differ by about 72% in total monthly costs ($961 vs $1,656 including rent). Ecatepec is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 70% lower in Buenos Aires. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $243 in Ecatepec versus $756 in Buenos Aires. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $270 in Ecatepec versus $463 in Buenos Aires. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Buenos Aires pay roughly 5% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $961 in Ecatepec versus $1,656 in Buenos Aires, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ecatepec but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes Ecatepec 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, Ecatepec 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 Ecatepec gentler on the wallet – expenses run 72% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.