Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between El Calafate and Mendoza

For one person, living is cheaper in El Calafate: $961 a month against $1,387 in Mendoza, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

47

Cost of Living Index in El Calafate
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El Calafate Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Mendoza
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Mendoza Living Index

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El Calafate

🇦🇷 Argentina

$961

/mo nomad

Mendoza

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,387

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in El Calafate and in Mendoza

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in El Calafate and in Mendoza actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $961 in El Calafate versus $1,387 in Mendoza.

El Calafate $961
Mendoza $1,387

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,574 in El Calafate versus $2,185 in Mendoza.

El Calafate $1,574
Mendoza $2,185

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,187 in El Calafate versus $2,984 in Mendoza.

El Calafate $2,187
Mendoza $2,984

Living in El Calafate costs roughly 31% less than in Mendoza, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: El Calafate is 29% below, Mendoza is 3% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.66 ARS 16.2K

$10.98 ARS 16.7K

-2.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.87 ARS 51.4K

$49.80 ARS 75.6K

-31.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.85 ARS 13.4K

$14.36 ARS 21.8K

-38.37%

Cappuccino

$2.77 ARS 4,198

$4.54 ARS 6,896

-38.99%

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

$1.64 ARS 2,484

$2.32 ARS 3,517

-29.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 ARS 2,268

$1.94 ARS 2,949

-23.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.08 ARS 3,157

$4.08 ARS 6,191

-49.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 ARS 4,452

$4.46 ARS 6,775

-34.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 ARS 1,887

$1.38 ARS 2,102

-10.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 ARS 2,446

$2.21 ARS 3,358

-27.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 ARS 2,930

$2.66 ARS 4,034

-27.44%

Eggs

$2.20 ARS 3,346

$3.19 ARS 4,836

-31.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.29 ARS 15.6K

$14.72 ARS 22.3K

-30.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.07 ARS 9,209

$6.23 ARS 9,447

-2.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.50 ARS 14.4K

$11.05 ARS 16.8K

-14.03%

Apples (1kg)

$1.95 ARS 2,963

$2.29 ARS 3,478

-14.85%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 ARS 3,205

$2.23 ARS 3,386

-5.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.33 ARS 2,015

$1.34 ARS 2,036

-0.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.62 ARS 3,973

$3.28 ARS 4,974

-20.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 ARS 1,808

$2.02 ARS 3,067

-41.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 ARS 1,821

$1.49 ARS 2,268

-19.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 ARS 1,973

$2.03 ARS 3,074

-35.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 ARS 2,245

$2.47 ARS 3,743

-40.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.16 ARS 4,800

$2.82 ARS 4,275

12.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.97 ARS 7,536

$5.08 ARS 7,712

-2.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 ARS 3,133

$1.72 ARS 2,608

19.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 ARS 4,799

$3.02 ARS 4,583

4.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 ARS 1,159

$0.98 ARS 1,486

-22.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 ARS 29.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 ARS 2,293

$2.02 ARS 3,059

-25.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.87 ARS 1,322

$0.99 ARS 1,495

-12.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.89 ARS 8,934

$4.82 ARS 7,318

22.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 ARS 1,600

$1.25 ARS 1,897

-16.00%

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

$27.4K ARS 41.6M

$27.6K ARS 41.9M

-0.53%

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

$30.2K ARS 45.9M

$33.0K ARS 50.1M

-8.51%

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

$66.5 ARS 100.9K

$144 ARS 218.4K

-53.80%

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

$16.85 ARS 25.6K

$17.72 ARS 26.9K

-4.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.42 ARS 34.0K

$23.92 ARS 36.3K

-6.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.64 ARS 40.4K

$32.32 ARS 49.0K

-17.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.53 ARS 20.5K

$18.07 ARS 27.4K

-25.12%

Cinema Ticket

$6.34 ARS 9,617

$7.10 ARS 10.8K

-10.70%

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

$224 ARS 340.0K

$176 ARS 266.3K

27.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,679 ARS 4.1M

$4,178 ARS 6.3M

-35.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.7 ARS 110.3K

$127 ARS 192.2K

-42.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.7 ARS 107.3K

$141 ARS 214.2K

-49.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 ARS 173.7K

$144 ARS 217.9K

-20.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 ARS 172.2K

$157 ARS 238.0K

-27.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$342 ARS 518.6K

$553 ARS 838.5K

-38.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$235 ARS 357.2K

$350 ARS 531.6K

-32.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$695 ARS 1.1M

$993 ARS 1.5M

-30.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$533 ARS 809.3K

$680 ARS 1.0M

-21.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,858 ARS 2.8M

$1,751 ARS 2.7M

6.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,600 ARS 2.4M

$1,141 ARS 1.7M

40.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$766 ARS 1.2M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

58.5

-0.85%

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

Last update for El Calafate: October 12, 2026

Last update for Mendoza: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

El Calafate

$235 24.5%

Mendoza

$350 25.3% 48.8% $115

Groceries & Markets

El Calafate

$231 24%

Mendoza

$286 20.6% 23.7% $55

Eating Out

El Calafate

$174 18.1%

Mendoza

$232 16.7% 33.4% $58

Clothing & Footwear

El Calafate

$167 17.4%

Mendoza

$256 18.4% 53% $89

Monthly Utilities & Internet

El Calafate

$106 11%

Mendoza

$186 13.4% 75.5% $80

Sport & Entertainment

El Calafate

$39 4.1%

Mendoza

$47 3.4% 18.3% $7.2

Getting Around

El Calafate

$8.9 * 0.9%

Mendoza

$31 2.2% 243% $22

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $342 in El Calafate and $553 in Mendoza. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $34.00 in El Calafate vs $50.0 in Mendoza for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $231 vs $286 per month, with El Calafate cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇷 El Calafate

🇦🇷 Mendoza

🕒 Local time

09:34 9:34 AM

Same time as El Calafate

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

22,844

937,154

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

El Calafate Mendoza 1,960 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

El Calafate
Mendoza

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

El Calafate vs Mendoza: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

El Calafate and Mendoza differ by about 44% in total monthly costs ($961 vs $1,387 including rent). El Calafate is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,442 in El Calafate and $2,080 in Mendoza to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $342 in El Calafate versus $553 in Mendoza. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $224 in El Calafate versus $176 in Mendoza. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in El Calafate – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $50.0 in Mendoza. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $961 in El Calafate versus $1,387 in Mendoza, a $2,000 budget is realistic in El Calafate but tight or insufficient in Mendoza. The gap between the two cities makes El Calafate 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, El Calafate and Mendoza 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 El Calafate gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Mendoza. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.