Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Iquitos and Buenos Aires

For one person, living is cheaper in Iquitos: $663 a month against $1,656 in Buenos Aires, rent and utilities included – about $11,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
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Buenos Aires Living Index

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Iquitos

🇵🇪 Peru

$663

/mo nomad

Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,656

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $663 in Iquitos versus $1,656 in Buenos Aires.

Iquitos $663
Buenos Aires $1,656

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,185 in Iquitos versus $2,697 in Buenos Aires.

Iquitos $1,185
Buenos Aires $2,697

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,707 in Iquitos versus $3,737 in Buenos Aires.

Iquitos $1,707
Buenos Aires $3,737

Living in Iquitos costs roughly 60% less than in Buenos Aires, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Iquitos is 51% below, Buenos Aires is 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.31 PEN 14.81

$19.09 ARS 29.0K

-77.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.44 PEN 132

$65.8 ARS 99.9K

-41.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.30 PEN 25.06

$13.20 ARS 20.0K

-44.70%

Cappuccino

$3.57 PEN 12.26

$3.85 ARS 5,841

-7.27%

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

$0.85 PEN 2.92

$1.99 ARS 3,020

-57.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 PEN 1.91

$1.60 ARS 2,430

-65.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.82 PEN 9.69

$3.93 ARS 5,959

-28.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.41 PEN 25.45

$4.61 ARS 7,003

60.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 PEN 6.05

$1.50 ARS 2,272

17.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.30 PEN 7.91

$2.53 ARS 3,837

-9.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 ARS 2,445

Eggs

$2.56 PEN 8.80

$2.84 ARS 4,316

-9.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.30 ARS 15.6K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.28 PEN 11.26

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

-67.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.30 ARS 20.2K

Apples (1kg)

$2.88 ARS 4,366

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 ARS 3,334

Oranges (1kg)

$1.40 ARS 2,120

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 ARS 3,004

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 ARS 1,835

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 ARS 1,910

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 ARS 2,592

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 PEN 3.07

$1.72 ARS 2,603

-48.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 ARS 6,505

Wine (Bottle)

$5.70 ARS 8,645

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 ARS 3,288

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ARS 4,188

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ARS 1,141

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.27 ARS 41.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.57 ARS 2,375

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ARS 1,558

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ARS 12.0K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ARS 2,160

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

$27.9K ARS 42.4M

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

$35.0K ARS 53.1M

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

$34.73 PEN 119

$195 ARS 296.2K

-82.21%

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

$11.34 PEN 38.95

$25.16 ARS 38.2K

-54.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.74 PEN 30.03

$31.54 ARS 47.9K

-72.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.05 PEN 99.8

$50.9 ARS 77.3K

-42.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.75 PEN 30.06

$16.73 ARS 25.4K

-47.70%

Cinema Ticket

$5.64 PEN 19.37

$10.34 ARS 15.7K

-45.45%

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

$463 ARS 703.2K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,789 PEN 9,576

$8,793 ARS 13.3M

-68.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 PEN 301

$120 ARS 181.8K

-26.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 PEN 121

$95.5 ARS 144.9K

-63.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$52.9 PEN 182

$114 ARS 173.1K

-53.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$26.21 PEN 90.0

$139 ARS 211.4K

-81.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$343 PEN 1,180

$756 ARS 1.1M

-54.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$265 PEN 909

$520 ARS 788.8K

-49.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$882 PEN 3,029

$1,590 ARS 2.4M

-44.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$712 PEN 2,445

$1,198 ARS 1.8M

-40.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,713 ARS 4.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,901 ARS 2.9M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$573 PEN 1,968

$938 ARS 1.4M

-38.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

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

Last update for Iquitos: October 11, 2026

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Iquitos

–

Buenos Aires

$520 31.4%

Groceries & Markets

Iquitos

–

Buenos Aires

$283 17.1%

Eating Out

Iquitos

–

Buenos Aires

$282 17%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Iquitos

–

Buenos Aires

$252 15.2%

Clothing & Footwear

Iquitos

–

Buenos Aires

$211 12.7%

Sport & Entertainment

Iquitos

–

Buenos Aires

$72 4.3%

Getting Around

Iquitos

–

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2%

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $343 in Iquitos and $756 in Buenos Aires. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buenos Aires pays 64% 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: $38.00 in Iquitos vs $66.0 in Buenos Aires for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $78.0 vs $283 per month, with Iquitos cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Iquitos

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🕒 Local time

15:47 3:47 PM

17:47 5:47 PM

2 h ahead of Iquitos

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

32,853

2,891,082 Capital

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

Argentine Peso ARS $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ARS, USD, EUR to PEN – Peruvian Sol Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇪 Peruvian Sol (S/)

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 3.43 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 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 PEN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Iquitos Buenos Aires 3,760 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Iquitos
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

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

Iquitos and Buenos Aires differ by about 150% in total monthly costs ($663 vs $1,656 including rent). Iquitos is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 64% 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: $343 in Iquitos versus $756 in Buenos Aires. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Iquitos – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $66.0 in Buenos Aires. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $663 per month in Iquitos versus $1,656 in Buenos Aires – a 150% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $663 in Iquitos versus $1,656 in Buenos Aires, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Iquitos but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes Iquitos 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, Iquitos 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 Iquitos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 150% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.