For one person, living is cheaper in Argentina: $1,344 a month against $1,804 in Italy, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Italy and in Argentina actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,804 in Italy versus $1,344 in Argentina.
Italy $1,804
Argentina $1,344
Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,778 in Italy versus $2,176 in Argentina.
Italy $2,778
Argentina $2,176
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,752 in Italy versus $3,007 in Argentina.
Italy $3,752
Argentina $3,007
📏
Internal cost variation is higher in Italy: monthly costs span $1,035 to $2,560, compared to $890–$1,656 in Argentina. City choice carries more weight in Italy.
🌍
Living in Italy is roughly 34% more expensive than in Argentina on average.
📊
Both countries sit above the global median: Italy 34% above, Argentina 0% above.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Italy
Argentina
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.89€17.70
$14.71ARS 22.3K
35.21%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$77.0€68.5
$54.7ARS 83.0K
40.78%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$11.00€9.78
$13.02ARS 19.8K
-15.51%
Cappuccino
$1.99€1.77
$3.48ARS 5,288
-42.82%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.96€2.63
$2.10ARS 3,193
40.95%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.41€1.25
$1.57ARS 2,385
-10.19%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$5.60€4.98
$3.60ARS 5,459
55.56%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$5.67€5.05
$3.89ARS 5,903
45.76%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Italy
Argentina
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.61€1.43
$1.37ARS 2,074
17.52%
White Bread(500g)
$2.30€2.05
$2.31ARS 3,501
-0.43%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.99€2.66
$1.75ARS 2,655
70.86%
Eggs
$4.06€3.61
$2.72ARS 4,120
49.26%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$17.23€15.33
$10.24ARS 15.5K
68.26%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$12.68€11.28
$8.58ARS 13.0K
47.79%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$20.36€18.11
$11.85ARS 18.0K
71.81%
Apples(1kg)
$2.54€2.26
$2.48ARS 3,770
2.42%
Banana(1kg)
$2.15€1.91
$2.12ARS 3,213
1.42%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.56€2.28
$1.40ARS 2,131
82.86%
Tomato(1kg)
$3.22€2.86
$2.41ARS 3,664
33.61%
Potato(1kg)
$1.92€1.70
$1.18ARS 1,792
62.71%
Onion(1kg)
$1.84€1.64
$1.09ARS 1,655
68.81%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.51€1.34
$1.56ARS 2,374
-3.21%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.55€0.49
$1.56ARS 2,375
-64.74%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$6.81€6.06
$4.12ARS 6,253
65.29%
Wine(Bottle)
$8.03€7.15
$5.04ARS 7,648
59.33%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.72€1.53
$1.96ARS 2,969
-12.24%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.37€2.11
$3.07ARS 4,666
-22.80%
🚌 Getting Around
Italy
Argentina
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.88€1.67
$1.02ARS 1,543
84.31%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$43.31€38.52
$27.91ARS 42.3K
55.18%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$5.57€4.95
$1.57ARS 2,386
254.78%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.63€1.45
$0.98ARS 1,489
66.33%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$33.78€30.04
$7.44ARS 11.3K
354.03%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$2.04€1.81
$1.27ARS 1,928
60.63%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.6K€31.7K
$26.6KARS 40.4M
33.78%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$35.4K€31.5K
$33.6KARS 51.0M
5.27%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Italy
Argentina
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$222€198
$137ARS 208.4K
61.92%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.43€10.17
$17.27ARS 26.2K
-33.82%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.65€27.26
$25.41ARS 38.6K
20.62%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Italy
Argentina
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$52.7€46.89
$34.76ARS 52.7K
51.67%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.82€21.19
$18.57ARS 28.2K
28.27%
Cinema Ticket
$10.51€9.35
$9.99ARS 15.2K
5.21%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Italy
Argentina
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$541€481
$332ARS 504.0K
62.90%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$11.7K€10.4K
$6,258ARS 9.5M
87.25%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Italy
Argentina
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$90.0€80.0
$109ARS 165.5K
-17.50%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.08€34.76
$85.5ARS 129.7K
-54.28%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$101€90.2
$121ARS 183.6K
-16.20%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$132€117
$122ARS 184.5K
8.61%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Italy
Argentina
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$805€716
$538ARS 817.1K
49.52%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$619€550
$372ARS 564.6K
66.32%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,388€1,235
$1,097ARS 1.7M
26.57%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,050€934
$804ARS 1.2M
30.57%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$3,623€3,223
$2,181ARS 3.3M
66.12%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$2,229€1,983
$1,454ARS 2.2M
53.32%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Italy
Argentina
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$1,889€1,680
$786ARS 1.2M
140.35%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
3.56
58.21
-93.88%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Italy: October 11, 2026
Last update for Argentina: October 13, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Italy
$619 34.3%
Argentina
$372 27.7% ↓ 39.9%$247
🛒Groceries & Markets
Italy
$347 19.2%
Argentina
$263 19.6% ↓ 24.1%$83
🍽Eating Out
Italy
$273 15.1%
Argentina
$239 17.8% ↓ 12.4%$34
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Italy
$265 14.7%
Argentina
$180 13.4% ↓ 31.9%$84
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Italy
$163 9%
Argentina
$197 14.6% ↑ 20.6%$34
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Italy
$74 4.1%
Argentina
$55 4.1% ↓ 25.8%$19
🚌Getting Around
Italy
$65 3.6%
Argentina
$38 2.9% ↓ 40.4%$26
🏠Accommodation & Living
Italy
$1K 28%
Argentina
$804 26.7% ↓ 23.4%$246
🛒Groceries & Markets
Italy
$821 21.9%
Argentina
$609 20.2% ↓ 25.8%$212
🍽Eating Out
Italy
$939 25%
Argentina
$753 25.1% ↓ 19.8%$186
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Italy
$276 7.4%
Argentina
$197 6.6% ↓ 28.5%$79
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Italy
$362 9.7%
Argentina
$437 14.5% ↑ 20.6%$75
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Italy
$171 4.6%
Argentina
$128 4.3% ↓ 25.2%$43
🚌Getting Around
Italy
$133 3.5%
Argentina
$79 2.6% ↓ 40.6%$54
Cost Breakdown
🏠National rent averages: $721 in Italy, $515 in Argentina. Capital cities: $1,222 in Rome vs $756 in Buenos Aires.
💰National salary averages: $1,888 in Italy, $799 in Argentina. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.
Cost Highlights
⭐Rent is 40% higher in Italy.
⭐Dining out costs 40% more in Italy.
⭐Public transport is 925% more expensive in Italy.
⭐Salaries are 136% higher in Italy, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Italy.
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
Italy vs Argentina: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost difference between Argentina and Italy?
At $1,344 per month in Argentina and $1,804 in Italy, there's a 34% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
Which country is cheaper for everyday spending?
Day-to-day life is cheaper in Argentina: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.
Which country has higher housing costs?
Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $721 in Italy and $515 in Argentina. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget in Argentina or in Italy?
In Argentina, $2,500 covers most cities easily; in Italy it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.
Should I move to Argentina or to Italy?
It depends on what you're after: Argentina wins on affordability; Italy may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.