Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between La Plata and Buenos Aires

For one person, living is cheaper in La Plata: $959 a month against $1,656 in Buenos Aires, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

47

Cost of Living Index in La Plata
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La Plata Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
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Buenos Aires Living Index

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La Plata

🇦🇷 Argentina

$959

/mo nomad

Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,656

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $959 in La Plata versus $1,656 in Buenos Aires.

La Plata $959
Buenos Aires $1,656

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,711 in La Plata versus $2,697 in Buenos Aires.

La Plata $1,711
Buenos Aires $2,697

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,464 in La Plata versus $3,737 in Buenos Aires.

La Plata $2,464
Buenos Aires $3,737

Living in La Plata costs roughly 42% less than in Buenos Aires, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.43 ARS 23.4K

$19.09 ARS 29.0K

-19.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.89 ARS 75.7K

$65.8 ARS 99.9K

-24.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.82 ARS 14.9K

$13.20 ARS 20.0K

-25.61%

Cappuccino

$3.84 ARS 5,829

$3.85 ARS 5,841

-0.26%

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

$1.54 ARS 2,344

$1.99 ARS 3,020

-22.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 ARS 1,386

$1.60 ARS 2,430

-43.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.04 ARS 6,125

$3.93 ARS 5,959

2.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 ARS 5,459

$4.61 ARS 7,003

-21.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 ARS 1,580

$1.50 ARS 2,272

-30.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.18 ARS 3,303

$2.53 ARS 3,837

-13.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.88 ARS 1,328

$1.61 ARS 2,445

-45.34%

Eggs

$2.23 ARS 3,387

$2.84 ARS 4,316

-21.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.00 ARS 13.7K

$10.30 ARS 15.6K

-12.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.40 ARS 8,187

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

-46.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.44 ARS 14.3K

$13.30 ARS 20.2K

-29.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.08 ARS 3,157

$2.88 ARS 4,366

-27.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 ARS 2,943

$2.20 ARS 3,334

-11.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.74 ARS 1,122

$1.40 ARS 2,120

-47.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.55 ARS 2,357

$1.98 ARS 3,004

-21.72%

Potato (1kg)

$0.52 ARS 789

$1.21 ARS 1,835

-57.02%

Onion (1kg)

$0.60 ARS 917

$1.26 ARS 1,910

-52.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ARS 1,535

$1.71 ARS 2,592

-40.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 ARS 1,538

$1.72 ARS 2,603

-41.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.23 ARS 4,903

$4.29 ARS 6,505

-24.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.99 ARS 7,578

$5.70 ARS 8,645

-12.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 ARS 3,178

$2.17 ARS 3,288

-3.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 ARS 4,288

$2.76 ARS 4,188

2.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.73 ARS 1,107

$0.75 ARS 1,141

-2.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$4.59 ARS 6,965

$27.27 ARS 41.4K

-83.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.55 ARS 2,352

$1.57 ARS 2,375

-1.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 ARS 1,020

$1.03 ARS 1,558

-34.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.76 ARS 11.8K

$7.90 ARS 12.0K

-1.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 ARS 1,756

$1.42 ARS 2,160

-18.31%

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

$22.0K ARS 33.4M

$27.9K ARS 42.4M

-21.23%

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

$34.5K ARS 52.4M

$35.0K ARS 53.1M

-1.26%

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

$70.9 ARS 107.6K

$195 ARS 296.2K

-63.66%

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

$11.14 ARS 16.9K

$25.16 ARS 38.2K

-55.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.13 ARS 36.6K

$31.54 ARS 47.9K

-23.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.16 ARS 39.7K

$50.9 ARS 77.3K

-48.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.80 ARS 16.4K

$16.73 ARS 25.4K

-35.45%

Cinema Ticket

$5.36 ARS 8,127

$10.34 ARS 15.7K

-48.16%

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

$138 ARS 209.6K

$463 ARS 703.2K

-70.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,189 ARS 6.4M

$8,793 ARS 13.3M

-52.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$108 ARS 163.2K

$120 ARS 181.8K

-10.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.87 ARS 31.7K

$95.5 ARS 144.9K

-78.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.5 ARS 143.3K

$114 ARS 173.1K

-17.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.1 ARS 82.1K

$139 ARS 211.4K

-61.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$346 ARS 525.2K

$756 ARS 1.1M

-54.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$238 ARS 361.3K

$520 ARS 788.8K

-54.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,207 ARS 1.8M

$1,590 ARS 2.4M

-24.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$758 ARS 1.2M

$1,198 ARS 1.8M

-36.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,009 ARS 3.0M

$2,713 ARS 4.1M

-25.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,190 ARS 1.8M

$1,901 ARS 2.9M

-37.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$716 ARS 1.1M

$938 ARS 1.4M

-23.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

-26.64%

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

Last update for La Plata: October 12, 2026

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

La Plata

$238 24.8%

Buenos Aires

$520 31.4% 118% $282

Eating Out

La Plata

$236 24.6%

Buenos Aires

$282 17% 19.3% $46

Groceries & Markets

La Plata

$205 21.4%

Buenos Aires

$283 17.1% 38.3% $79

Clothing & Footwear

La Plata

$125 13%

Buenos Aires

$211 12.7% 69.2% $86

Monthly Utilities & Internet

La Plata

$106 11.1%

Buenos Aires

$252 15.2% 137% $146

Sport & Entertainment

La Plata

$37 3.8%

Buenos Aires

$72 4.3% 94.2% $35

Getting Around

La Plata

$12 1.3%

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2% 198% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $346 in La Plata and $756 in Buenos Aires. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buenos Aires pays 31% 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 La Plata vs $66.0 in Buenos Aires for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $205 vs $283 per month, with La Plata cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇷 La Plata

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🕒 Local time

10:57 10:57 AM

Same time as La Plata

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

193,144

2,891,082 Capital

💱 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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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

La Plata vs Buenos Aires: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

La Plata and Buenos Aires differ by about 73% in total monthly costs ($959 vs $1,656 including rent). La Plata is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 31% 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: $346 in La Plata versus $756 in Buenos Aires. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $138 in La Plata versus $463 in Buenos Aires. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 38% higher in Buenos Aires. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $959 in La Plata versus $1,656 in Buenos Aires, a $2,000 budget is realistic in La Plata but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes La Plata 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, La Plata 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 La Plata gentler on the wallet – expenses run 73% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.