Cost of Living Comparison Between Mendoza and Buenos Aires Cost of Living Comparison Between Mendoza and Buenos Aires

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,075 in Mendoza versus $1,412 in Buenos Aires.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,730 in Mendoza versus $2,197 in Buenos Aires.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,385 in Mendoza versus $2,982 in Buenos Aires.

Living in Mendoza costs roughly 24% less than in Buenos Aires, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mendoza is 20% below, Buenos Aires is 5% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.84 ARS 15.5K

$15.09 ARS 21.5K

-28.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.73 ARS 59.5K

$60.7 ARS 86.6K

-31.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.70 ARS 13.8K

$11.89 ARS 17.0K

-18.42%

Cappuccino

$3.69 ARS 5,262

$4.01 ARS 5,720

-7.98%

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

$2.24 ARS 3,193

$2.09 ARS 2,976

7.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 ARS 2,938

$1.48 ARS 2,115

39.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.02 ARS 2,884

$3.58 ARS 5,111

-43.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 ARS 4,187

$4.08 ARS 5,816

-28.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 ARS 1,808

$1.60 ARS 2,276

-20.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 ARS 2,128

$2.53 ARS 3,603

-41.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 ARS 2,816

$2.28 ARS 3,259

-13.60%

Eggs

$2.21 ARS 3,146

$3.32 ARS 4,739

-33.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.57 ARS 16.5K

$12.15 ARS 17.3K

-4.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.37 ARS 10.5K

$7.85 ARS 11.2K

-6.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.56 ARS 13.6K

$9.66 ARS 13.8K

-1.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.01 ARS 2,872

$2.49 ARS 3,548

-19.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 ARS 2,191

$2.06 ARS 2,938

-25.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 ARS 2,092

$1.27 ARS 1,805

15.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 ARS 2,985

$2.55 ARS 3,631

-18.04%

Potato (1kg)

$0.97 ARS 1,391

$1.49 ARS 2,126

-34.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 ARS 1,442

$1.47 ARS 2,094

-31.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ARS 1,459

$1.84 ARS 2,628

-44.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 ARS 3,911

$1.44 ARS 2,059

90.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.45 ARS 3,493

$3.27 ARS 4,671

-25.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.09 ARS 7,255

$5.75 ARS 8,199

-11.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 ARS 2,814

$2.24 ARS 3,202

-12.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.47 ARS 4,951

$3.20 ARS 4,565

8.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.73 ARS 1,035

$0.72 ARS 1,026

1.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.74 ARS 26.7K

$16.12 ARS 23.0K

16.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.41 ARS 587

$1.65 ARS 2,347

-75.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ARS 1,455

$0.91 ARS 1,294

12.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.93 ARS 7,036

$5.93 ARS 8,461

-16.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 ARS 1,712

$1.11 ARS 1,584

8.11%

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

$31.7K ARS 45.2M

$24.6K ARS 35.0M

28.96%

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

$33.2K ARS 47.4M

$28.8K ARS 41.1M

15.38%

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

$77.6 ARS 110.7K

$109 ARS 155.6K

-28.85%

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

$17.56 ARS 25.1K

$21.60 ARS 30.8K

-18.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.55 ARS 30.7K

$29.00 ARS 41.4K

-25.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.98 ARS 39.9K

$42.80 ARS 61.1K

-34.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.31 ARS 23.3K

$11.76 ARS 16.8K

38.69%

Cinema Ticket

$6.10 ARS 8,697

$9.01 ARS 12.9K

-32.30%

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

$103 ARS 147.6K

$324 ARS 462.1K

-68.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,124 ARS 3.0M

$5,180 ARS 7.4M

-58.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.1 ARS 115.8K

$109 ARS 154.9K

-25.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$75.6 ARS 107.8K

$86.8 ARS 123.8K

-12.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$150 ARS 214.5K

$124 ARS 176.4K

21.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 ARS 169.8K

$133 ARS 189.3K

-10.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$353 ARS 504.0K

$658 ARS 939.0K

-46.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$274 ARS 391.0K

$447 ARS 638.3K

-38.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$611 ARS 871.9K

$1,155 ARS 1.6M

-47.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$502 ARS 716.5K

$811 ARS 1.2M

-38.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,691 ARS 2.4M

$2,627 ARS 3.7M

-35.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,127 ARS 1.6M

$1,830 ARS 2.6M

-38.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$725 ARS 1.0M

$820 ARS 1.2M

-11.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

52.71

49.88%

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

Last update for Mendoza: May 31, 2026

Last update for Buenos Aires: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $353 in Mendoza and $658 in Buenos Aires. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buenos Aires pays 13% 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: $42.00 in Mendoza vs $61.0 in Buenos Aires for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $272 per month, with Mendoza cheaper across the board.

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

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

Mendoza and Buenos Aires differ by about 31% in total monthly costs ($1,075 vs $1,412 including rent). Mendoza is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Buenos Aires earns 13% less. 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: $353 in Mendoza versus $658 in Buenos Aires. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $103 in Mendoza versus $324 in Buenos Aires. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Buenos Aires. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,075 in Mendoza versus $1,412 in Buenos Aires, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Mendoza but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes Mendoza 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, Mendoza 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 Mendoza gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.