Cost of Living Comparison Between Mendoza and El Calafate Cost of Living Comparison Between Mendoza and El Calafate

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,069 in Mendoza versus $955 in El Calafate.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,723 in Mendoza versus $1,592 in El Calafate.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,378 in Mendoza versus $2,228 in El Calafate.

Living in Mendoza is roughly 12% more expensive than in El Calafate, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Mendoza 20% lower, El Calafate 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.93 ARS 16.2K

$10.37 ARS 15.3K

5.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.47 ARS 61.3K

$33.18 ARS 49.0K

24.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.60 ARS 14.2K

$9.22 ARS 13.6K

4.12%

Cappuccino

$3.79 ARS 5,601

$2.76 ARS 4,085

37.32%

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

$2.32 ARS 3,424

$1.72 ARS 2,547

34.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 ARS 2,925

$1.55 ARS 2,296

27.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.94 ARS 2,875

$2.15 ARS 3,173

-9.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 ARS 4,337

$3.01 ARS 4,454

-2.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 ARS 1,906

$1.27 ARS 1,874

1.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.48 ARS 2,183

$1.57 ARS 2,319

-5.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.03 ARS 2,996

$2.02 ARS 2,980

0.50%

Eggs

$2.12 ARS 3,137

$2.19 ARS 3,235

-3.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.73 ARS 17.3K

$10.19 ARS 15.1K

15.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.69 ARS 11.4K

$6.19 ARS 9,148

24.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.46 ARS 14.0K

$9.36 ARS 13.8K

1.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.01 ARS 2,974

$2.00 ARS 2,957

0.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 ARS 2,255

$2.16 ARS 3,193

-29.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.51 ARS 2,236

$1.31 ARS 1,929

15.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 ARS 3,229

$2.54 ARS 3,753

-14.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.01 ARS 1,497

$1.15 ARS 1,697

-12.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 ARS 1,517

$1.19 ARS 1,753

-13.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ARS 1,515

$1.32 ARS 1,958

-22.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 ARS 3,878

$1.49 ARS 2,203

75.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.44 ARS 3,613

$3.15 ARS 4,662

-22.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.10 ARS 7,544

$5.11 ARS 7,549

-0.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 ARS 2,883

$1.98 ARS 2,924

-1.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.56 ARS 5,266

$3.02 ARS 4,466

17.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 ARS 1,018

$0.76 ARS 1,129

-9.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.28 ARS 27.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.41 ARS 605

$1.47 ARS 2,170

-72.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ARS 1,506

$0.87 ARS 1,281

17.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.85 ARS 7,170

$6.02 ARS 8,894

-19.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 ARS 1,761

$1.06 ARS 1,566

12.26%

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

$31.6K ARS 46.7M

$27.9K ARS 41.2M

13.47%

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

$33.0K ARS 48.8M

$30.5K ARS 45.1M

8.10%

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

$76.0 ARS 112.3K

$66.0 ARS 97.5K

15.21%

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

$17.52 ARS 25.9K

$17.47 ARS 25.8K

0.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.72 ARS 32.1K

$22.11 ARS 32.7K

-1.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.75 ARS 41.0K

$26.57 ARS 39.3K

4.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.19 ARS 23.9K

$13.87 ARS 20.5K

16.73%

Cinema Ticket

$6.10 ARS 9,021

$6.22 ARS 9,195

-1.93%

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

$102 ARS 150.4K

$216 ARS 319.0K

-52.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,172 ARS 3.2M

$2,690 ARS 4.0M

-19.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.9 ARS 119.6K

$73.5 ARS 108.6K

10.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$77.5 ARS 114.6K

$69.4 ARS 102.6K

11.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$147 ARS 217.8K

$114 ARS 167.9K

29.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 ARS 177.4K

$110 ARS 163.0K

8.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$363 ARS 536.4K

$340 ARS 502.4K

6.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$270 ARS 398.9K

$236 ARS 348.8K

14.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$609 ARS 899.8K

$694 ARS 1.0M

-12.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$502 ARS 741.9K

$533 ARS 787.1K

-5.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,705 ARS 2.5M

$1,872 ARS 2.8M

-8.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,121 ARS 1.7M

$1,594 ARS 2.4M

-29.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$722 ARS 1.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

58.5

35.04%

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

Last update for Mendoza: July 13, 2026

Last update for El Calafate: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $363 in Mendoza and $340 in El Calafate. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $41.00 in Mendoza vs $33.00 in El Calafate for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $231 per month, with El Calafate 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 El Calafate: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mendoza and El Calafate differ by about 12% in total monthly costs ($1,069 vs $955 including rent). El Calafate is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,603 in Mendoza and $1,433 in El Calafate 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: $363 in Mendoza versus $340 in El Calafate. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $102 in Mendoza versus $216 in El Calafate. 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 $33.00 versus $41.00 in Mendoza. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $955 in El Calafate versus $1,069 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, Mendoza and El Calafate 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 12% less than in Mendoza. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.