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: $1,075 in Mendoza versus $953 in El Calafate.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,730 in Mendoza versus $1,554 in El Calafate.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,385 in Mendoza versus $2,156 in El Calafate.

Living in Mendoza is roughly 13% more expensive than El Calafate, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Mendoza 20% lower, El Calafate 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.84 ARS 15.5K

$10.44 ARS 14.9K

3.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.73 ARS 59.5K

$33.71 ARS 48.1K

23.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.70 ARS 13.8K

$9.11 ARS 13.0K

6.48%

Cappuccino

$3.69 ARS 5,262

$2.74 ARS 3,915

34.67%

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

$2.24 ARS 3,193

$1.71 ARS 2,441

30.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 ARS 2,938

$1.54 ARS 2,191

33.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.02 ARS 2,884

$2.15 ARS 3,071

-6.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 ARS 4,187

$2.95 ARS 4,203

-0.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 ARS 1,808

$1.25 ARS 1,783

1.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 ARS 2,128

$1.63 ARS 2,322

-8.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 ARS 2,816

$2.05 ARS 2,922

-3.90%

Eggs

$2.21 ARS 3,146

$2.27 ARS 3,237

-2.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.57 ARS 16.5K

$10.21 ARS 14.6K

13.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.37 ARS 10.5K

$6.09 ARS 8,690

21.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.56 ARS 13.6K

$9.39 ARS 13.4K

1.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.01 ARS 2,872

$1.97 ARS 2,805

2.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 ARS 2,191

$2.09 ARS 2,975

-26.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 ARS 2,092

$1.31 ARS 1,867

12.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 ARS 2,985

$2.62 ARS 3,730

-20.23%

Potato (1kg)

$0.97 ARS 1,391

$1.18 ARS 1,681

-17.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 ARS 1,442

$1.24 ARS 1,774

-18.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ARS 1,459

$1.31 ARS 1,874

-22.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 ARS 3,911

$1.45 ARS 2,063

88.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.45 ARS 3,493

$3.08 ARS 4,393

-20.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.09 ARS 7,255

$5.14 ARS 7,335

-0.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 ARS 2,814

$2.07 ARS 2,957

-4.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.47 ARS 4,951

$3.17 ARS 4,527

9.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.73 ARS 1,035

$0.78 ARS 1,114

-6.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.74 ARS 26.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.41 ARS 587

$1.54 ARS 2,198

-73.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ARS 1,455

$0.88 ARS 1,250

15.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.93 ARS 7,036

$6.16 ARS 8,781

-19.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 ARS 1,712

$1.09 ARS 1,555

10.09%

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

$31.7K ARS 45.2M

$27.6K ARS 39.3M

14.88%

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

$33.2K ARS 47.4M

$30.9K ARS 44.0M

7.72%

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

$77.6 ARS 110.7K

$67.7 ARS 96.5K

14.67%

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

$17.56 ARS 25.1K

$17.29 ARS 24.7K

1.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.55 ARS 30.7K

$22.23 ARS 31.7K

-3.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.98 ARS 39.9K

$26.54 ARS 37.9K

5.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.31 ARS 23.3K

$13.72 ARS 19.6K

18.88%

Cinema Ticket

$6.10 ARS 8,697

$6.08 ARS 8,672

0.33%

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

$103 ARS 147.6K

$217 ARS 309.9K

-52.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,124 ARS 3.0M

$2,719 ARS 3.9M

-21.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.1 ARS 115.8K

$75.1 ARS 107.2K

8.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$75.6 ARS 107.8K

$70.6 ARS 100.7K

7.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$150 ARS 214.5K

$113 ARS 161.6K

32.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 ARS 169.8K

$111 ARS 158.9K

6.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$353 ARS 504.0K

$336 ARS 478.6K

5.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$274 ARS 391.0K

$238 ARS 339.2K

15.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$611 ARS 871.9K

$686 ARS 979.2K

-10.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$502 ARS 716.5K

$538 ARS 767.9K

-6.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,691 ARS 2.4M

$1,864 ARS 2.7M

-9.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,127 ARS 1.6M

$1,588 ARS 2.3M

-29.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$725 ARS 1.0M

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for El Calafate: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $353 in Mendoza and $336 in El Calafate. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Mendoza vs $34.00 in El Calafate for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $232 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 13% in total monthly costs ($1,075 vs $953 including rent). El Calafate is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,612 in Mendoza and $1,429 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: $353 in Mendoza versus $336 in El Calafate. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $103 in Mendoza versus $217 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 $34.00 versus $42.00 in Mendoza. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $953 in El Calafate versus $1,075 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 13% less than in Mendoza. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.