Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mendoza and Neuquen

For one person, living is cheaper in Neuquen: $1,261 a month against $1,363 in Mendoza, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Mendoza, Argentina
Neuquen, Argentina
Mendoza
🇦🇷 Argentina
$1,363
/mo nomad
Neuquen
🇦🇷 Argentina
$1,261
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mendoza and in Neuquen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mendoza and in Neuquen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,363 per month in Mendoza vs $1,261 in Neuquen, rent included.

  • Mendoza $1,363
  • Neuquen $1,261

A couple spends around $2,149 per month in Mendoza vs $2,110 in Neuquen, rent included.

  • Mendoza $2,149
  • Neuquen $2,110

A family of three spends $2,935 per month in Mendoza vs $2,959 in Neuquen, rent included.

  • Mendoza $2,935
  • Neuquen $2,959

Mendoza costs about 8% more than Neuquen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mendoza
Neuquen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.30 ARS 16.0K
$16.75 ARS 26.0K
-38.51%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$49.67 ARS 77.0K
$56.7 ARS 88.0K
-12.46%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$14.28 ARS 22.1K
$13.17 ARS 20.4K
8.43%
Cappuccino
$4.46 ARS 6,913
$3.74 ARS 5,793
19.25%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.44 ARS 3,780
$2.18 ARS 3,372
11.93%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.91 ARS 2,959
$1.85 ARS 2,865
3.24%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.12 ARS 6,385
$3.65 ARS 5,652
12.88%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.54 ARS 7,042
$4.16 ARS 6,448
9.13%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mendoza
Neuquen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.32 ARS 2,046
$1.41 ARS 2,183
-6.38%
White Bread (500g)
$2.27 ARS 3,519
$2.28 ARS 3,533
-0.44%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.67 ARS 4,132
$1.85 ARS 2,873
44.32%
Eggs
$3.17 ARS 4,921
$2.71 ARS 4,207
16.97%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.42 ARS 22.4K
$11.94 ARS 18.5K
20.77%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.20 ARS 9,610
$7.74 ARS 12.0K
-19.90%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.11 ARS 17.2K
$11.49 ARS 17.8K
-3.31%
Apples (1kg)
$2.29 ARS 3,550
$2.36 ARS 3,666
-2.97%
Banana (1kg)
$2.24 ARS 3,476
$2.24 ARS 3,481
-
Oranges (1kg)
$1.34 ARS 2,078
$1.57 ARS 2,441
-14.65%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.30 ARS 5,114
$2.73 ARS 4,230
20.88%
Potato (1kg)
$2.02 ARS 3,131
$1.11 ARS 1,713
81.98%
Onion (1kg)
$1.50 ARS 2,331
$0.95 ARS 1,473
57.89%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.03 ARS 3,148
-
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.52 ARS 3,907
$1.47 ARS 2,277
71.43%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.67 ARS 4,139
$3.24 ARS 5,031
-17.59%
Wine (Bottle)
$4.86 ARS 7,540
$5.10 ARS 7,906
-4.71%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.71 ARS 2,652
$2.03 ARS 3,143
-15.76%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.04 ARS 4,714
$3.29 ARS 5,100
-7.60%
🚌 Getting Around
Mendoza
Neuquen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.97 ARS 1,507
$0.97 ARS 1,506
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$20.09 ARS 31.1K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.99 ARS 3,078
$1.54 ARS 2,386
29.22%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 ARS 1,587
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.99 ARS 7,738
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.23 ARS 1,906
$1.19 ARS 1,853
3.36%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.6K ARS 42.8M
$25.1K ARS 38.9M
9.79%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.9K ARS 51.1M
$32.4K ARS 50.2M
1.78%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mendoza
Neuquen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$143 ARS 222.1K
$124 ARS 191.5K
15.96%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.24 ARS 26.7K
$16.73 ARS 25.9K
3.05%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$24.36 ARS 37.8K
$23.69 ARS 36.7K
2.83%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mendoza
Neuquen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$32.28 ARS 50.1K
$31.11 ARS 48.2K
3.76%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.05 ARS 28.0K
$20.48 ARS 31.8K
-11.87%
Cinema Ticket
$6.99 ARS 10.8K
$9.03 ARS 14.0K
-22.59%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mendoza
Neuquen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$173 ARS 268.3K
$233 ARS 361.6K
-25.80%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,157 ARS 6.4M
$4,282 ARS 6.6M
-2.90%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mendoza
Neuquen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$126 ARS 195.2K
$112 ARS 173.2K
12.70%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$140 ARS 217.3K
$81.7 ARS 126.7K
71.50%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$143 ARS 222.2K
$111 ARS 172.3K
28.96%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$159 ARS 245.9K
$114 ARS 176.8K
39.07%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mendoza
Neuquen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$584 ARS 906.1K
$522 ARS 808.7K
12.04%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$334 ARS 518.3K
$334 ARS 517.8K
0.08%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$982 ARS 1.5M
$1,050 ARS 1.6M
-6.49%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$647 ARS 1.0M
$816 ARS 1.3M
-20.63%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,740 ARS 2.7M
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,123 ARS 1.7M
$1,255 ARS 1.9M
-10.54%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mendoza
Neuquen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$757 ARS 1.2M
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
59
0
-

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

Last update for Mendoza: October 31, 2026

Last update for Neuquen: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Mendoza
$334
Neuquen
$334 0.1% $0.3
Groceries & Markets
Mendoza
$285
Neuquen
$259 * 9.2% $26
Clothing & Footwear
Mendoza
$256
Neuquen
$188 26.3% $67
Eating Out
Mendoza
$226
Neuquen
$261 15.6% $35
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mendoza
$185
Neuquen
$164 11.3% $21
Sport & Entertainment
Mendoza
$46
Neuquen
$49 6.3% $2.9
Getting Around
Mendoza
$31
Neuquen
$5.4 * 82.6% $26

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $584 in Mendoza versus $522 in Neuquen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50 in Mendoza versus $57 in Neuquen. Groceries tell a different story – $285 in Mendoza vs $259 in Neuquen – so Neuquen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇦🇷 Mendoza
🇦🇷 Neuquen
🕒 Local time
06:09 6:09 AM
06:09 6:09 AM
Same time as Mendoza
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
937,154
288,896
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to ARS – Argentine Peso Converter

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 1,551 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.45 USD). 1 EUR = 1,738 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.75 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mendoza Neuquen 680 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Mendoza
  • Neuquen

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
Mendoza vs Neuquen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Neuquen cheaper than Mendoza?
Yes – Mendoza is pricier by about 8%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,045 per month in Mendoza and $1,892 in Neuquen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Neuquen, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $522 there versus $584 in Mendoza.
What are total monthly expenses in Mendoza and in Neuquen?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,363 in Mendoza and $1,261 in Neuquen. That makes Neuquen about 7% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $173 per month in Mendoza and $233 in Neuquen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $2,000 enough for either Mendoza or Neuquen?
$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,363 in Mendoza and $1,261 in Neuquen, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Is it better to live in Mendoza or in Neuquen?
It depends on your priorities. Mendoza has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,261 in Neuquen to $1,363 in Mendoza. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Which city is safer, Mendoza or Neuquen?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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