Cost of Living Comparison Between Mendoza and Paso de los Libres Cost of Living Comparison Between Mendoza and Paso de los Libres

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,093 per month in Mendoza vs $999 in Paso de los Libres, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,725 per month in Mendoza vs $1,623 in Paso de los Libres, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,358 per month in Mendoza vs $2,246 in Paso de los Libres, rent included.

Mendoza costs about 9% more than Paso de los Libres, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Mendoza and Paso de los Libres are more affordable than the global median – Mendoza 18% lower, Paso de los Libres 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.10 ARS 15.9K

$10.45 ARS 15.0K

6.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.37 ARS 59.4K

$33.82 ARS 48.6K

22.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.48 ARS 13.6K

$9.17 ARS 13.2K

3.38%

Cappuccino

$3.64 ARS 5,231

$2.74 ARS 3,941

32.85%

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

$2.34 ARS 3,361

$1.64 ARS 2,359

42.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 ARS 2,869

$1.55 ARS 2,221

29.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.99 ARS 2,852

$2.15 ARS 3,095

-7.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ARS 4,270

$2.93 ARS 4,206

1.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 ARS 1,822

$1.31 ARS 1,886

-3.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 ARS 2,216

$1.63 ARS 2,343

-5.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.04 ARS 2,932

$1.97 ARS 2,825

3.55%

Eggs

$2.20 ARS 3,159

$2.27 ARS 3,262

-3.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.81 ARS 17.0K

$10.29 ARS 14.8K

14.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.64 ARS 11.0K

$6.18 ARS 8,881

23.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.51 ARS 13.7K

$9.36 ARS 13.4K

1.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.03 ARS 2,910

$1.96 ARS 2,813

3.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 ARS 2,173

$2.08 ARS 2,987

-27.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 ARS 2,140

$1.31 ARS 1,886

13.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.11 ARS 3,037

$2.60 ARS 3,736

-18.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 ARS 1,479

$1.13 ARS 1,629

-8.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 ARS 1,466

$1.20 ARS 1,721

-15.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ARS 1,459

$1.32 ARS 1,890

-22.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 ARS 3,779

$1.48 ARS 2,126

77.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.43 ARS 3,486

$3.20 ARS 4,593

-24.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.11 ARS 7,334

$4.70 ARS 6,755

8.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 ARS 2,834

$1.99 ARS 2,853

-1.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ARS 4,992

$3.07 ARS 4,414

13.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 ARS 1,023

$0.84 ARS 1,201

-15.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.70 ARS 26.9K

$28.20 ARS 40.5K

-33.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.42 ARS 598

$1.54 ARS 2,216

-72.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.97 ARS 1,394

$0.87 ARS 1,250

11.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.82 ARS 6,929

$6.07 ARS 8,724

-20.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 ARS 1,728

$1.10 ARS 1,586

9.09%

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

$31.4K ARS 45.1M

$27.6K ARS 39.7M

13.60%

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

$33.7K ARS 48.3M

$29.9K ARS 42.9M

12.62%

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

$78.7 ARS 113.0K

$67.8 ARS 97.3K

16.12%

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

$17.31 ARS 24.9K

$17.20 ARS 24.7K

0.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.99 ARS 31.6K

$22.52 ARS 32.4K

-2.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.39 ARS 39.4K

$26.21 ARS 37.6K

4.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.87 ARS 22.8K

$13.89 ARS 19.9K

14.25%

Cinema Ticket

$6.02 ARS 8,646

$6.09 ARS 8,751

-1.15%

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

$104 ARS 148.9K

$223 ARS 320.0K

-53.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,184 ARS 3.1M

$2,746 ARS 3.9M

-20.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.1 ARS 119.3K

$72.7 ARS 104.4K

14.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$76.8 ARS 110.3K

$68.7 ARS 98.7K

11.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$149 ARS 213.4K

$116 ARS 167.0K

27.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 ARS 168.3K

$113 ARS 162.6K

3.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$357 ARS 513.2K

$342 ARS 491.4K

4.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$267 ARS 383.0K

$238 ARS 341.7K

12.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$617 ARS 886.9K

$672 ARS 965.1K

-8.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$510 ARS 733.3K

$533 ARS 765.1K

-4.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,695 ARS 2.4M

$2,191 ARS 3.1M

-22.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,084 ARS 1.6M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$728 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: June 14, 2026

Last update for Paso de los Libres: June 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $357 in Mendoza versus $342 in Paso de los Libres. 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 $41.00 in Mendoza versus $34.00 in Paso de los Libres. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $251 vs $231 – making Paso de los Libres the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Paso de los Libres: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Mendoza is pricier by about 9%, and the gap shows up most in Clothing & Footwear. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,639 per month in Mendoza and $1,499 in Paso de los Libres. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Paso de los Libres, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 51% less in Paso de los Libres. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $104 per month in Mendoza and $223 in Paso de los Libres. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Paso de los Libres, where all-in costs run around $999, than in Mendoza at $1,093. In Paso de los Libres it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mendoza it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Paso de los Libres – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Paso de los Libres. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mendoza makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.