Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mendoza and San Rafael, Argentina

Name: San Rafael
Address: San Rafael, AR

For one person, living costs are similar in Mendoza and in San Rafael: $1,363 and $1,353 a month, rent and utilities included.

65

Cost of Living Index in Mendoza
Learn more

Mendoza Living Index
64

Cost of Living Index in San Rafael
Learn more

San Rafael Living Index

Jump to prices

Mendoza

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,363

/mo nomad

San Rafael

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,353

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mendoza and in San Rafael

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 San Rafael actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,363 per month in Mendoza vs $1,353 in San Rafael, rent included.

Mendoza $1,363
San Rafael $1,353

A couple spends around $2,149 per month in Mendoza vs $2,224 in San Rafael, rent included.

Mendoza $2,149
San Rafael $2,224

A family of three spends $2,935 per month in Mendoza vs $3,096 in San Rafael, rent included.

Mendoza $2,935
San Rafael $3,096

Mendoza and San Rafael have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.30 ARS 15.9K

$11.01 ARS 17.0K

-6.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.67 ARS 76.7K

$50.9 ARS 78.7K

-2.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.28 ARS 22.1K

$14.49 ARS 22.4K

-1.45%

Cappuccino

$4.46 ARS 6,888

$4.44 ARS 6,857

0.45%

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

$2.44 ARS 3,766

$2.43 ARS 3,760

0.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 ARS 2,949

$1.90 ARS 2,932

0.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.12 ARS 6,363

$3.89 ARS 6,015

5.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.54 ARS 7,017

$4.38 ARS 6,768

3.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 ARS 2,039

$1.39 ARS 2,148

-5.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 ARS 3,506

$2.19 ARS 3,376

3.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.67 ARS 4,118

$2.78 ARS 4,297

-3.96%

Eggs

$3.17 ARS 4,904

$3.19 ARS 4,921

-0.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.42 ARS 22.3K

$14.27 ARS 22.1K

1.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.20 ARS 9,576

$6.11 ARS 9,446

1.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.11 ARS 17.2K

$11.04 ARS 17.1K

0.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ARS 3,537

$2.36 ARS 3,639

-2.97%

Banana (1kg)

$2.24 ARS 3,463

$2.23 ARS 3,447

0.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.34 ARS 2,070

$1.37 ARS 2,109

-2.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.30 ARS 5,096

$3.33 ARS 5,149

-0.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 ARS 3,120

$2.03 ARS 3,129

-0.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ARS 2,322

$1.52 ARS 2,352

-1.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.03 ARS 3,137

$2.00 ARS 3,092

1.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 ARS 3,894

$2.57 ARS 3,967

-1.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.67 ARS 4,124

$2.68 ARS 4,138

-0.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.86 ARS 7,513

$5.07 ARS 7,838

-4.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 ARS 2,642

$1.80 ARS 2,785

-5.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 ARS 4,698

$3.07 ARS 4,740

-0.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.97 ARS 1,501

$0.98 ARS 1,508

-1.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.09 ARS 31.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.99 ARS 3,067

$2.01 ARS 3,105

-1.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ARS 1,581

$1.03 ARS 1,584

-0.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.99 ARS 7,710

$4.93 ARS 7,610

1.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ARS 1,899

$1.22 ARS 1,880

0.82%

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

$27.6K ARS 42.6M

$27.4K ARS 42.3M

0.81%

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

$32.9K ARS 50.9M

$32.4K ARS 50.0M

1.77%

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

$143 ARS 221.3K

$146 ARS 226.0K

-2.06%

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

$17.24 ARS 26.6K

$17.25 ARS 26.7K

-0.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.36 ARS 37.6K

$23.80 ARS 36.8K

2.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.28 ARS 49.9K

$31.51 ARS 48.7K

2.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.05 ARS 27.9K

$21.04 ARS 32.5K

-14.21%

Cinema Ticket

$6.99 ARS 10.8K

$7.25 ARS 11.2K

-3.59%

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

$173 ARS 267.3K

$174 ARS 268.8K

-0.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,157 ARS 6.4M

$4,125 ARS 6.4M

0.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$126 ARS 194.5K

$125 ARS 193.3K

0.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$140 ARS 216.5K

$142 ARS 219.9K

-1.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$143 ARS 221.4K

$141 ARS 218.5K

1.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 ARS 245.0K

$158 ARS 243.8K

0.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$584 ARS 902.9K

$511 ARS 788.8K

14.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$334 ARS 516.4K

$336 ARS 519.9K

-0.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$982 ARS 1.5M

$1,049 ARS 1.6M

-6.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$647 ARS 1.0M

$825 ARS 1.3M

-21.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,740 ARS 2.7M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,123 ARS 1.7M

$1,272 ARS 2.0M

-11.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$757 ARS 1.2M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Mendoza: October 31, 2026

Last update for San Rafael: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Mendoza

$334 24.5%

San Rafael

$336 24.9% 0.7% $2.2

Groceries & Markets

Mendoza

$285 20.9%

San Rafael

$287 21.2% 0.5% $1.3

Clothing & Footwear

Mendoza

$256 18.8%

San Rafael

$255 18.9% 0.2% $0.5

Eating Out

Mendoza

$226 16.6%

San Rafael

$230 17% 2% $4.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mendoza

$185 13.6%

San Rafael

$187 13.9% 1.3% $2.5

Sport & Entertainment

Mendoza

$46 3.4%

San Rafael

$46 3.4% 0.6% $0.3

Getting Around

Mendoza

$31 2.3%

San Rafael

$11 * 0.8% 64.5% $20

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 $511 in San Rafael. 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 $51 in San Rafael. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $285 vs $287 – making Mendoza the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Mendoza

🇦🇷 San Rafael

🕒 Local time

13:33 1:33 PM

Same time as Mendoza

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

937,154

118,850

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.47 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.78 EUR

10,000 ARS = 6.47 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.78 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mendoza San Rafael 200 km

From you

Mendoza
San Rafael

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 San Rafael: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,045 per month in Mendoza and $2,029 in San Rafael. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in San Rafael, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $511 there versus $584 in Mendoza.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,363 in Mendoza and $1,353 in San Rafael. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Mendoza has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,353 in San Rafael to $1,363 in Mendoza. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.