Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mendoza and Santa Fe

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Fe: $1,077 a month against $1,389 in Mendoza, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

66

Cost of Living Index in Mendoza
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Mendoza Living Index
52

Cost of Living Index in Santa Fe
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Santa Fe Living Index

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Mendoza

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,389

/mo nomad

Santa Fe

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,077

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mendoza and in Santa Fe

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 Santa Fe actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,389 per month in Mendoza vs $1,077 in Santa Fe, rent included.

Mendoza $1,389
Santa Fe $1,077

A couple spends around $2,178 per month in Mendoza vs $1,662 in Santa Fe, rent included.

Mendoza $2,178
Santa Fe $1,662

A family of three spends $2,967 per month in Mendoza vs $2,247 in Santa Fe, rent included.

Mendoza $2,967
Santa Fe $2,247

Mendoza costs about 29% more than Santa Fe, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Mendoza sits 2% above the global median, while Santa Fe is 21% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.87 ARS 16.7K

$10.16 ARS 15.7K

6.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.24 ARS 75.9K

$38.08 ARS 58.7K

29.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.44 ARS 22.3K

$12.35 ARS 19.0K

16.92%

Cappuccino

$4.43 ARS 6,832

$1.72 ARS 2,650

157.56%

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

$2.36 ARS 3,635

$1.48 ARS 2,279

59.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 ARS 3,003

$1.34 ARS 2,058

45.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.11 ARS 6,328

$3.47 ARS 5,348

18.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ARS 6,891

$5.03 ARS 7,754

-11.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 ARS 2,123

$1.01 ARS 1,564

36.63%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 ARS 3,397

$1.56 ARS 2,404

41.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.81 ARS 4,328

$1.02 ARS 1,578

175.49%

Eggs

$3.21 ARS 4,946

$1.54 ARS 2,380

108.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.63 ARS 22.6K

$8.17 ARS 12.6K

79.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.30 ARS 9,705

$6.04 ARS 9,307

4.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.00 ARS 17.0K

$10.32 ARS 15.9K

6.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ARS 3,530

$2.00 ARS 3,080

14.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 ARS 3,347

$1.51 ARS 2,329

43.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.35 ARS 2,079

$0.87 ARS 1,346

55.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.33 ARS 5,129

$2.51 ARS 3,862

32.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.01 ARS 3,092

$0.58 ARS 897

246.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.52 ARS 2,349

$0.68 ARS 1,050

123.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 ARS 2,977

$1.06 ARS 1,634

82.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.53 ARS 3,895

$1.07 ARS 1,648

136.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.80 ARS 4,315

$3.17 ARS 4,885

-11.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.99 ARS 7,692

$4.84 ARS 7,455

3.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ARS 2,747

$1.26 ARS 1,944

41.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ARS 4,500

$2.13 ARS 3,287

37.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.03 ARS 1,585

$1.07 ARS 1,644

-3.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.16 ARS 31.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.04 ARS 3,146

$0.98 ARS 1,508

108.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ARS 1,570

$0.98 ARS 1,512

4.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.95 ARS 7,630

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 ARS 1,873

$1.15 ARS 1,774

5.22%

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

$27.5K ARS 42.5M

$19.8K ARS 30.5M

39.00%

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

$33.4K ARS 51.5M

$29.7K ARS 45.8M

12.32%

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

$146 ARS 224.5K

$59.6 ARS 91.9K

144.40%

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

$17.24 ARS 26.6K

$19.80 ARS 30.5K

-12.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.11 ARS 37.2K

$21.28 ARS 32.8K

13.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.33 ARS 48.3K

$33.94 ARS 52.3K

-7.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 ARS 28.3K

$19.38 ARS 29.9K

-5.11%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 ARS 10.7K

$4.91 ARS 7,566

40.73%

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

$171 ARS 264.0K

$260 ARS 401.0K

-34.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,084 ARS 6.3M

$4,522 ARS 7.0M

-9.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$128 ARS 197.1K

$86.8 ARS 133.9K

47.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$142 ARS 218.3K

$60.9 ARS 93.9K

132.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$144 ARS 221.3K

$115 ARS 176.6K

25.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$156 ARS 241.2K

$142 ARS 218.8K

10.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$557 ARS 858.0K

$505 ARS 778.5K

10.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$352 ARS 543.3K

$365 ARS 563.1K

-3.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$966 ARS 1.5M

$936 ARS 1.4M

3.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$666 ARS 1.0M

$595 ARS 917.2K

12.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,699 ARS 2.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,127 ARS 1.7M

$1,271 ARS 2.0M

-11.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$778 ARS 1.2M

$854 ARS 1.3M

-8.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

100

-41.00%

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

Last update for Mendoza: October 27, 2026

Last update for Santa Fe: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mendoza

$352 25.4%

Santa Fe

$365 33.9% 3.6% $13

Groceries & Markets

Mendoza

$287 20.6%

Santa Fe

$197 18.3% 31.2% $89

Clothing & Footwear

Mendoza

$256 18.5%

Santa Fe

$182 16.9% 29% $74

Eating Out

Mendoza

$230 16.6%

Santa Fe

$178 16.5% 22.8% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mendoza

$187 13.5%

Santa Fe

$101 9.4% 46.2% $86

Sport & Entertainment

Mendoza

$45 3.3%

Santa Fe

$44 4.1% 3.1% $1.4

Getting Around

Mendoza

$31 2.3%

Santa Fe

$10 * 0.9% 67.7% $21

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $557 in Mendoza versus $505 in Santa Fe. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 10% higher in Santa Fe, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $49 in Mendoza versus $38 in Santa Fe. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $287 vs $197 – making Santa Fe the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Mendoza

🇦🇷 Santa Fe

🕒 Local time

23:51 11:51 PM

Same time as Mendoza

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

937,154

391,164

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.49 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.83 EUR

10,000 ARS = 6.49 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.83 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Mendoza Santa Fe 780 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Mendoza
Santa Fe

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 Santa Fe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Mendoza is pricier by about 29%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,084 per month in Mendoza and $1,615 in Santa Fe. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $557 in Mendoza and $505 in Santa Fe. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,389 in Mendoza and $1,077 in Santa Fe. That makes Santa Fe about 22% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $171 per month in Mendoza and $260 in Santa Fe. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,389 in Mendoza and $1,077 in Santa Fe, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Mendoza has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,077 in Santa Fe to $1,389 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.