Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mendoza and Ushuaia

For one person, living is cheaper in Ushuaia: $957 a month against $1,387 in Mendoza, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

67

Cost of Living Index in Mendoza
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Mendoza Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Ushuaia
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Ushuaia Living Index

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Mendoza

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,387

/mo nomad

Ushuaia

🇦🇷 Argentina

$957

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mendoza and in Ushuaia

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

A single person spends $1,387 per month in Mendoza vs $957 in Ushuaia, rent included.

Mendoza $1,387
Ushuaia $957

A couple spends around $2,185 per month in Mendoza vs $1,570 in Ushuaia, rent included.

Mendoza $2,185
Ushuaia $1,570

A family of three spends $2,984 per month in Mendoza vs $2,183 in Ushuaia, rent included.

Mendoza $2,984
Ushuaia $2,183

Mendoza costs about 45% more than Ushuaia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Mendoza sits 3% above the global median, while Ushuaia is 29% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.98 ARS 16.7K

$10.38 ARS 15.8K

5.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.80 ARS 75.6K

$33.08 ARS 50.2K

50.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.36 ARS 21.8K

$9.06 ARS 13.7K

58.50%

Cappuccino

$4.54 ARS 6,896

$2.78 ARS 4,224

63.31%

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

$2.32 ARS 3,517

$1.67 ARS 2,528

38.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 ARS 2,949

$1.54 ARS 2,330

25.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.08 ARS 6,191

$2.16 ARS 3,274

88.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 ARS 6,775

$3.04 ARS 4,610

46.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 ARS 2,102

$1.31 ARS 1,984

5.34%

White Bread (500g)

$2.21 ARS 3,358

$1.57 ARS 2,388

40.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 ARS 4,034

$2.02 ARS 3,069

31.68%

Eggs

$3.19 ARS 4,836

$2.27 ARS 3,449

40.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.72 ARS 22.3K

$10.15 ARS 15.4K

45.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.23 ARS 9,447

$6.35 ARS 9,633

-1.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.05 ARS 16.8K

$9.23 ARS 14.0K

19.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ARS 3,478

$2.01 ARS 3,052

13.93%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 ARS 3,386

$2.06 ARS 3,132

8.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.34 ARS 2,036

$1.27 ARS 1,933

5.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.28 ARS 4,974

$2.62 ARS 3,980

25.19%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 ARS 3,067

$1.17 ARS 1,779

72.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 ARS 2,268

$1.19 ARS 1,809

25.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.03 ARS 3,074

$1.32 ARS 2,005

53.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 ARS 3,743

$1.45 ARS 2,197

70.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.82 ARS 4,275

$3.11 ARS 4,716

-9.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.08 ARS 7,712

$5.02 ARS 7,625

1.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 ARS 2,608

$1.97 ARS 2,994

-12.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 ARS 4,583

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.98 ARS 1,486

$0.77 ARS 1,173

27.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 ARS 29.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.02 ARS 3,059

$1.47 ARS 2,224

37.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ARS 1,495

$0.86 ARS 1,308

15.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.82 ARS 7,318

$5.86 ARS 8,894

-17.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ARS 1,897

$1.10 ARS 1,671

13.64%

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

$27.6K ARS 41.9M

$27.9K ARS 42.3M

-1.10%

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

$33.0K ARS 50.1M

$30.4K ARS 46.1M

8.83%

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

$144 ARS 218.4K

$65.8 ARS 99.8K

118.77%

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

$17.72 ARS 26.9K

$17.24 ARS 26.2K

2.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.92 ARS 36.3K

$22.31 ARS 33.9K

7.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.32 ARS 49.0K

$26.50 ARS 40.2K

21.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.07 ARS 27.4K

$13.68 ARS 20.8K

32.09%

Cinema Ticket

$7.10 ARS 10.8K

$6.16 ARS 9,341

15.26%

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

$176 ARS 266.3K

$220 ARS 333.3K

-20.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,178 ARS 6.3M

$2,731 ARS 4.1M

52.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$127 ARS 192.2K

$75.1 ARS 113.9K

68.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$141 ARS 214.2K

$70.4 ARS 106.8K

100.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$144 ARS 217.9K

$114 ARS 173.1K

25.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$157 ARS 238.0K

$111 ARS 168.4K

41.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$553 ARS 838.5K

$342 ARS 519.2K

61.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$350 ARS 531.6K

$233 ARS 354.2K

50.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$993 ARS 1.5M

$694 ARS 1.1M

43.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 ARS 1.0M

$537 ARS 814.2K

26.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,751 ARS 2.7M

$1,848 ARS 2.8M

-5.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,141 ARS 1.7M

$1,594 ARS 2.4M

-28.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$766 ARS 1.2M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

58.5

0.85%

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

Last update for Mendoza: October 11, 2026

Last update for Ushuaia: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mendoza

$350 25.3%

Ushuaia

$233 24.4% 33.4% $117

Groceries & Markets

Mendoza

$286 20.6%

Ushuaia

$231 24.1% 19.2% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Mendoza

$256 18.4%

Ushuaia

$167 17.4% 34.8% $89

Eating Out

Mendoza

$232 16.7%

Ushuaia

$173 18.1% 25.2% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mendoza

$186 13.4%

Ushuaia

$105 11% 43.2% $80

Sport & Entertainment

Mendoza

$47 3.4%

Ushuaia

$39 4.1% 16.5% $7.7

Getting Around

Mendoza

$31 2.2%

Ushuaia

$8.9 * 0.9% 71% $22

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $553 in Mendoza versus $342 in Ushuaia. 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 $50.0 in Mendoza versus $33.00 in Ushuaia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $286 vs $231 – making Ushuaia the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Mendoza

🇦🇷 Ushuaia

🕒 Local time

10:21 10:21 AM

Same time as Mendoza

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

937,154

79,538

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Mendoza Ushuaia 2,440 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Mendoza
Ushuaia

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 Ushuaia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Mendoza is pricier by about 45%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,080 per month in Mendoza and $1,436 in Ushuaia. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,387 in Mendoza and $957 in Ushuaia. That's a gap of about 45%.

Kindergarten costs $176 per month in Mendoza and $220 in Ushuaia. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Ushuaia, where all-in costs run around $957, than in Mendoza at $1,387. In Ushuaia it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mendoza it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ushuaia – 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 Ushuaia. 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.