Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Buenos Aires

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,548 a month against $1,646 in Buenos Aires, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. The total is higher in Buenos Aires despite lower rent and utilities.

75

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
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Buenos Aires Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,548

/mo nomad

Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,646

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Buenos Aires

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,548 in Mexico City versus $1,646 in Buenos Aires.

Mexico City $1,548
Buenos Aires $1,646

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,436 in Mexico City versus $2,680 in Buenos Aires.

Mexico City $2,436
Buenos Aires $2,680

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,323 in Mexico City versus $3,714 in Buenos Aires.

Mexico City $3,323
Buenos Aires $3,714

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 6% less than in Buenos Aires, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 14% above, Buenos Aires 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.02 MX$204

$17.81 ARS 27.0K

-38.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.68 MX$900

$65.2 ARS 98.9K

-25.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$201

$13.12 ARS 19.9K

-16.92%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.1

$3.86 ARS 5,863

-4.66%

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

$1.63 MX$30.18

$2.06 ARS 3,133

-20.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 MX$23.07

$1.68 ARS 2,542

-25.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 MX$60.1

$4.10 ARS 6,218

-20.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.53 MX$102

$4.73 ARS 7,181

16.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$31.50

$1.51 ARS 2,285

12.58%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 MX$55.8

$2.60 ARS 3,950

16.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.53

$1.57 ARS 2,380

22.29%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$50.5

$2.73 ARS 4,144

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.77 MX$218

$10.86 ARS 16.5K

8.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 MX$176

$10.07 ARS 15.3K

-5.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.41 MX$266

$13.22 ARS 20.1K

9.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$55.8

$2.80 ARS 4,255

7.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.01

$2.09 ARS 3,170

-9.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.70

$1.45 ARS 2,194

37.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$40.38

$2.00 ARS 3,040

9.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.43

$1.20 ARS 1,826

60.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 MX$34.49

$1.20 ARS 1,821

55.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 MX$26.62

$1.69 ARS 2,569

-14.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.39

$1.79 ARS 2,711

-29.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.22 MX$96.4

$4.00 ARS 6,074

30.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.17 MX$299

$5.53 ARS 8,388

192.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 MX$35.03

$2.12 ARS 3,219

-10.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.22 MX$78.0

$2.78 ARS 4,212

51.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$6.30

$0.69 ARS 1,049

-50.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.65 MX$363

$27.90 ARS 42.3K

-29.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 MX$36.90

$1.63 ARS 2,471

22.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 MX$9.67

$0.97 ARS 1,478

-46.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.34 MX$98.7

$7.89 ARS 12.0K

-32.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$28.13

$1.42 ARS 2,156

7.04%

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

$22.1K MX$408.0K

$23.3K ARS 35.4M

-5.40%

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

$24.5K MX$452.9K

$31.9K ARS 48.5M

-23.26%

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

$61.1 MX$1,129

$199 ARS 302.7K

-69.38%

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

$28.58 MX$528

$23.36 ARS 35.4K

22.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.47 MX$637

$31.44 ARS 47.7K

9.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,042

$49.81 ARS 75.6K

13.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.88 MX$460

$16.63 ARS 25.2K

49.61%

Cinema Ticket

$6.66 MX$123

$10.80 ARS 16.4K

-38.33%

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

$427 MX$7,891

$462 ARS 701.7K

-7.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K MX$215.0K

$8,790 ARS 13.3M

32.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.8 MX$1,253

$120 ARS 181.6K

-43.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.0 MX$960

$94.6 ARS 143.6K

-45.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 MX$1,959

$116 ARS 176.4K

-8.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 MX$2,080

$137 ARS 208.6K

-18.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,025 MX$18.9K

$750 ARS 1.1M

36.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 MX$12.1K

$514 ARS 780.5K

27.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,308 MX$42.7K

$1,567 ARS 2.4M

47.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 MX$22.9K

$1,196 ARS 1.8M

3.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,613 MX$66.8K

$2,632 ARS 4.0M

37.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,936 MX$35.8K

$1,874 ARS 2.8M

3.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$964 MX$17.8K

$924 ARS 1.4M

4.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

57.25

-80.26%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 20, 2026

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$654 42.3%

Buenos Aires

$514 31.3% 21.4% $140

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$318 20.6%

Buenos Aires

$285 17.3% 10.5% $33

Eating Out

Mexico City

$204 13.2%

Buenos Aires

$273 16.6% 34% $69

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$152 9.8%

Buenos Aires

$211 12.8% 38.3% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$124 8%

Buenos Aires

$254 15.5% 105% $130

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$70 4.5%

Buenos Aires

$71 4.3% 2.5% $1.7

Getting Around

Mexico City

$26 1.7%

Buenos Aires

$37 2.3% 45% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,025 in Mexico City and $750 in Buenos Aires. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 4% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $49.00 in Mexico City vs $65.0 in Buenos Aires. Groceries flip the comparison at $318 vs $285, with Buenos Aires cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🕒 Local time

16:32 4:32 PM

19:32 7:32 PM

3 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

2,891,082 Capital

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Argentine Peso ARS $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ARS, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,706 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Buenos Aires 7,390 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Buenos Aires

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

Mexico City vs Buenos Aires: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Buenos Aires differ by about 6% in total monthly costs ($1,548 vs $1,646 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 4% higher in Mexico City, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,025 in Mexico City versus $750 in Buenos Aires. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $427 in Mexico City versus $462 in Buenos Aires. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Buenos Aires pay roughly 12% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,548 in Mexico City versus $1,646 in Buenos Aires, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Buenos Aires are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.