Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Buenos Aires

For one person, living is cheaper in Buenos Aires: $1,685 a month against $5,142 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $41,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

245

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index
81

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
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Buenos Aires Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$5,142

/mo nomad

Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,685

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY 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 New York, NY and in Buenos Aires actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $5,142 in New York, NY versus $1,685 in Buenos Aires.

New York, NY $5,142
Buenos Aires $1,685

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,455 in New York, NY versus $2,742 in Buenos Aires.

New York, NY $7,455
Buenos Aires $2,742

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,767 in New York, NY versus $3,799 in Buenos Aires.

New York, NY $9,767
Buenos Aires $3,799

Living in New York, NY is roughly 205% more expensive than in Buenos Aires, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: New York, NY 284% above, Buenos Aires 26% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.46 $26.46

$18.73 ARS 28.4K

41.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$119 $119

$64.5 ARS 97.7K

84.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.43 $14.43

$12.88 ARS 19.5K

12.03%

Cappuccino

$6.55 $6.55

$3.98 ARS 6,027

64.57%

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

$3.84 $3.84

$2.05 ARS 3,102

87.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 $3.00

$1.55 ARS 2,348

93.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.27 $8.27

$3.84 ARS 5,828

115.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.05 $10.05

$4.60 ARS 6,968

118.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 $1.31

$1.44 ARS 2,180

-9.03%

White Bread (500g)

$4.90 $4.90

$2.46 ARS 3,737

99.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.16 $7.16

$1.63 ARS 2,466

339.26%

Eggs

$5.92 $5.92

$2.89 ARS 4,384

104.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.06 $19.06

$10.65 ARS 16.1K

78.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.38 $17.38

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

73.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.94 $18.94

$13.74 ARS 20.8K

37.85%

Apples (1kg)

$6.96 $6.96

$2.75 ARS 4,165

153.09%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 $2.08

$2.18 ARS 3,299

-4.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.10 $6.10

$1.45 ARS 2,204

320.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.95 $6.95

$1.99 ARS 3,012

249.25%

Potato (1kg)

$3.98 $3.98

$1.24 ARS 1,884

220.97%

Onion (1kg)

$4.44 $4.44

$1.27 ARS 1,920

249.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.81 $2.81

$1.70 ARS 2,574

65.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$1.73 ARS 2,616

45.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.27 $19.27

$4.18 ARS 6,335

361.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.67 $19.67

$5.80 ARS 8,787

239.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.09 ARS 3,162

47.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 $3.68

$2.77 ARS 4,197

32.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.02 $3.02

$0.75 ARS 1,131

302.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$140 $140

$27.15 ARS 41.2K

413.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.07 $3.07

$1.62 ARS 2,450

89.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 $2.13

$0.98 ARS 1,480

117.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.21 $41.21

$7.72 ARS 11.7K

433.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.36 ARS 2,057

-18.38%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$28.0K ARS 42.5M

24.93%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$34.5K ARS 52.3M

-26.45%

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

$217 $217

$216 ARS 326.8K

0.89%

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

$74.0 $74.0

$25.61 ARS 38.8K

189.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.5 $72.5

$31.36 ARS 47.5K

131.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$120 $120

$49.82 ARS 75.5K

141.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$66.9 $66.9

$17.06 ARS 25.9K

292.09%

Cinema Ticket

$22.32 $22.32

$10.43 ARS 15.8K

114.00%

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

$3,425 $3,425

$466 ARS 706.5K

634.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$61.2K $61.2K

$9,057 ARS 13.7M

575.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.3 $76.3

$122 ARS 185.1K

-37.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.5 $55.5

$97.4 ARS 147.7K

-43.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 $119

$117 ARS 177.3K

1.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 $131

$140 ARS 211.8K

-6.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,506 $4,506

$763 ARS 1.2M

490.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,155 $3,155

$505 ARS 765.8K

524.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$8,817 $8,817

$1,598 ARS 2.4M

451.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,532 $5,532

$1,185 ARS 1.8M

366.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.4K $19.4K

$2,678 ARS 4.1M

623.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,754 $6,754

$1,858 ARS 2.8M

263.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,290 $5,290

$954 ARS 1.4M

454.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

57.25

-88.09%

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

Last update for New York, NY: October 3, 2026

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.2K 63.2%

Buenos Aires

$505 30.4% 84% $2.6K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$546 11%

Buenos Aires

$284 17.1% 48% $262

Eating Out

New York, NY

$422 8.5%

Buenos Aires

$279 16.8% 34% $143

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.3%

Buenos Aires

$273 16.4% 25.1% $91

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$172 3.4%

Buenos Aires

$214 12.9% 24.8% $43

Getting Around

New York, NY

$165 3.3%

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2% 77.8% $129

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$165 3.3%

Buenos Aires

$71 4.3% 57.2% $94

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $4,506 in New York, NY and $763 in Buenos Aires. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New York, NY pays 454% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $119 in New York, NY vs $64.0 in Buenos Aires for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $546 vs $284 per month, with Buenos Aires cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🕒 Local time

22:37 10:37 PM

23:37 11:37 PM

1 h ahead of New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

2,891,082 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Argentine Peso ARS $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

10,000 ARS = 6.6 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ARS, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇦🇷 Argentine Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,516 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.6 USD). 1 EUR = 1,700 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR).

ARS to USD in detail →

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New York, NY Buenos Aires 8,520 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

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New York, NY
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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

New York, NY vs Buenos Aires: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New York, NY and Buenos Aires differ by about 205% in total monthly costs ($5,142 vs $1,685 including rent). Buenos Aires is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 454% higher in New York, NY, 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: $4,506 in New York, NY versus $763 in Buenos Aires. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,425 in New York, NY versus $466 in Buenos Aires. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 92% higher in New York, NY. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,685 in Buenos Aires versus $5,142 in New York, NY, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Buenos Aires but tight or insufficient in New York, NY. The gap between the two cities makes Buenos Aires 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, New York, NY 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 Buenos Aires gentler on the wallet – expenses run 205% less than in New York, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.