Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Port Louis and Buenos Aires

For one person, living is cheaper in Port Louis: $945 a month against $1,685 in Buenos Aires, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

46

Cost of Living Index in Port Louis
Learn more

Port Louis Living Index
81

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
Learn more

Buenos Aires Living Index

Jump to prices

Port Louis

🇲🇺 Mauritius

$945

/mo nomad

Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,685

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $945 in Port Louis versus $1,685 in Buenos Aires.

Port Louis $945
Buenos Aires $1,685

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,579 in Port Louis versus $2,742 in Buenos Aires.

Port Louis $1,579
Buenos Aires $2,742

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,212 in Port Louis versus $3,799 in Buenos Aires.

Port Louis $2,212
Buenos Aires $3,799

Living in Port Louis costs roughly 44% less than in Buenos Aires, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Port Louis is 29% below, Buenos Aires is 26% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.65 MUR 267

$18.73 ARS 28.4K

-69.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.50 MUR 1,774

$64.5 ARS 97.8K

-41.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.21 MUR 341

$12.88 ARS 19.5K

-44.02%

Cappuccino

$2.55 MUR 120

$3.98 ARS 6,029

-35.93%

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

$1.11 MUR 52.5

$2.05 ARS 3,103

-45.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 MUR 29.19

$1.55 ARS 2,349

-60.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 MUR 121

$3.84 ARS 5,830

-33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.83 MUR 229

$4.60 ARS 6,970

5.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 MUR 71.7

$1.44 ARS 2,181

4.86%

White Bread (500g)

$0.78 MUR 36.74

$2.46 ARS 3,738

-68.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 MUR 54.0

$1.63 ARS 2,467

-30.06%

Eggs

$2.50 MUR 118

$2.89 ARS 4,385

-13.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.24 MUR 248

$10.65 ARS 16.1K

-50.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.23 MUR 295

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

-37.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 MUR 536

$13.74 ARS 20.8K

-17.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 MUR 128

$2.75 ARS 4,166

-1.82%

Banana (1kg)

$2.56 MUR 121

$2.18 ARS 3,300

17.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.42 MUR 67.3

$1.45 ARS 2,205

-2.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.00 MUR 142

$1.99 ARS 3,013

50.75%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 MUR 44.18

$1.24 ARS 1,885

-25.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.94 MUR 44.62

$1.27 ARS 1,921

-25.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 MUR 34.51

$1.70 ARS 2,575

-57.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 MUR 40.11

$1.73 ARS 2,617

-50.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.48 MUR 307

$4.18 ARS 6,337

55.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.16 MUR 386

$5.80 ARS 8,790

40.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 MUR 76.3

$2.09 ARS 3,163

-22.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 MUR 112

$2.77 ARS 4,198

-14.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.02 MUR 48.21

$0.75 ARS 1,132

36.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.09 MUR 1,471

$27.15 ARS 41.2K

14.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.24 MUR 200

$1.62 ARS 2,451

161.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.16 MUR 149

$0.98 ARS 1,481

222.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.17 MUR 1,001

$7.72 ARS 11.7K

174.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 MUR 66.2

$1.36 ARS 2,058

2.94%

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

$36.0K MUR 1.7M

$28.0K ARS 42.5M

28.51%

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

$31.0K MUR 1.5M

$34.5K ARS 52.4M

-10.12%

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

$43.83 MUR 2,073

$216 ARS 326.9K

-79.67%

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

$10.37 MUR 490

$25.61 ARS 38.8K

-59.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.41 MUR 1,344

$31.36 ARS 47.6K

-9.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.62 MUR 1,212

$49.82 ARS 75.6K

-48.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.88 MUR 184

$17.06 ARS 25.9K

-77.26%

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 MUR 293

$10.43 ARS 15.8K

-40.56%

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

$125 MUR 5,930

$466 ARS 706.7K

-73.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,687 MUR 363.7K

$9,057 ARS 13.7M

-15.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.2 MUR 3,607

$122 ARS 185.2K

-37.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$73.4 MUR 3,471

$97.4 ARS 147.8K

-24.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 MUR 5,569

$117 ARS 177.4K

0.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.4 MUR 3,663

$140 ARS 211.9K

-44.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$465 MUR 22.0K

$763 ARS 1.2M

-39.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$269 MUR 12.7K

$505 ARS 766.1K

-46.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$761 MUR 36.0K

$1,598 ARS 2.4M

-52.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$588 MUR 27.8K

$1,185 ARS 1.8M

-50.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,109 MUR 194.4K

$2,678 ARS 4.1M

53.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,047 MUR 49.6K

$1,858 ARS 2.8M

-43.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$670 MUR 31.7K

$954 ARS 1.4M

-29.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

57.25

-88.35%

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

Last update for Port Louis: October 4, 2026

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Port Louis

$269 28.5%

Buenos Aires

$505 30.4% 88.1% $237

Groceries & Markets

Port Louis

$215 22.8%

Buenos Aires

$284 17.1% 32.2% $69

Clothing & Footwear

Port Louis

$155 16.5%

Buenos Aires

$214 12.9% 38.1% $59

Eating Out

Port Louis

$127 13.5%

Buenos Aires

$279 16.8% 120% $152

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Port Louis

$83 8.8%

Buenos Aires

$273 16.4% 230% $190

Getting Around

Port Louis

$55 5.9%

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2% 33.6% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Port Louis

$38 4%

Buenos Aires

$71 4.3% 85.9% $33

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $465 in Port Louis and $763 in Buenos Aires. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buenos Aires pays 42% 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: $37.00 in Port Louis vs $64.0 in Buenos Aires for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $215 vs $284 per month, with Port Louis cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇺 Port Louis

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🕒 Local time

10:43 10:43 AM

03:43 3:43 AM

7 h behind Port Louis

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

147,688 Capital

2,891,082 Capital

💱 Currency

Mauritian Rupee MUR ₨

Argentine Peso ARS $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MUR = 2.11 USD

100 MUR = 1.88 EUR

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ARS, USD, EUR to MUR – Mauritian Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇺 Mauritian Rupee (₨)

Mauritian Rupee exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 47.31 MUR (100 MUR = 2.11 USD). 1 EUR = 53.06 MUR (100 MUR = 1.88 EUR).

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,701 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR).

USD to MUR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Port Louis Buenos Aires 10,920 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Port Louis
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

Port Louis vs Buenos Aires: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Port Louis and Buenos Aires differ by about 78% in total monthly costs ($945 vs $1,685 including rent). Port Louis is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 42% lower in Buenos Aires. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $465 in Port Louis versus $763 in Buenos Aires. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $125 in Port Louis 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 32% higher in Buenos Aires. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $945 in Port Louis versus $1,685 in Buenos Aires, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Port Louis but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes Port Louis 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, Port Louis 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 Port Louis gentler on the wallet – expenses run 78% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.