Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Portsmouth and Buenos Aires

For one person, living is cheaper in Portsmouth: $929 a month against $1,685 in Buenos Aires, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Portsmouth
🇩🇲 Dominica
$929
/mo nomad
Buenos Aires
🇦🇷 Argentina
$1,685
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $929 in Portsmouth versus $1,685 in Buenos Aires.

  • Portsmouth $929
  • Buenos Aires $1,685

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,626 in Portsmouth versus $2,742 in Buenos Aires.

  • Portsmouth $1,626
  • Buenos Aires $2,742

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,323 in Portsmouth versus $3,799 in Buenos Aires.

  • Portsmouth $2,323
  • Buenos Aires $3,799

Living in Portsmouth costs roughly 45% less than in Buenos Aires, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Portsmouth is 31% below, Buenos Aires is 26% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Portsmouth
Buenos Aires
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.50 EC$14.84
$18.73 ARS 28.4K
-70.64%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$56.2 EC$152
$64.5 ARS 97.8K
-12.84%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.83 EC$18.44
$12.88 ARS 19.5K
-46.97%
Cappuccino
$2.67 EC$7.20
$3.98 ARS 6,029
-32.91%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.19 EC$5.91
$2.05 ARS 3,103
6.83%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.87 EC$5.05
$1.55 ARS 2,349
20.65%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.53 EC$6.84
$3.84 ARS 5,830
-34.11%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.73 EC$10.07
$4.60 ARS 6,970
-18.91%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Portsmouth
Buenos Aires
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.86 EC$7.72
$1.44 ARS 2,181
98.61%
White Bread (500g)
$2.23 EC$6.03
$2.46 ARS 3,738
-9.35%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.01 EC$5.43
$1.63 ARS 2,467
23.31%
Eggs
$6.50 EC$17.55
$2.89 ARS 4,385
124.91%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$2.66 EC$7.17
$10.65 ARS 16.1K
-75.02%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.48 EC$14.80
$10.00 ARS 15.2K
-45.20%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
-
$13.74 ARS 20.8K
-
Apples (1kg)
$7.21 EC$19.46
$2.75 ARS 4,166
162.18%
Banana (1kg)
$2.57 EC$6.93
$2.18 ARS 3,300
17.89%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.00 EC$10.81
$1.45 ARS 2,205
175.86%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.14 EC$11.17
$1.99 ARS 3,013
108.04%
Potato (1kg)
$2.90 EC$7.84
$1.24 ARS 1,885
133.87%
Onion (1kg)
$2.78 EC$7.51
$1.27 ARS 1,921
118.90%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.82 EC$4.91
$1.70 ARS 2,575
7.06%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.90 EC$5.13
$1.73 ARS 2,617
9.83%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
-
$4.18 ARS 6,337
-
Wine (Bottle)
$11.32 EC$30.56
$5.80 ARS 8,790
95.17%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.87 EC$5.06
$2.09 ARS 3,163
-10.53%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.67 EC$7.20
$2.77 ARS 4,198
-3.61%
🚌 Getting Around
Portsmouth
Buenos Aires
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.75 EC$2.03
$0.75 ARS 1,132
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$27.15 ARS 41.2K
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.67 EC$9.90
$1.62 ARS 2,451
126.54%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.68 EC$9.93
$0.98 ARS 1,481
275.51%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$7.72 ARS 11.7K
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
-
$1.36 ARS 2,058
-
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
-
$28.0K ARS 42.5M
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
-
$34.5K ARS 52.4M
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Portsmouth
Buenos Aires
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
-
$216 ARS 326.9K
-
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$40.78 EC$110
$25.61 ARS 38.8K
59.23%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$63.9 EC$172
$31.36 ARS 47.6K
103.60%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Portsmouth
Buenos Aires
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$36.97 EC$99.8
$49.82 ARS 75.6K
-25.79%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$17.06 ARS 25.9K
-
Cinema Ticket
$11.11 EC$30.01
$10.43 ARS 15.8K
6.52%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Portsmouth
Buenos Aires
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
-
$466 ARS 706.7K
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$9,057 ARS 13.7M
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Portsmouth
Buenos Aires
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$55.9 EC$151
$122 ARS 185.2K
-54.19%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$23.90 EC$64.5
$97.4 ARS 147.8K
-75.47%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$56.0 EC$151
$117 ARS 177.4K
-52.08%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$65.9 EC$178
$140 ARS 211.9K
-52.87%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Portsmouth
Buenos Aires
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$258 EC$696
$763 ARS 1.2M
-66.24%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$223 EC$602
$505 ARS 766.1K
-55.84%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$670 EC$1,808
$1,598 ARS 2.4M
-58.11%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$617 EC$1,667
$1,185 ARS 1.8M
-47.90%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$2,678 ARS 4.1M
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,858 ARS 2.8M
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Portsmouth
Buenos Aires
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$626 EC$1,691
$954 ARS 1.4M
-34.38%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
0
57.25
-

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

Last update for Portsmouth: 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
Portsmouth
–
Buenos Aires
$505
Groceries & Markets
Portsmouth
–
Buenos Aires
$284
Eating Out
Portsmouth
–
Buenos Aires
$279
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Portsmouth
–
Buenos Aires
$273
Clothing & Footwear
Portsmouth
–
Buenos Aires
$214
Sport & Entertainment
Portsmouth
–
Buenos Aires
$71
Getting Around
Portsmouth
–
Buenos Aires
$37

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $258 in Portsmouth and $763 in Buenos Aires. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buenos Aires pays 52% 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: $56.0 in Portsmouth vs $64.0 in Buenos Aires. Groceries flip the comparison at $290 vs $284, with Buenos Aires cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇩🇲 Portsmouth
🇦🇷 Buenos Aires
🕒 Local time
05:00 5:00 AM
06:00 6:00 AM
1 h ahead of Portsmouth
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,633
2,891,082 Capital
Exchange rates and currency converter

ARS, USD, EUR to XCD – East Caribbean Dollar Converter

East Caribbean Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2.7 XCD (1 XCD = 0.37 USD). 1 EUR = 3.03 XCD (1 XCD = 0.33 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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Portsmouth Buenos Aires 5,590 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Portsmouth
  • 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
Portsmouth vs Buenos Aires: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Portsmouth and in Buenos Aires?
Portsmouth and Buenos Aires differ by about 81% in total monthly costs ($929 vs $1,685 including rent). Portsmouth is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 52% 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Portsmouth and in Buenos Aires?
Rent for a central apartment: $258 in Portsmouth versus $763 in Buenos Aires. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Portsmouth – a meal for two runs $56.0 versus $64.0 in Buenos Aires. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more expensive overall: Portsmouth or Buenos Aires?
All in, you'll spend $929 per month in Portsmouth versus $1,685 in Buenos Aires – a 81% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
At $929 in Portsmouth versus $1,685 in Buenos Aires, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Portsmouth but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes Portsmouth the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Portsmouth and Buenos Aires?
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.
Is Portsmouth or Buenos Aires safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Portsmouth 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.
Where should expats move: Portsmouth or Buenos Aires?
Expats usually find Portsmouth gentler on the wallet – expenses run 81% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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