Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Salta and Mendoza

For one person, living is cheaper in Salta: $1,138 a month against $1,387 in Mendoza, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

55

Cost of Living Index in Salta
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Salta Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Mendoza
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Mendoza Living Index

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Salta

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,138

/mo nomad

Mendoza

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,387

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Salta and in Mendoza

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

A single person spends $1,138 per month in Salta vs $1,387 in Mendoza, rent included.

Salta $1,138
Mendoza $1,387

A couple spends around $1,915 per month in Salta vs $2,185 in Mendoza, rent included.

Salta $1,915
Mendoza $2,185

A family of three spends $2,692 per month in Salta vs $2,984 in Mendoza, rent included.

Salta $2,692
Mendoza $2,984

Salta is about 18% cheaper than Mendoza, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Salta sits 16% below the global median, while Mendoza is 3% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.47 ARS 11.3K

$10.98 ARS 16.7K

-31.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.6 ARS 85.9K

$49.80 ARS 75.6K

13.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.91 ARS 19.6K

$14.36 ARS 21.8K

-10.10%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ARS 3,810

$4.54 ARS 6,896

-44.71%

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

$1.57 ARS 2,377

$2.32 ARS 3,517

-32.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ARS 2,817

$1.94 ARS 2,949

-4.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 ARS 2,529

$4.08 ARS 6,191

-59.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 ARS 5,014

$4.46 ARS 6,775

-26.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 ARS 2,126

$1.38 ARS 2,102

1.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.78 ARS 2,708

$2.21 ARS 3,358

-19.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 ARS 2,984

$2.66 ARS 4,034

-25.94%

Eggs

$2.84 ARS 4,304

$3.19 ARS 4,836

-10.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.29 ARS 15.6K

$14.72 ARS 22.3K

-30.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.67 ARS 11.6K

$6.23 ARS 9,447

23.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.47 ARS 17.4K

$11.05 ARS 16.8K

3.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.36 ARS 3,579

$2.29 ARS 3,478

3.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ARS 2,552

$2.23 ARS 3,386

-24.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 ARS 2,283

$1.34 ARS 2,036

11.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ARS 3,078

$3.28 ARS 4,974

-38.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.06 ARS 1,602

$2.02 ARS 3,067

-47.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.05 ARS 1,586

$1.49 ARS 2,268

-29.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.03 ARS 3,074

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 ARS 2,662

$2.47 ARS 3,743

-29.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.38 ARS 5,127

$2.82 ARS 4,275

19.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.87 ARS 7,388

$5.08 ARS 7,712

-4.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 ARS 2,185

$1.72 ARS 2,608

-16.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.11 ARS 6,243

$3.02 ARS 4,583

36.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.97 ARS 1,474

$0.98 ARS 1,486

-1.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 ARS 29.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ARS 2,046

$2.02 ARS 3,059

-33.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ARS 1,495

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.82 ARS 7,318

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ARS 1,923

$1.25 ARS 1,897

1.60%

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

$28.6K ARS 43.4M

$27.6K ARS 41.9M

3.78%

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

$33.8K ARS 51.2M

$33.0K ARS 50.1M

2.20%

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

$125 ARS 189.5K

$144 ARS 218.4K

-13.23%

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

$17.09 ARS 25.9K

$17.72 ARS 26.9K

-3.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.18 ARS 39.7K

$23.92 ARS 36.3K

9.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.89 ARS 45.4K

$32.32 ARS 49.0K

-7.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.07 ARS 27.4K

Cinema Ticket

$9.51 ARS 14.4K

$7.10 ARS 10.8K

33.94%

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

$272 ARS 413.0K

$176 ARS 266.3K

55.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,178 ARS 6.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$108 ARS 163.4K

$127 ARS 192.2K

-14.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 ARS 88.8K

$141 ARS 214.2K

-58.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 ARS 176.7K

$144 ARS 217.9K

-18.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$138 ARS 210.1K

$157 ARS 238.0K

-11.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$526 ARS 798.8K

$553 ARS 838.5K

-4.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$325 ARS 493.4K

$350 ARS 531.6K

-7.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,004 ARS 1.5M

$993 ARS 1.5M

1.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$818 ARS 1.2M

$680 ARS 1.0M

20.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,953 ARS 3.0M

$1,751 ARS 2.7M

11.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,457 ARS 2.2M

$1,141 ARS 1.7M

27.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$837 ARS 1.3M

$766 ARS 1.2M

9.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Salta: October 12, 2026

Last update for Mendoza: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Salta

$325 28.6%

Mendoza

$350 25.3% 7.8% $25

Groceries & Markets

Salta

$244 * 21.5%

Mendoza

$286 20.6% 17.1% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Salta

$189 16.7%

Mendoza

$256 18.4% 34.9% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Salta

$168 14.8%

Mendoza

$186 13.4% 10.4% $17

Eating Out

Salta

$157 13.8%

Mendoza

$232 16.7% 47.4% $75

Sport & Entertainment

Salta

$49 4.3%

Mendoza

$47 3.4% 4.9% $2.4

Getting Around

Salta

$5.2 * 0.5%

Mendoza

$31 2.2% 485% $25

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $526 in Salta versus $553 in Mendoza. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 9% higher in Salta, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $57.0 in Salta versus $50.0 in Mendoza. Groceries tell a different story – $244 in Salta vs $286 in Mendoza – so Salta wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Salta

🇦🇷 Mendoza

🕒 Local time

13:12 1:12 PM

Same time as Salta

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

535,303

937,154

💱 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

Salta Mendoza 960 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Salta
Mendoza

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

Salta vs Mendoza: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Mendoza is pricier by about 22%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,708 per month in Salta and $2,080 in Mendoza. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Salta, 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 $1,138 in Salta and $1,387 in Mendoza. That's a gap of about 22%.

Kindergarten costs $272 per month in Salta and $176 in Mendoza. 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 Salta, where all-in costs run around $1,138, than in Mendoza at $1,387. In Salta it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mendoza it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Salta – 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 Salta. 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.