Cost of Living Comparison Between San Isidro and Buenos Aires Cost of Living Comparison Between San Isidro and Buenos Aires

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,061 in San Isidro versus $1,633 in Buenos Aires.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,762 in San Isidro versus $2,744 in Buenos Aires.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,462 in San Isidro versus $3,855 in Buenos Aires.

Living in San Isidro costs roughly 35% less than in Buenos Aires, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: San Isidro is 23% below, Buenos Aires is 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.10 ARS 15.2K

$18.99 ARS 28.6K

-46.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.19 ARS 56.1K

$69.7 ARS 105.1K

-46.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.54 ARS 17.4K

$12.75 ARS 19.2K

-9.49%

Cappuccino

$2.94 ARS 4,436

$3.81 ARS 5,755

-22.83%

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

$1.77 ARS 2,676

$2.16 ARS 3,262

-18.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 ARS 2,543

$1.70 ARS 2,566

-0.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.63 ARS 5,482

$3.61 ARS 5,452

0.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 ARS 3,493

$4.55 ARS 6,865

-49.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 ARS 1,903

$1.41 ARS 2,132

-10.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 ARS 2,372

$2.46 ARS 3,717

-36.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ARS 2,380

$1.58 ARS 2,390

Eggs

$2.25 ARS 3,394

$2.79 ARS 4,212

-19.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.30 ARS 12.5K

$10.16 ARS 15.3K

-18.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.83 ARS 8,801

$10.03 ARS 15.1K

-41.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.65 ARS 16.1K

$13.76 ARS 20.8K

-22.60%

Apples (1kg)

$1.91 ARS 2,878

$2.78 ARS 4,194

-31.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 ARS 2,315

$2.07 ARS 3,125

-26.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.07 ARS 1,614

$1.42 ARS 2,142

-24.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 ARS 3,202

$2.06 ARS 3,100

2.91%

Potato (1kg)

$0.97 ARS 1,469

$1.19 ARS 1,796

-18.49%

Onion (1kg)

$0.69 ARS 1,036

$1.15 ARS 1,728

-40.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 ARS 2,217

$1.75 ARS 2,634

-16.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 ARS 2,541

$1.74 ARS 2,626

-3.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.33 ARS 5,030

$4.27 ARS 6,436

-22.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.87 ARS 7,351

$5.65 ARS 8,528

-13.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 ARS 1,833

$2.21 ARS 3,336

-45.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 ARS 4,059

$2.69 ARS 4,052

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.98 ARS 1,482

$0.72 ARS 1,093

36.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.88 ARS 42.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.57 ARS 2,370

$1.62 ARS 2,443

-3.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 ARS 1,480

$1.02 ARS 1,546

-3.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.96 ARS 12.0K

$7.61 ARS 11.5K

4.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ARS 1,674

$1.34 ARS 2,024

-17.16%

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

$28.4K ARS 42.9M

$28.8K ARS 43.4M

-1.21%

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

$29.8K ARS 45.0M

$34.2K ARS 51.6M

-12.81%

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

$59.4 ARS 89.5K

$202 ARS 305.1K

-70.65%

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

$19.88 ARS 30.0K

$23.17 ARS 35.0K

-14.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.56 ARS 41.6K

$31.01 ARS 46.8K

-11.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.16 ARS 45.5K

$51.1 ARS 77.1K

-41.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 ARS 25.8K

Cinema Ticket

$4.71 ARS 7,105

$10.99 ARS 16.6K

-57.14%

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

$295 ARS 445.0K

$459 ARS 692.9K

-35.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,833 ARS 13.3M

$8,949 ARS 13.5M

-1.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.8 ARS 134.0K

$113 ARS 170.6K

-21.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.2 ARS 89.3K

$91.7 ARS 138.4K

-35.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ARS 174.2K

$116 ARS 175.5K

-0.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 ARS 205.1K

$135 ARS 203.0K

1.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$472 ARS 712.7K

$714 ARS 1.1M

-33.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ARS 467.5K

$506 ARS 763.5K

-38.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,004 ARS 1.5M

$1,622 ARS 2.4M

-38.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$776 ARS 1.2M

$1,288 ARS 1.9M

-39.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,405 ARS 3.6M

$2,636 ARS 4.0M

-8.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,847 ARS 2.8M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$907 ARS 1.4M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

56.56

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

Last update for San Isidro: September 6, 2026

Last update for Buenos Aires: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $472 in San Isidro and $714 in Buenos Aires. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $37.00 in San Isidro vs $70.0 in Buenos Aires for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $215 vs $282 per month, with San Isidro cheaper across the board.

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

San Isidro vs Buenos Aires: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Isidro and Buenos Aires differ by about 54% in total monthly costs ($1,061 vs $1,633 including rent). San Isidro is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,592 in San Isidro and $2,449 in Buenos Aires to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $472 in San Isidro versus $714 in Buenos Aires. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $295 in San Isidro versus $459 in Buenos Aires. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in San Isidro – a meal for two runs $37.00 versus $70.0 in Buenos Aires. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,061 in San Isidro versus $1,633 in Buenos Aires, a $2,000 budget is realistic in San Isidro but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes San Isidro 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, San Isidro 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 San Isidro gentler on the wallet – expenses run 54% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.