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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,273 in San Rafael versus $1,633 in Buenos Aires.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,106 in San Rafael versus $2,744 in Buenos Aires.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,939 in San Rafael versus $3,855 in Buenos Aires.

Living in San Rafael costs roughly 22% less than in Buenos Aires, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: San Rafael is 8% below, Buenos Aires is 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.83 ARS 16.3K

$18.99 ARS 28.6K

-42.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.7 ARS 76.4K

$69.7 ARS 105.1K

-27.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.33 ARS 21.6K

$12.75 ARS 19.2K

12.39%

Cappuccino

$4.39 ARS 6,629

$3.81 ARS 5,755

15.22%

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

$2.36 ARS 3,555

$2.16 ARS 3,262

9.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 ARS 2,850

$1.70 ARS 2,566

11.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.94 ARS 5,949

$3.61 ARS 5,452

9.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 ARS 6,820

$4.55 ARS 6,865

-0.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 ARS 2,080

$1.41 ARS 2,132

-2.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.31 ARS 3,484

$2.46 ARS 3,717

-6.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.68 ARS 4,037

$1.58 ARS 2,390

69.62%

Eggs

$3.23 ARS 4,877

$2.79 ARS 4,212

15.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.41 ARS 21.7K

$10.16 ARS 15.3K

41.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.35 ARS 9,577

$10.03 ARS 15.1K

-36.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.84 ARS 16.3K

$13.76 ARS 20.8K

-21.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 ARS 3,486

$2.78 ARS 4,194

-16.91%

Banana (1kg)

$2.24 ARS 3,378

$2.07 ARS 3,125

8.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.35 ARS 2,037

$1.42 ARS 2,142

-4.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.29 ARS 4,958

$2.06 ARS 3,100

59.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 ARS 2,963

$1.19 ARS 1,796

64.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ARS 2,268

$1.15 ARS 1,728

30.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 ARS 3,020

$1.75 ARS 2,634

14.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 ARS 3,790

$1.74 ARS 2,626

44.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.77 ARS 4,181

$4.27 ARS 6,436

-35.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.02 ARS 7,575

$5.65 ARS 8,528

-11.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ARS 2,664

$2.21 ARS 3,336

-19.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 ARS 4,589

$2.69 ARS 4,052

13.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.03 ARS 1,548

$0.72 ARS 1,093

43.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.88 ARS 42.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.03 ARS 3,057

$1.62 ARS 2,443

25.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 ARS 1,526

$1.02 ARS 1,546

-0.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.95 ARS 7,466

$7.61 ARS 11.5K

-34.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ARS 1,888

$1.34 ARS 2,024

-6.72%

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

$27.4K ARS 41.3M

$28.8K ARS 43.4M

-4.95%

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

$33.1K ARS 50.0M

$34.2K ARS 51.6M

-3.15%

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

$133 ARS 200.3K

$202 ARS 305.1K

-34.33%

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

$17.38 ARS 26.2K

$23.17 ARS 35.0K

-24.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.55 ARS 35.5K

$31.01 ARS 46.8K

-24.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.86 ARS 45.0K

$51.1 ARS 77.1K

-41.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 ARS 25.8K

Cinema Ticket

$7.01 ARS 10.6K

$10.99 ARS 16.6K

-36.21%

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

$174 ARS 262.2K

$459 ARS 692.9K

-62.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,135 ARS 6.2M

$8,949 ARS 13.5M

-53.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$115 ARS 173.6K

$113 ARS 170.6K

1.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$127 ARS 191.6K

$91.7 ARS 138.4K

38.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$140 ARS 211.8K

$116 ARS 175.5K

20.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 ARS 188.4K

$135 ARS 203.0K

-7.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$478 ARS 721.4K

$714 ARS 1.1M

-33.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$313 ARS 472.6K

$506 ARS 763.5K

-38.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$974 ARS 1.5M

$1,622 ARS 2.4M

-39.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$766 ARS 1.2M

$1,288 ARS 1.9M

-40.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,387 ARS 3.6M

$2,636 ARS 4.0M

-9.46%

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

4.31%

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

Last update for San Rafael: September 6, 2026

Last update for Buenos Aires: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $478 in San Rafael and $714 in Buenos Aires. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $51.0 in San Rafael vs $70.0 in Buenos Aires. Groceries flip the comparison at $287 vs $282, with Buenos Aires cheaper for home cooking.

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 Rafael vs Buenos Aires: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Rafael and Buenos Aires differ by about 28% in total monthly costs ($1,273 vs $1,633 including rent). San Rafael is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,910 in San Rafael 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: $478 in San Rafael versus $714 in Buenos Aires. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $174 in San Rafael 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 Rafael – a meal for two runs $51.0 versus $70.0 in Buenos Aires. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,273 in San Rafael versus $1,633 in Buenos Aires, a $1,000 budget is realistic in San Rafael but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes San Rafael 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 Rafael 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 Rafael gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.