Cost of Living Comparison Between Scranton, PA and Buenos Aires Cost of Living Comparison Between Scranton, PA and Buenos Aires

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,094 in Scranton, PA versus $1,632 in Buenos Aires.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,023 in Scranton, PA versus $2,712 in Buenos Aires.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,951 in Scranton, PA versus $3,793 in Buenos Aires.

Living in Scranton, PA is roughly 28% more expensive than in Buenos Aires, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Scranton, PA 52% above, Buenos Aires 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.16 $12.16

$19.34 ARS 29.2K

-37.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.9 $75.9

$70.9 ARS 107.2K

7.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.84 $5.84

$12.81 ARS 19.4K

-54.41%

Cappuccino

$4.56 $4.56

$4.00 ARS 6,044

14.00%

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

$1.47 $1.47

$2.06 ARS 3,114

-28.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.65 ARS 2,500

-40.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.09 $7.09

$3.67 ARS 5,547

93.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.28 $7.28

$4.43 ARS 6,705

64.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.73 $0.73

$1.43 ARS 2,170

-48.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.39 $1.39

$2.51 ARS 3,789

-44.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.51 ARS 2,284

45.70%

Eggs

$3.31 $3.31

$2.71 ARS 4,103

22.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.88 $10.88

$10.12 ARS 15.3K

7.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.85 $8.85

$9.98 ARS 15.1K

-11.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.08 $11.08

$13.85 ARS 20.9K

-20.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.60 $3.60

$2.74 ARS 4,145

31.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 $1.27

$2.01 ARS 3,041

-36.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$1.36 ARS 2,061

138.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$2.11 ARS 3,197

104.74%

Potato (1kg)

$2.90 $2.90

$1.14 ARS 1,731

154.39%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$1.16 ARS 1,750

185.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.75 ARS 2,645

15.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.74 ARS 2,627

-41.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.29 $6.29

$4.36 ARS 6,592

44.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.13 $12.13

$5.67 ARS 8,580

113.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.01 $3.01

$2.10 ARS 3,169

43.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.70 $4.70

$2.68 ARS 4,056

75.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.70 $1.70

$0.75 ARS 1,127

126.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.0 $59.0

$27.38 ARS 41.4K

115.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 $3.27

$1.56 ARS 2,359

109.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 $1.96

$0.98 ARS 1,487

100.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.79 $24.79

$7.59 ARS 11.5K

226.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.35 ARS 2,041

-26.67%

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

$35.4K $35.4K

$28.8K ARS 43.6M

22.83%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$33.2K ARS 50.2M

-21.12%

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

$234 $234

$208 ARS 314.4K

12.54%

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

$40.18 $40.18

$24.04 ARS 36.4K

67.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.5 $50.5

$30.70 ARS 46.4K

64.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.31 $30.31

$50.9 ARS 76.9K

-40.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.53 $15.53

$16.96 ARS 25.7K

-8.43%

Cinema Ticket

$12.31 $12.31

$10.94 ARS 16.5K

12.52%

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

$763 $763

$461 ARS 697.0K

65.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.3K $17.3K

$8,744 ARS 13.2M

98.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.73 $44.73

$114 ARS 171.8K

-60.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.29 $30.29

$93.6 ARS 141.6K

-67.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.0 $74.0

$118 ARS 177.9K

-37.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.3 $84.3

$136 ARS 206.2K

-38.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,265 $1,265

$735 ARS 1.1M

72.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,016 $1,016

$514 ARS 776.9K

97.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,548 $1,548

$1,680 ARS 2.5M

-7.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,486 $1,486

$1,295 ARS 2.0M

14.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,586 $1,586

$2,679 ARS 4.1M

-40.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,523 $1,523

$1,895 ARS 2.9M

-19.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,250 $3,250

$901 ARS 1.4M

260.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.03

56.56

-89.34%

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

Last update for Scranton, PA: August 30, 2026

Last update for Buenos Aires: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,265 in Scranton, PA and $735 in Buenos Aires. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Scranton, PA pays 261% 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: $76.0 in Scranton, PA vs $71.0 in Buenos Aires for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $281 per month, with Buenos Aires 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

Scranton, PA vs Buenos Aires: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Scranton, PA and Buenos Aires differ by about 28% in total monthly costs ($2,094 vs $1,632 including rent). Buenos Aires is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 261% higher in Scranton, PA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,265 in Scranton, PA versus $735 in Buenos Aires. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $763 in Scranton, PA versus $461 in Buenos Aires. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Scranton, PA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,632 in Buenos Aires versus $2,094 in Scranton, PA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Buenos Aires but tight or insufficient in Scranton, PA. The gap between the two cities makes Buenos Aires 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, Scranton, PA 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 Buenos Aires gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Scranton, PA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.