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: $2,234 in Scranton, PA versus $1,412 in Buenos Aires.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,120 in Scranton, PA versus $2,197 in Buenos Aires.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,007 in Scranton, PA versus $2,982 in Buenos Aires.

Living in Scranton, PA is roughly 58% more expensive than Buenos Aires, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Scranton, PA 67% above, Buenos Aires 5% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.83 $11.83

$15.09 ARS 21.5K

-21.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.6 $89.6

$60.7 ARS 86.6K

47.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.08 $6.08

$11.89 ARS 17.0K

-48.86%

Cappuccino

$4.40 $4.40

$4.01 ARS 5,720

9.73%

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

$1.46 $1.46

$2.09 ARS 2,976

-30.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.48 ARS 2,115

-31.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.89 $5.89

$3.58 ARS 5,111

64.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.09 $7.09

$4.08 ARS 5,816

73.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.80 $0.80

$1.60 ARS 2,276

-50.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 $1.40

$2.53 ARS 3,603

-44.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.28 ARS 3,259

-6.14%

Eggs

$3.35 $3.35

$3.32 ARS 4,739

0.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.99 $12.99

$12.15 ARS 17.3K

6.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.82 $9.82

$7.85 ARS 11.2K

25.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.81 $10.81

$9.66 ARS 13.8K

11.90%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.49 ARS 3,548

45.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 $1.27

$2.06 ARS 2,938

-38.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.34 $3.34

$1.27 ARS 1,805

162.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.46 $4.46

$2.55 ARS 3,631

74.90%

Potato (1kg)

$3.27 $3.27

$1.49 ARS 2,126

119.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.77 $2.77

$1.47 ARS 2,094

88.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.84 ARS 2,628

7.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.44 ARS 2,059

-29.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 $6.61

$3.27 ARS 4,671

102.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.98 $11.98

$5.75 ARS 8,199

108.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 $1.93

$2.24 ARS 3,202

-13.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 $4.16

$3.20 ARS 4,565

30.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 $1.71

$0.72 ARS 1,026

137.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.8 $59.8

$16.12 ARS 23.0K

271.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 $3.04

$1.65 ARS 2,347

84.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 $1.40

$0.91 ARS 1,294

53.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.65 $21.65

$5.93 ARS 8,461

265.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$1.11 ARS 1,584

-20.72%

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

$26.5K $26.5K

$24.6K ARS 35.0M

8.00%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$28.8K ARS 41.1M

-9.99%

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

$272 $272

$109 ARS 155.6K

149.71%

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

$40.66 $40.66

$21.60 ARS 30.8K

88.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.9 $50.9

$29.00 ARS 41.4K

75.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.57 $30.57

$42.80 ARS 61.1K

-28.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.50 $15.50

$11.76 ARS 16.8K

31.80%

Cinema Ticket

$12.68 $12.68

$9.01 ARS 12.9K

40.73%

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

$755 $755

$324 ARS 462.1K

133.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$43.3K $43.3K

$5,180 ARS 7.4M

736.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.60 $44.60

$109 ARS 154.9K

-58.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.85 $29.85

$86.8 ARS 123.8K

-65.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 $74.2

$124 ARS 176.4K

-39.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.7 $81.7

$133 ARS 189.3K

-38.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,250 $1,250

$658 ARS 939.0K

89.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,104 $1,104

$447 ARS 638.3K

146.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,041 $2,041

$1,155 ARS 1.6M

76.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,520 $1,520

$811 ARS 1.2M

87.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,613 $1,613

$2,627 ARS 3.7M

-38.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,498 $1,498

$1,830 ARS 2.6M

-18.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,324 $3,324

$820 ARS 1.2M

305.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.68

52.71

-87.33%

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

Last update for Scranton, PA: June 2, 2026

Last update for Buenos Aires: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,250 in Scranton, PA and $658 in Buenos Aires. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Scranton, PA pays 306% 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: $90.0 in Scranton, PA vs $61.0 in Buenos Aires for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $303 vs $272 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 58% in total monthly costs ($2,234 vs $1,412 including rent). Buenos Aires is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Scranton, PA pays 306% more on average, 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: $1,250 in Scranton, PA versus $658 in Buenos Aires. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $755 in Scranton, PA versus $324 in Buenos Aires. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Scranton, PA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,412 in Buenos Aires versus $2,234 in Scranton, PA, a $2,000 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 58% less than in Scranton, PA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.