Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between St John and Buenos Aires

For one person, living is cheaper in St John: $315 a month against $1,685 in Buenos Aires, rent and utilities included – about $16,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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St John

🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands

$315

/mo nomad

Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,685

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in St John and in Buenos Aires

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $315 in St John versus $1,685 in Buenos Aires.

St John $315
Buenos Aires $1,685

Estimated couple costs with rent: $928 in St John versus $2,742 in Buenos Aires.

St John $928
Buenos Aires $2,742

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,540 in St John versus $3,799 in Buenos Aires.

St John $1,540
Buenos Aires $3,799

Living in St John costs roughly 81% less than in Buenos Aires, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: St John is 77% below, Buenos Aires is 26% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.15 $20.15

$18.73 ARS 28.4K

7.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$174 $174

$64.5 ARS 97.8K

169.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.88 ARS 19.5K

Cappuccino

$7.10 $7.10

$3.98 ARS 6,029

78.39%

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

$3.02 $3.02

$2.05 ARS 3,103

47.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.55 ARS 2,349

32.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.16 $8.16

$3.84 ARS 5,830

112.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.05 $8.05

$4.60 ARS 6,970

75.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 ARS 2,181

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 ARS 3,738

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 ARS 2,467

Eggs

$2.89 ARS 4,385

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.65 ARS 16.1K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.74 ARS 20.8K

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ARS 4,166

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 ARS 3,300

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 ARS 2,205

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ARS 3,013

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ARS 1,885

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 ARS 1,921

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 ARS 2,575

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 ARS 2,617

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.18 ARS 6,337

Wine (Bottle)

$5.80 ARS 8,790

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 ARS 3,163

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 ARS 4,198

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ARS 1,132

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.15 ARS 41.2K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.62 ARS 2,451

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 ARS 1,481

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.72 ARS 11.7K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.36 ARS 2,058

15.44%

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

$28.0K ARS 42.5M

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

$34.5K ARS 52.4M

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

$216 ARS 326.9K

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

$25.61 ARS 38.8K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.36 ARS 47.6K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.82 ARS 75.6K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 ARS 25.9K

Cinema Ticket

$10.43 ARS 15.8K

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

$466 ARS 706.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K $13.4K

$9,057 ARS 13.7M

48.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$122 ARS 185.2K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$97.4 ARS 147.8K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ARS 177.4K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 ARS 211.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$763 ARS 1.2M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$505 ARS 766.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,598 ARS 2.4M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,185 ARS 1.8M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.9K $12.9K

$2,678 ARS 4.1M

380.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,858 ARS 2.8M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,080 $5,080

$954 ARS 1.4M

432.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.05

57.25

-87.69%

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

Last update for St John: October 5, 2026

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

St John

–

Buenos Aires

$505 30.4%

Groceries & Markets

St John

–

Buenos Aires

$284 17.1%

Eating Out

St John

–

Buenos Aires

$279 16.8%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

St John

–

Buenos Aires

$273 16.4%

Clothing & Footwear

St John

–

Buenos Aires

$214 12.9%

Sport & Entertainment

St John

–

Buenos Aires

$71 4.3%

Getting Around

St John

–

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2%

Cost Breakdown

St John pays 432% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out at a mid-range restaurant: $174 in St John vs $64.0 in Buenos Aires for two.

Good to know

🇻🇮 St John

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🕒 Local time

01:05 1:05 AM

02:05 2:05 AM

1 h ahead of St John

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,743

2,891,082 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Argentine Peso ARS $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ARS, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇦🇷 Argentine Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,701 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR).

ARS to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

St John Buenos Aires 5,920 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

St John
Buenos Aires

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

St John vs Buenos Aires: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

St John and Buenos Aires differ by about 435% in total monthly costs ($315 vs $1,685 including rent). St John is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 432% higher in St John, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Dining out is cheaper in St John – a meal for two runs $174 versus $64.0 in Buenos Aires. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $315 per month in St John versus $1,685 in Buenos Aires – a 435% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $315 in St John versus $1,685 in Buenos Aires, a $2,000 budget is realistic in St John but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes St John 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, St John 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 St John gentler on the wallet – expenses run 435% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.