Cost of Living in Buenos Aires 2010

Matt — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 18:36:38 +0000

It is impossible to give a number on how much you can expect to spend while living or visiting Buenos Aires. It all depends on how you like to spend your money, and how much of it you have to spend. Below are approximate numbers to give you an idea of what your monthly cost of living could be in Buenos Aires. Remember that all prices are in Argentine Pesos. These are current prices as of May 2010. Keep in mind, there is inflation in Argentina of about 2% – 3% every month.

Here is my monthly budget for Buenos Aires – what you can expect to spend. For more detailed information, see below.

Monthly Budget
Cost
Apartment	$1,200	(Living in a shared apartment, all inclusive)
Food	$450
Necessities	$80	Things like soap, shampoo, garbage bags, etc.
Transportation	$80	includes the odd taxi ride, but mostly bus and subway
Cell	$40
Entertainment	$1,000	(bars, theatre, clubbing, eating out, etc)

Total	$2,850

(approximately US $730 CA $770 Euro €580 Pounds £500)

Apartments in Buenos Aires

Variations in cost are because it depends on the location, size, and quality of your apartment. These prices are all based on apartments that you´d find in the most popular neighbourhoods for travellers: San Telmo, Recoleta, Centro, Barrio Norte, Palermo, Belgrano, Colegiales, Villa Crespo.

A room in a shared apartment: $ 950+

**This usually includes internet, phone, cable, condo expenses, etc.

Your own studio apartment, as a temporary furnished rental: $2100 +

**This usually includes internet, phone, cable, condo expenses, etc.

Your own one bedroom, as a temporary furnished rental: $2300 +

**This usually includes internet, phone, cable, etc.

Your own studio, renting long term with a garantia: $1000+

**this includes apartment fees (known as expensas). But not things like phone, internet, cable, and electricity.

Your own one bedroom, renting long term with a garantia: $1200+

**this includes apartment fees. But not things like phone, internet, cable, and electricity.

Extras

Internet: $65 – $145 depending on company and if you can get a special starting offer. This is for 3M high speed cable, DSL or ADSL. Also can depend on the arrangement your building has with the internet company.

Cable TV: $80+

Electricity: $20+ *Much higher if you use electric heat or air conditioning.

Phone: $25+ *$25 gets you a phone line, but you have to pay to make calls to cell phones and of course, long distance.

New cell phone: $100 and up, for an unlocked pay as you go phone (although they are hard to find at that price)

Cell phone monthly payments: $20+ Can be a plan or pay as you go. $20 would be if you don´t make many calls, only lots of texts

Laundry Detergent: $6 for 500g

Body Wash: $8-$10 for 250 ml

Shampoo: $10 250ml Pantene shampoo

Clarín Newspaper: $2.50 during the week

Toothpaste: $3 – $10

Internet Cafe: $1.50 – $3.00 per hour

Food

Food will probably cost you about $500 – $600 pesos a month. If you are very careful about eating cheaply, and don´t eat a lot of expensive meat or chicken, you might be able to keep it between $3350 – $400.

Cheap cuts of meat: $15 – $35 per kilo

Good cuts of meat: $25 – $85 per kilo

Full Chicken: $15 – $30

Skinned and boned chicken breast: $25 – $35 per kilo

Salmon filet: $45 – $85 per kilo

Hake: $20 – $22

500 ml extra virgin olive oil: $15 – $25

Can of tuna: $3 – $9

500g Rice: $4 – $9

1KG bag pasta: $4 – $7

Jar of Jam: $7 – $25

6 eggs: $3 – $6

1L Milk: $2.75 – $5

500g Coffee: $12 – $40

Fruits and Veggies (per Kilo)

**The variation is how the price per kilo varies throughout the year, and also depends on where you buy your produce**

Red Pepper: $4 – $14

Avocado: $8 – $14

Carrots: $3 – $5

Zucchini: $3 – $8

Tomatoes: $3 – $8

Potatoes: $2 – $4

Onion: $2.50 – $4

Bananas: $4 – $5

Apples: $4 – $8

Plums: $4 – $8

Strawberries: $8 – $30

Kiwi: $8 – $12

Mandarins: $2 – $3

Lemons: $5 – $12

Entertainment

Prices are the usual costs. It can be higher or lower, depending on where you go.

Movie: $16 – $25 in a nice theater

Bottle of decent wine: $8 – $20

Bottle of very good wine: $20 and up

1L beer: $2.70 – $5.00

Entrance to clubs: $20 – $50

Bottle of beer in bar/club: $6 – $20

Highball: $12 – $35

Entrée in a nice restaurant: $35 – $65

Glass of wine in a nice restaurant: $12 – $25

Bottle of mediocre to decent wine in a nice restaurant: $25 – $60

Dinner for two, incl. 1 appetizer, two main courses, one dessert, and a bottle of wine:

*Cheap restaurant: $100

*Nice restaurant: $175

Dessert in a nice restaurant: $12 – $25

Theater: $20 – $250+

Museum: Free – $25

Live music show: $15 – $100+

Transportation

Taxi: $3.80 and up

Bus: $1.10 – $1.75

Subway: $1.10

Train: $0.80-$4.30 (mainly used to go from the suburbs into Buenos Aires).