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Buenos Aires vs Quito cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ฆ๐ท Buenos Aires
๐ช๐จ Quito
At a glance
- Where Quito is clearly cheaper: Street food (58%โ), Local meal (53%โ), Laundry (50%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Buenos Aires is easier to travel (2.4 vs 2.8). Biggest gap: language โ Buenos Aires 2 vs Quito 3. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Buenos Aires | Quito | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | AR$ 15,000$10.7 | $ 5$5 | Quito โ53% |
| Street food1 item | AR$ 5,000$3.57 | $ 1.5$1.5 | Quito โ58% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | AR$ 35,000$25 | $ 18$18 | Quito โ28% |
| Coffeeone cup | AR$ 5,000$3.57 | $ 3$3 | Quito โ16% |
| Beerone bottle | AR$ 7,000$5 | $ 3$3 | Quito โ40% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | AR$ 12,000$8.57 | $ 6$6 | Quito โ30% |
| Bottled water | AR$ 1,400$1 | $ 0.7$0.7 | Quito โ30% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | AR$ 2,000$1.43 | $ 1$1 | Quito โ30% |
| Taxi5 km in town | AR$ 8,500$6.07 | $ 5$5 | Quito โ18% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | AR$ 4,500$3.21 | $ 3$3 | Quito โ7% |
| Transitone ride | AR$ 890$0.64 | $ 0.35$0.35 | Quito โ45% |
| Scooter rentalper day | AR$ 25,000$17.9 | $ 15$15 | Quito โ16% |
| Hotel night3-star | AR$ 120,000$85.7 | $ 55$55 | Quito โ36% |
| Studio rent (month) | AR$ 700,000$500 | $ 450$450 | Quito โ10% |
| Laundry | AR$ 2,800$2 | $ 1$1 | Quito โ50% |
| SIM card1 week data | AR$ 12,000$8.57 | $ 10$10 | Buenos Aires โ14% |
| Haircutcut | AR$ 15,000$10.7 | $ 10$10 | Quito โ7% |
| Massage1 hour | AR$ 40,000$28.6 | $ 25$25 | Quito โ12% |
| Half-day tourper person | AR$ 50,000$35.7 | $ 30$30 | Quito โ16% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | AR$ 12,000$8.57 | $ 8.5$8.5 | similar |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Buenos Aires or Quito?
Quito is 30% cheaper than Buenos Aires. Daily budget $168 vs $109; a month $2,414 vs $1,830.
Which is easier to travel, Buenos Aires or Quito?
Buenos Aires is easier: Buenos Aires 2.4/5 vs Quito 2.8/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Buenos Aires and Quito?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Buenos Aires is about $2,414 and Quito about $1,830 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.