Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Buenos Aires 3 vs Ushuaia 2. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
| Item | Buenos Aires | Ushuaia | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | AR$ 15,000$10.7 | AR$ 20,000$14.3 | Buenos Aires โ25% |
| Street food1 item | AR$ 5,000$3.57 | AR$ 5,000$3.57 | similar |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | AR$ 35,000$25 | AR$ 35,000$25 | similar |
| Coffeeone cup | AR$ 5,000$3.57 | AR$ 7,000$5 | Buenos Aires โ29% |
| Beerone bottle | AR$ 7,000$5 | AR$ 5,000$3.57 | Ushuaia โ29% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | AR$ 12,000$8.57 | AR$ 12,000$8.57 | similar |
| Bottled water | AR$ 1,400$1 | AR$ 1,200$0.86 | Ushuaia โ14% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | AR$ 2,000$1.43 | AR$ 3,000$2.14 | Buenos Aires โ33% |
| Taxi5 km in town | AR$ 8,500$6.07 | AR$ 7,600$5.43 | Ushuaia โ11% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | AR$ 4,500$3.21 | AR$ 4,300$3.07 | similar |
| Transitone ride | AR$ 890$0.64 | AR$ 1,600$1.14 | Buenos Aires โ44% |
| Scooter rentalper day | AR$ 25,000$17.9 | AR$ 30,000$21.4 | Buenos Aires โ17% |
| Hotel night3-star | AR$ 120,000$85.7 | AR$ 140,000$100 | Buenos Aires โ14% |
| Studio rent (month) | AR$ 700,000$500 | AR$ 550,000$393 | Ushuaia โ21% |
| Laundry | AR$ 2,800$2 | AR$ 10,000$7.14 | Buenos Aires โ72% |
| SIM card1 week data | AR$ 12,000$8.57 | AR$ 10,000$7.14 | Ushuaia โ17% |
| Haircutcut | AR$ 15,000$10.7 | AR$ 20,000$14.3 | Buenos Aires โ25% |
| Massage1 hour | AR$ 40,000$28.6 | AR$ 45,000$32.1 | Buenos Aires โ11% |
| Half-day tourper person | AR$ 50,000$35.7 | AR$ 65,000$46.4 | Buenos Aires โ23% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | AR$ 12,000$8.57 | AR$ 40,000$28.6 | Buenos Aires โ70% |
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%+.
Buenos Aires is 9% cheaper than Ushuaia. Daily budget $168 vs $192; a month $2,414 vs $2,553.
About the same: Buenos Aires 2.4/5, Ushuaia 2.4/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
With a short-term studio and living costs, Buenos Aires is about $2,414 and Ushuaia about $2,553 per month.
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.