Living in Buenos Aires, Argentina
Buenos Aires is a large coastal city in Argentina (1 to 5 million people in the city proper). It has a mild climate, averaging 18°C over the year with about 1,187 mm of rain. We estimate a couple needs about €2,354 a month to live centrally, and Argentina sits in our low to medium tax tier. For citizens from outside Mercosur and its associate states, long-term residency in Argentina is comparatively open, with a self-funded route from about $1,301 a month in income.
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- Est. cost
- €2,354
- a month for a couple
- Tax tier
- Low to medium
- personal income tax
- Climate
- 18°C
- 1,187 mm rain a year
- Size
- Large
- 1 to 5 million people
- Safety
- 55/100
- country-level
- Internet
- ~70 Mbps
- median fixed broadband
- Residency
- Comparatively open
- outside free-movement blocs
What stands out about Buenos Aires
- Self-funded residency from about $1,301 a month in income
- On or near the sea
Residency and visas
Comparatively open, for people from outside Mercosur and its associate states. Argentina offers accessible long-term residency mainly through the rentista passive-income visa and the pensionado (pension) visa, plus a low-bar inversionista business-investment visa, all renewable toward permanent residency and citizenship within a few years.
Citizens of Mercosur and its associate states have freedom-of-movement or simplified residency rights here.
The cheapest self-funded routes we track for Argentina:
- Income: about $1,301 a month (Rentista (passive-income) visa, income equal to 5x the monthly minimum wage = ARS 1,839,000/mo (SMVM ARS 367,800 x5, June 2026), converted at ARS 1,413.71/USD; as of June 2026)
- Investment: about $1,061 (Inversionista (investor) visa, legal minimum ARS 1,500,000 business investment under Decree 366/2025, converted at ARS 1,413.71/USD; as of June 2026)
For short visits, 90 of 198 passports can enter visa-free and 108 need a visa in advance.
Source: OurNextCity residency dataset, hand-reviewed approximations researched against published immigration rules, figures as of June 2026. Not legal advice: check the official source before you apply. Short-stay entry from the passport-index dataset (ilyankou, MIT).
Cost of living
We estimate a couple needs about €2,354 a month to live centrally in Buenos Aires, 14% below the €2,729 median across the 900 cities we compare. That makes it more affordable than 76% of them.
Source: OurNextCity model: a country-level cost index (New York = 100) scaled up for larger cities. An estimate for comparing cities, not a budget.
Internet and remote work
Median fixed broadband in Argentina runs at about 70 Mbps, faster than 25% of the cities we compare.
Source: Ookla Speedtest Global Index, median fixed broadband download speed, country-level.
Safety and stability
Argentina scores 55 out of 100 on safety, safer than 31% of the cities we compare. Its EIU Democracy Index score is 6.9 out of 10.
Source: Our own country-level safety estimate (0 to 100, higher is safer), shared by every city in Argentina. Stability: EIU Democracy Index.
Climate
Buenos Aires averages 18°C across the year with about 1,187 mm of rain, which makes it mild and wet. It is warmer than 43% of the 1225 cities we track, and it sits on the coast.
Source: Temperature from the Open-Meteo historical weather archive, daily means for 2019 to 2023; rainfall from TerraClimate (University of Idaho) 1991 to 2020 normals. Annual averages; monthly breakdowns are not in our dataset yet.
Language and culture
Main languages: Spanish. English proficiency: some. Social openness scores 68 out of 100.
Source: EF English Proficiency Index (country-level); social openness is our secularism and tolerance composite.
Healthcare
Argentina scores 68 out of 100 for healthcare, stronger than 61% of the cities we compare.
Source: Our own country-level healthcare estimate (0 to 100), shared by every city in Argentina.
Taxes
Argentina sits in our low to medium tax tier: moderate personal income tax. We use three tiers (zero or very low, low to medium, high) and apply them to every city in the country.
Taxes are a dealbreaker filter in OurNextCity: a couple who caps tax at zero or very low will not see Buenos Aires in their results.
Source: OurNextCity tax tiers, assigned by hand from each country's top marginal personal income tax rate and overall tax reputation, with no fixed rate cut-offs. Country-level and coarse by design; not tax advice.
Questions couples ask about Buenos Aires
Is Buenos Aires a good place to live for couples?
It depends on what the two of you weigh most. Compared with the other cities we track, Buenos Aires scores well on affordability. It is weaker on internet speed. Expect a mild, wet climate (18°C average). OurNextCity has each partner answer 12 questions privately, then ranks Buenos Aires and 914 other cities for both of you at once.
How much does it cost a couple to live in Buenos Aires?
We estimate about €2,354 a month for a couple living centrally, 14% below the €2,729 median across the cities we compare. It is a model estimate from a country-level cost index adjusted for city size, so use it to compare cities rather than to set a budget.
What are taxes like in Buenos Aires?
Argentina is in our low to medium tax tier (moderate personal income tax). Tiers are country-level and deliberately coarse: zero or very low, low to medium, and high. Couples who make zero or very low tax a must-have will not see Buenos Aires in their results.
Can foreigners live in Argentina long term?
Citizens of Mercosur and its associate states have freedom-of-movement or simplified residency rights. Our assessment for everyone else: comparatively open. Argentina offers accessible long-term residency mainly through the rentista passive-income visa and the pensionado (pension) visa, plus a low-bar inversionista business-investment visa, all renewable toward permanent residency and citizenship within a few years. The cheapest self-funded routes we track: income, about $1,301 a month (as of 2026-06); investment, about $1,061 (as of 2026-06).
What is the weather like in Buenos Aires?
Buenos Aires averages 18°C across the year with about 1,187 mm of rain, which makes it mild and wet. It is warmer than 43% of the cities we track.
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