Buenos Aires vs Caracas
In short
Calculated from the figures below, with no overall “who wins” score.
Rent
✓in Buenos Aires cheaper — −71%
Family groceries
✓in Caracas cheaper — −8%
Private school
✓in Buenos Aires cheaper — −49%
In numbers
Exchange rate as of the date each figure was checked.
House or apartment rent
per month✓Buenos Aires≈ $752–899ARS 1,176,184–1,406,326cheaper by 71%Caracas$750–4,900$750–4,900Family groceries
per monthBuenos Aires≈ $630ARS 985,617✓Caracas$582$582cheaper by 8%Private school
per month✓Buenos Aires≈ $28–190ARS 44,300–296,700cheaper by 49%Caracas$70–360$70–360Winter
averageBuenos Aires12 °C12 °CCaracas13–29 °C13–29 °CPrecipitation
per yearBuenos Aires1,260 mm1,260 mmCaracas912.8 mm912.8 mmReady-made house
purchase✓Buenos Aires$151–200k$151–200kcheaper by 73%Caracas$72k – 1.25M$72k – 1.25M
By topic
A quick look at each city. Details and sources are on the city page.
Housing
Buenos Aires
A flat with two bedrooms: Caballito 1.18 million pesos a month, Palermo 1.31 million, Núñez 1.41 million. Expensas on top.
OfficialIDECBA - Dynamics of the apartment rental market, Buenos Aires, Q2 2026 (Informe de resultados 2049) · checked 28 Sep 2026
A studio (monoambiente, about 30 m²) averages 565,658 pesos a month; a one-bedroom of 43 m² averages 764,485 pesos. Small flats vary little between barrios.
OfficialIDECBA - Dynamics of the apartment rental market, Buenos Aires, Q2 2026 (Informe de resultados 2049) · checked 28 Sep 2026
Three quarters of listings are homes with one bedroom at most. A family with two children can use about a quarter of the market.
OfficialIDECBA - Dynamics of the apartment rental market, Buenos Aires, Q2 2026 (Informe de resultados 2049) · checked 28 Sep 2026
A quarter of listings are priced in dollars, and for four-room flats it is already 44%. The further north the district, the more often it is dollars.
OfficialIDECBA - Dynamics of the apartment rental market, Buenos Aires, Q2 2026 (Informe de resultados 2049) · checked 28 Sep 2026
Caracas
An apartment with three or more bedrooms by listings: 750-4900 dollars a month, median about 1600. The east is the most expensive: Campo Alegre, La Castellana, El Rosal.
SpecialistRent-A-House: apartments for rent with three or more bedrooms, Distrito Metropolitano (Caracas), pages 1-3 · checked 6 Oct 2026
An apartment with three or more bedrooms by listings: from 72k to 1.25 million dollars, median about 170k. Most often 80-200k for 76-155 m².
SpecialistRent-A-House: apartments for sale with three or more bedrooms, Distrito Metropolitano (Caracas), pages 1-2 · checked 6 Oct 2026
Money and prices
Buenos Aires
The city's basket for a family with two children is 2.08 million pesos a month, but without rent. With the rent of a three-room flat it comes to 3.3–3.5 million.
OfficialIDECBA - Poverty lines and consumer baskets of the City of Buenos Aires, August 2026 (Informe de resultados 2054) · checked 28 Sep 2026
The food basket for a family of four is 985,617 pesos a month at city prices (August 2026). Up 34.7% over the year.
OfficialIDECBA - Poverty lines and consumer baskets of the City of Buenos Aires, August 2026 (Informe de resultados 2054) · checked 28 Sep 2026
Middle class by the city's yardstick starts at 2.6 million pesos for a family of four, and that is with owned housing.
OfficialIDECBA - Poverty lines and consumer baskets of the City of Buenos Aires, August 2026 (Informe de resultados 2054) · checked 28 Sep 2026
Caracas
The Cendas food basket for a family of five cost 727.89 dollars a month in July 2026; pro rata for four, about 580. Plus 13.5 for drinking water.
SpecialistEl Diario: Cendas-FVM, family food basket in July 2026 at 727.89 dollars · checked 6 Oct 2026
Family and kids
Buenos Aires
Fee ceilings in schools with state support: primary (half-day) 44–224k pesos a month, secondary 55–297k.
SpecialistiProfesional - new fee caps in CABA private schools from September 2026 · checked 28 Sep 2026
Caracas
Private schools in Caracas charge 70-360 dollars a month for 2026-2027, plus an enrolment fee of 225-1560 dollars. Payment in bolivars at the BCV rate is accepted.
SpecialistEl Diario: private schools of Greater Caracas, fees for the 2026-2027 school year · checked 6 Oct 2026
Healthcare
Buenos Aires
With residency, city hospitals are free on equal terms with Argentines. Without a DNI, elective care is paid; emergency care is for everyone.
OfficialResolución 1054/MSGC/2025 - procedure for treating patients without an Argentine DNI in city hospitals · checked 28 Sep 2026
A mid-level plan costs 110–280k pesos a month per person; OSDE 210 cost 285k in September 2026. For a family, multiply.
SpecialistComparison of private health insurance (prepagas) prices, September 2026 · checked 28 Sep 2026
Caracas
Nothing yet
Transport
Buenos Aires
The metro is 1,753 pesos per trip, a bus from 888. Fares drop from the 21st trip in a month. A family spends about 127k a month.
OfficialRed SUBE - AMBA public transport fares, in effect from 1 September 2026 · checked 28 Sep 2026
Caracas
After the earthquakes, Maiquetía airport resumed commercial flights on 1 September 2026, but with limited capacity. To the city, use only a pre-booked taxi.
OfficialUK Foreign Office: Venezuela travel advice, Warnings and insurance (updated 2 September 2026) · checked 6 Oct 2026
Climate
Buenos Aires
The average July temperature is 11.5 degrees: about 8 at night, about 16 by day. Snow comes once in several generations, but you need heating in winter.
SpecialistClimates to Travel - climate of Buenos Aires, 1991-2020 normals · checked 28 Sep 2026
About 1,260 mm a year and 77 rainy days – there is no dry season. It rains most in summer, winter is the driest. Downpours sometimes cause flooding.
SpecialistClimates to Travel - climate of Buenos Aires, 1991-2020 normals · checked 28 Sep 2026
Caracas
About 910 mm a year. Dry from January to March (11-15 mm a month); the rainy season runs from May to October, with 80-135 mm a month and 13-19 rainy days.
OfficialWMO World Weather Information Service: climate normals for Caracas · checked 6 Oct 2026
There is no winter as a season. The coolest month is January: about 13 degrees at night, 29 by day. All year round 28-32 degrees by day, 13-18 at night.
OfficialWMO World Weather Information Service: climate normals for Caracas · checked 6 Oct 2026
Safety
Buenos Aires
In 2025 there were 2.53 homicides per 100k residents – the lowest since 1995, below the national average (3.7).
OfficialBuenos Aires crime map, summary report for 2025 · checked 28 Sep 2026
Caracas
On 24 June 2026 two earthquakes of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 badly damaged La Guaira and parts of Caracas. The risk of further tremors remains.
OfficialUK Foreign Office: Venezuela travel advice, Safety and security · checked 6 Oct 2026
The Russian Foreign Ministry names Catia, Petare, Antímano, La Vega, Caricuao, El Paraíso and 23 de Enero as especially dangerous. Evening walks are risky almost everywhere.
OfficialRussian Foreign Ministry Consular Department: information about Venezuela (transport, crime) · checked 6 Oct 2026
Internet and phone
Buenos Aires
Fibre at 300 Mbps costs about 14–22k pesos a month on promotion, 500 Mbps 22–36k. The main trap: after 6–12 months the list price kicks in, and it is three to four times higher.
SpecialistMovistar Argentina - 300 Mbps fiber plan · checked 28 Sep 2026
Caracas
Median fixed internet speed in Venezuela is 127 Mbit/s, mobile 28 (Speedtest, August 2026). CANTV sells fibre up to 1 Gbit/s. When power goes, so does connectivity.
SpecialistSpeedtest Global Index: Venezuela, median speeds, August 2026 · checked 6 Oct 2026
Services
Buenos Aires
Edesur electricity without a subsidy: 157 pesos per kWh plus 3,632 a month (category 151–400 kWh). For 300 kWh about 50.8k pesos without IVA (33 dollars).
OfficialEdesur: cuadro tarifario, ENReGE resolution 535/26, in effect from 1 September 2026 · checked 30 Sep 2026
Metrogas gas without a subsidy: 316 pesos per m³ plus a fixed charge of 4.4–53.8k a month, without taxes. 100 m³ in winter (category R2 2°) – about 47.6k pesos (31 dollars).
OfficialMetrogas: cuadros tarifarios, September 2026 (tariffs for homes without SEF subsidies, excluding taxes) · checked 30 Sep 2026
Without subsidies, electricity, gas and water cost about 142k pesos a month in spring and up to 166k in winter. Expensas (the building fee) are not included in this amount.
SpecialistTN citing the Observatorio de Tarifas y Subsidios IIEP (UBA-CONICET) - AMBA utilities basket, September 2026 · checked 28 Sep 2026
Caracas
Outages are the main problem: the country is short of up to 4000 MW, and in half of it power is cut for 4-12 hours a day. Tap water is not drunk; drinking water costs 13.5 dollars.
SpecialistCrónica Uno: the 14,000-megawatt gap, Venezuela's electricity deficit, 3 October 2026 · checked 6 Oct 2026
