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City comparison

Mendoza vs Santa Cruz de la Sierra

In short

Calculated from the figures below, with no overall “who wins” score.

  • Rent

    in Mendoza cheaper — −12%

  • Family budget

    in Santa Cruz cheaper — −56%

  • Ready-made house

    in Santa Cruz cheaper — −31%

In numbers

Exchange rate as of the date each figure was checked.

  • House or apartment rent

    per month
    Mendoza≈ $425–492ARS 665–770k
    cheaper by 12%
    Santa Cruz de la Sierra≈ $342–700BOB 4,100–8,400
  • Family groceries

    per month
    Mendoza≈ $392ARS 614,072
    Santa Cruz de la Sierra≈ $208BOB 2,490
    cheaper by 47%
  • Family budget

    per month
    Mendoza≈ $942ARS 1,473,774
    Santa Cruz de la Sierra≈ $410BOB 4,917
    cheaper by 56%
  • Winter

    average
    Mendoza9 °C9 °C
    Santa Cruz de la Sierra22 °C22 °C
  • Precipitation

    per year
    Mendoza240 mm240 mm
    Santa Cruz de la Sierra1,372 mm1,372 mm
  • Ready-made house

    purchase
    Mendoza$94,500 – 295k$94,500 – 295k
    Santa Cruz de la Sierra$87,900 – 180k$87,900 – 180k
    cheaper by 31%

By topic

A quick look at each city. Details and sources are on the city page.

Housing

Mendoza

Rent for a two-bedroom flat by district

A flat with two bedrooms: Guaymallén about 665k pesos a month, Ciudad 700k, Godoy Cruz 770k. Expensas and utilities on top.

SpecialistMercado Libre - two-bedroom apartments for rent, Ciudad (city of Mendoza) · checked 29 Sep 2026

House with three bedrooms

A three-bedroom house in Greater Mendoza – about 1.2 million pesos a month. In the gated communities of Chacras de Coria, Luján and Dalvian they ask 1,500–2,000 dollars.

SpecialistMercado Libre - three-bedroom houses for rent, Mendoza province · checked 29 Sep 2026

Plot in Chacras de Coria

A plot of 500–1,300 m² in Chacras de Coria usually costs 61–83k dollars, median 69k. That is about 100 dollars per square metre.

SpecialistMercado Libre - plots for sale in Chacras de Coria (Luján de Cuyo) · checked 29 Sep 2026

Buying a house

A three-bedroom house: in Godoy Cruz the median is about 95k dollars, in Chacras de Coria about 295k. The difference between the districts is about threefold.

SpecialistMercado Libre - three-bedroom houses for sale, Godoy Cruz · checked 29 Sep 2026

Everything about housing in Mendoza →

Santa Cruz de la Sierra

Buying a house

A three-bedroom house by listings costs 88-180 thousand dollars, median 123 thousand. In Urubó about 228 thousand, in the north of the city about 117 thousand.

SpecialistInfoCasas Bolivia: sale of three-bedroom houses in Santa Cruz · checked 6 Oct 2026

Apartment rent

A three-bedroom apartment by listings costs 4100-8400 Bs a month, median about 5500 Bs (about 460 dollars at 11.97). Almost twice as much in Equipetrol.

SpecialistInfoCasas Bolivia: rental of three-bedroom apartments in Santa Cruz · checked 6 Oct 2026

Anticrético instead of rent

Instead of renting you can give the owner a large sum for a term and live without paying: a three-bedroom apartment in anticrético is about 35-50 thousand dollars.

SpecialistInfoCasas Bolivia: three-bedroom apartments in anticrético in Santa Cruz · checked 6 Oct 2026

Everything about housing in Santa Cruz →

Money and prices

Mendoza

Food for a family

The minimum food basket for a family of four in Greater Mendoza is 614k pesos a month (August 2026). Up 43% over the year.

OfficialDEIE Mendoza - basic food basket and total basket for Greater Mendoza, August 2026 (press release) · checked 29 Sep 2026

Budget for a family of four

The poverty line for a family of four is 1.47 million pesos a month (August 2026), rent not included. With a rented two-bedroom flat the total starts at 2.1–2.2 million.

OfficialDEIE Mendoza - basic food basket and total basket for Greater Mendoza, August 2026 (press release) · checked 29 Sep 2026

Everything about money and prices in Mendoza →

Santa Cruz de la Sierra

Monthly family budget

A family of four in Santa Cruz is considered poor with an income below 4917 Bs a month (about 410 dollars). This is the lowest line among the cities in the INE table.

OfficialINE: poverty line and extreme poverty line per person per month by city, 2016 - December 2025 · checked 6 Oct 2026

Groceries for a family

The minimum food basket for a family of four in Santa Cruz is about 2490 Bs a month (about 210 dollars) by the INE extreme poverty line for December 2025.

OfficialINE: poverty line and extreme poverty line per person per month by city, 2016 - December 2025 · checked 6 Oct 2026

Everything about money and prices in Santa Cruz →

Family and kids

Mendoza

Private schools

Schools with state support from August 2026: primary 40–162k pesos a month, median 81k; secondary 50–184k, median about 100k.

OfficialDGE Mendoza - fee for each private school with state subsidy from August 2026 (Resolución 140/2026, annex) · checked 29 Sep 2026

Everything about family and kids in Mendoza →

Santa Cruz de la Sierra

Private and public schools

In 2025 the department of Santa Cruz had 822 thousand students, about 104 thousand (12.6%) in private schools and kindergartens. Private school fees: not found.

OfficialINE with Ministry of Education data: students in public and private schools by department, 2011 - 2025 · checked 6 Oct 2026

Everything about family and kids in Santa Cruz →

Healthcare

Mendoza

Hospitals and foreigners

With residency, provincial hospitals are free, as for Argentines. Without it, since August 2024 elective care has been paid, emergency care is free.

SpecialistADN País - Mendoza and fees for medical care for non-resident foreigners · checked 29 Sep 2026

Everything about healthcare in Mendoza →

Santa Cruz de la Sierra

Hospital beds

The department of Santa Cruz had 5131 hospital beds in 2024, about 691 inhabitants per bed. This is slightly worse than the national average (669).

OfficialINE with Ministry of Health data: hospital beds and inhabitants per bed by department, 2005 - 2024 · checked 6 Oct 2026

Everything about healthcare in Santa Cruz →

Transport

Mendoza

The pass to Chile in winter

The main road to Chile over the Cristo Redentor pass was closed for 34 days in a row from 14 July in winter 2026. For trips between July and September, plan with a margin.

SpecialistInfobae - Cristo Redentor pass closed again after 34 days of full closure · checked 29 Sep 2026

Everything about transport in Mendoza →

Santa Cruz de la Sierra

Airports and roads

INE names Viru Viru near Santa Cruz one of the three key international airports; the city also has El Trompillo. A highway runs to Cochabamba and La Paz.

OfficialINE: geographic information on Bolivia (roads and international airports) · checked 6 Oct 2026

Everything about transport in Santa Cruz →

Climate

Mendoza

Winter

The average July temperature is 8.6 degrees: about 15 by day, about 2 at night. Night frosts are frequent, down to -3.5 on the coldest nights. Winter is dry, snow is a rarity.

SpecialistClimates to Travel - climate of Mendoza, 1991-2020 normals · checked 29 Sep 2026

Summer and heat

The average January temperature is 26 degrees, about 33 by day. On hot days it reaches 39, the record is 44.4. Nights are noticeably cooler – about 19.

SpecialistClimates to Travel - climate of Mendoza, 1991-2020 normals · checked 29 Sep 2026

Annual precipitation

About 240 mm a year – an arid climate. Most in January (47 mm, thunderstorms), least in July (5 mm). About 2,970 hours of sun a year.

SpecialistClimates to Travel - climate of Mendoza, 1991-2020 normals · checked 29 Sep 2026

Everything about climate in Mendoza →

Santa Cruz de la Sierra

Precipitation and seasons

About 1370 mm of precipitation a year, from 980 to 1740 mm in different years. The rainiest are December and January (about 180 mm), the driest is July (about 26 mm).

OfficialINE with SENAMHI data: mean temperature and precipitation by city by month, 1990 - 2026; annual tables by weather station, 2005 - 2024 · checked 6 Oct 2026

Winter climate

Winter is warm: the mean temperature in June-August is about 21.7 degrees. But the yearly absolute minimum at the city weather station is 2-9 degrees.

OfficialINE with SENAMHI data: mean temperature and precipitation by city by month, 1990 - 2026; annual tables by weather station, 2005 - 2024 · checked 6 Oct 2026

Everything about climate in Santa Cruz →

Nature

Mendoza

Water and drought

According to the irrigation department's forecast, the Mendoza river will deliver 61% of an average year's water in the 2025–2026 season. Before that there were 10–12 years of drought, which the authorities call the new normal.

OfficialDepartamento General de Irrigación - river runoff forecast for Mendoza for the 2025-2026 season · checked 29 Sep 2026

Everything about nature in Mendoza →

Santa Cruz de la Sierra

Nothing yet

Safety

Mendoza

Earthquakes

The north of Mendoza with Greater Mendoza is zone 4, the highest seismic hazard in the country (INPRES). The 1861 earthquake destroyed the whole city.

OfficialINPRES - update of Argentina's seismic hazard map and the current zoning · checked 29 Sep 2026

Intentional homicides

Mendoza province, 2025: 65 victims of intentional homicide, 3.2 per 100k residents; in 2024 it was 71 and 3.5. There is no separate figure for the city.

OfficialSNIC - victims of intentional homicide and their rate per 100k residents, Mendoza province · checked 29 Sep 2026

Everything about safety in Mendoza →

Santa Cruz de la Sierra

Crime reports

In 2024 police in the department of Santa Cruz got 15.6 thousand crime reports, 5.1 thousand on robberies. Homicide reports in 2023: 228, three times La Paz.

OfficialINE with police data: crime reports in the department of Santa Cruz by type, 2007 - 2024 · checked 6 Oct 2026

Everything about safety in Santa Cruz →

Internet and phone

Mendoza

Internet

The local provider Wiber offers symmetric fibre up to 1,000 Mbps in Ciudad, Godoy Cruz, Guaymallén, Maipú, Luján and Chacras de Coria.

SpecialistWiber - home fiber plans and coverage zones in Greater Mendoza · checked 29 Sep 2026

Everything about internet and phone service in Mendoza →

Santa Cruz de la Sierra

Fiber internet

The state operator Entel sells home fiber at 200 Mbps for 229 Bs a month, 1000 Mbps for 450 Bs. Installation is 200 Bs, subject to an address check.

SpecialistEntel: home fiber internet, Simple plans · checked 6 Oct 2026

Everything about internet and phone service in Santa Cruz →

Services

Mendoza

Electricity, gas and water

Without subsidies, electricity is about 113k pesos a month, gas 65k, water about 35k – roughly 213k in total. Electricity is 20% more expensive than the national average.

SpecialistEl Sol, citing the Observatorio de Tarifas y Subsidios IIEP (UBA-CONICET) - electricity and gas in Mendoza versus the national average, September 2026 · checked 29 Sep 2026

Electricity (Edemsa)

Edemsa electricity without a subsidy: 240–280 pesos per kWh plus a fixed charge, billed every two months. 300 kWh a month: 85–97k pesos (55–63 dollars), depending on the category.

OfficialEPRE Mendoza: annex I to resolution 189/2026, Edemsa cuadro tarifario, in effect from 1 September 2026 · checked 30 Sep 2026

Mains gas (Ecogas)

Ecogas gas in Mendoza without a subsidy: 291 pesos per m³ plus a fixed charge of 7.5k (R1), without taxes. 100 m³ in winter – about 36.7k pesos (24 dollars).

OfficialENReGE (formerly ENARGAS): natural gas tariffs of all distributors from 1 September 2026 (Excel), Distribuidora de Gas Cuyana, Mendoza · checked 30 Sep 2026

Everything about services in Mendoza →

Santa Cruz de la Sierra

Bottled gas

Liquefied gas at a regulated price of 2.25 Bs per kg, a 10 kg cylinder is 22.50 Bs (under 2 dollars). We did not find the piped gas tariff.

OfficialANH: regulated prices of petroleum products on the domestic market, including liquefied gas (GLP) · checked 6 Oct 2026

Electricity from CRE

The average residential tariff of the CRE cooperative in 2024 was 11 US cents per kWh without VAT, about 0.77 Bs. 300 kWh a month is about 230 Bs before tax.

OfficialAETN: statistical yearbook 2024, average tariff for the final consumer by category (CRE, Área Integrada) · checked 6 Oct 2026

Water and sewerage

The SAGUAPAC water utility received on average about 7 Bs per billed m³ in 2025. Only two thirds of residents in its area have sewerage.

OfficialSAGUAPAC: annual report (Memoria) for 2025 · checked 6 Oct 2026

Everything about services in Santa Cruz →

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