Cost of Living · AR vs JP
🇦🇷 Buenos Aires vs 🇯🇵 Tokyo: what everyday life costs
Monthly essentials: $913 in Argentina vs $1,435 in Japan — 57.29% more expensive.
Biggest differences
Much cheaper in Japan
- ⛽ Petrol/gasoline, 1L: 15.94%
- 🍻 Imported beer, 330ml bottle: 15.95%
- 👖 Jeans (mid-range brand): 16.02%
Closest to Argentina prices
- 🏢 Rent: 3-bedroom, city center: +68.29%
- 🏡 Rent: 1-bedroom, outside center: +68.29%
- 🏙️ Rent: 1-bedroom, city center: +68.29%
The full basket (32 items)
| Item | Argentina | Japan | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | |||
| 🏙️ Rent: 1-bedroom, city center | $578 | $972 (145,456 JPY) | +68.29% |
| 🏡 Rent: 1-bedroom, outside center | $462 | $778 (116,364 JPY) | +68.29% |
| 🏢 Rent: 3-bedroom, city center | $1,056 | $1,777 (265,975 JPY) | +68.29% |
| Food out | |||
| 🍜 Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $7.53 | $11.34 (1,697 JPY) | +50.6% |
| 🍽️ Dinner for two, mid-range | $31.39 | $47.25 (7,071 JPY) | +50.53% |
| 🍔 Fast-food combo meal | $4.98 | $7.23 (1,082 JPY) | +45.18% |
| Groceries | |||
| 🥛 Milk, 1L | $0.58 | $0.79 (118 JPY) | +36.21% |
| 🍞 Bread, fresh loaf 500g | $1.70 | $2.29 (343 JPY) | +34.71% |
| 🥚 Eggs, dozen | $1.80 | $2.43 (364 JPY) | +35% |
| 🍗 Chicken breast, 1kg | $5.31 | $7.15 (1,070 JPY) | +34.65% |
| 🍚 White rice, 1kg | $2.12 | $2.86 (428 JPY) | +34.91% |
| 🍎 Apples, 1kg | $2.55 | $3.43 (513 JPY) | +34.51% |
| 🧀 Local cheese, 1kg | $6.37 | $8.57 (1,283 JPY) | +34.54% |
| 💧 Water, 1.5L bottle | $1.06 | $1.43 (214 JPY) | +34.91% |
| Drinks | |||
| 🍺 Domestic beer, pint (draught) | $2.51 | $3.78 (566 JPY) | +50.6% |
| 🍻 Imported beer, 330ml bottle | $5.83 | $6.76 (1,012 JPY) | +15.95% |
| ☕ Cappuccino | $2.09 | $3.15 (471 JPY) | +50.72% |
| 🥤 Coke/Pepsi, 330ml | $1.22 | $1.64 (245 JPY) | +34.43% |
| Transport | |||
| 🚇 Public transport, monthly pass | $29.45 | $42.71 (6,392 JPY) | +45.03% |
| 🎫 Public transport, one-way | $1.25 | $1.81 (271 JPY) | +44.8% |
| 🚕 Taxi start (normal tariff) | $1.67 | $2.52 (377 JPY) | +50.9% |
| 🛣️ Taxi, per km | $0.75 | $1.13 (169 JPY) | +50.67% |
| ⛽ Petrol/gasoline, 1L | $0.69 | $0.80 (120 JPY) | +15.94% |
| Utilities & comms | |||
| 💡 Basic utilities, 85m² apartment | $90.60 | $131 (19,665 JPY) | +45.03% |
| 🌐 Internet, 60Mbps+ unlimited | $31.71 | $45.99 (6,883 JPY) | +45.03% |
| 📱 Mobile plan, 10GB+ data | $20.39 | $29.57 (4,425 JPY) | +45.02% |
| Lifestyle | |||
| 🏋️ Gym membership, month | $20.93 | $31.50 (4,714 JPY) | +50.5% |
| 🎬 Cinema seat | $5.86 | $8.82 (1,320 JPY) | +50.51% |
| 💈 Men's haircut | $12.56 | $18.90 (2,829 JPY) | +50.48% |
| 👖 Jeans (mid-range brand) | $40.07 | $46.49 (6,958 JPY) | +16.02% |
| 👟 Running shoes (brand) | $65.57 | $76.08 (11,386 JPY) | +16.03% |
| 💻 Coworking hot desk, month | $105 | $157 (23,570 JPY) | +50.52% |
Estimated from World Bank — Consumption price levels with per-item elasticity — model figures, not quotes. Compare any pair in the interactive tool.
Related
Frequently asked questions
- How much more expensive is Japan than Argentina?
- A single person's monthly essentials run about $1,435 in Japan versus $913 in Argentina — 57.29% more. Rents differ the most; world-priced goods like petrol and electronics the least.
- What does a beer cost in Japan?
- A domestic draught pint is roughly $3.78 in Japan (≈ 565.71 JPY), versus about $2.51 in Argentina.
- How much is rent in Japan compared to Argentina?
- A 1-bedroom city-center apartment is estimated at $972/month in Japan versus $578/month in Argentina (+68.29%). Housing is the most locally-priced item in the basket.
- How are these prices estimated?
- Curated US baseline prices scaled by each country's purchasing-power price level with per-item elasticities (housing 1.4, services 1.1, groceries 0.8, world-priced goods 0.4) — model estimates for orientation, not quotes.