Budget · Buenos Aires · Argentina
Buenos Aires on a budget
What a trip to Buenos Aires really costs, and where the savings are.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Roberto Fiadone, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Buenos Aires is moderately priced for most international visitors. Budget roughly $45–$80 per person per day on a tight budget, $110–$220 mid-range and $300–$700 for luxury, excluding flights. Hotel prices are usually lowest in May–June and August–September.
Key facts
- Budget traveller
- $45–$80 a day
- Mid-range
- $110–$220 a day
- Luxury
- $300–$700 a day
- Local currency
- ARS
- Free sights
- 10
Daily budget and trip cost
AMZBooking estimates per person in US dollars, excluding flights, reviewed October 2026. Accommodation is the biggest variable; prices rise in peak months.
| Style | Per day | 3 days | 5 days | 7 days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Budget | $45–$80 | $135–$240 | $225–$400 | $315–$560 |
| Mid-range | $110–$220 | $330–$660 | $550–$1,100 | $770–$1,540 |
| Luxury | $300–$700 | $900–$2,100 | $1,500–$3,500 | $2,100–$4,900 |
Typical prices
Approximate prices in Buenos Aires, October 2026. They change; use them for planning, not as quotes.
| Item | Typical price |
|---|---|
| Subte or bus ride with SUBE | about US$1 |
| Coffee with medialunas | about US$4–US$7 |
| Empanada | about US$1.50–US$3 each |
| Glass of Malbec in a bar | about US$4–US$8 |
| Milonga entry | about US$5–US$10 |
| Parrilla dinner with wine | about US$30–US$60 per person |
| Tango dinner show | about US$80–US$150 |
Money-saving tips
- Peso prices change quickly, so the ranges above are rough US-dollar equivalents.
- Exchange rules and card rates have changed often in recent years; before you travel, compare paying by foreign card with changing cash at a bank or official exchange house.
- ATM withdrawals often carry high per-transaction fees and low limits, so withdraw less often.
- Weekday lunch menus (menú ejecutivo) are good value compared with dinner.
- The Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, the parks, the San Telmo fair and El Ateneo are all free.
- A milonga with a beginners' class costs far less than a tango dinner show and is a more authentic night out.
Free things to do
- Plaza de Mayo and Casa Rosada — The city's founding square is framed by the pink presidential palace (Casa Rosada), the colonial Cabildo where the 1810 May Revolution began, and the Metropolitan Cathedral, where grenadiers guard General San Martín's mausoleum.
- Caminito, La Boca — This short pedestrian lane of corrugated-iron houses painted in bright colours recalls the tenements where Italian immigrants settled by the Riachuelo port.
- Obelisco and Avenida 9 de Julio — The 67-metre Obelisco, built in 1936 for the 400th anniversary of the city's first founding, stands where Avenida Corrientes crosses Avenida 9 de Julio, one of the widest avenues in the world.
- San Telmo Sunday fair — Every Sunday, stalls stretch along Calle Defensa from Plaza de Mayo to Plaza Dorrego, selling antiques, soda siphons, leather, crafts and street food, with tango dancers and bands on the corners.
- Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes — Argentina's national fine-arts museum, free to enter, holds European works by Impressionists such as Monet, Degas and Van Gogh alongside a large collection of Argentine painting and sculpture from the 19th century onwards.
- El Ateneo Grand Splendid — A 1919 theatre on Avenida Santa Fe that became a bookshop in 2000, El Ateneo keeps its painted dome, balconies and red stage curtains, with books lining the former stalls and boxes.
Where to stay on a budget
$$ · Best for budget, culture, solo travellers and nightlife
San Telmo
Cobbled streets, antiques, tango and the Sunday Defensa fair
$$ · Best for first-timers, budget and culture
Microcentro and Monserrat
Plaza de Mayo, Avenida de Mayo cafés and the Corrientes theatres
Eating well for less
- Empanadas — Empanada shops and pizzerias everywhere, sold by the unit or the dozen for takeaway.
- Choripán — Street carts along the Costanera Sur promenade near Puerto Madero, and as a starter at any parrilla.
- Medialunas — Every café and bakery (panadería); classic cafés such as Las Violetas in Almagro serve them on silver trays.
Getting around for less
SUBE card
The rechargeable card used on the Subte, city buses and suburban trains; buy it at kiosks or Subte stations and top it up there with cash.
Questions travellers ask
+How much does a trip to Buenos Aires cost?
About $550–$1,100 per person for five days mid-range, excluding flights (estimate), or $225–$400 on a tight budget.
+Is Buenos Aires expensive?
It is moderately priced for international visitors. Peso prices change quickly, so the ranges above are rough US-dollar equivalents.
+How much money do I need per day in Buenos Aires?
Roughly $45–$80 on a budget and $110–$220 mid-range (estimates).
+When are hotel prices lowest in Buenos Aires?
Usually in May–June and August–September.