Short answer: On the ground in Argentina, plan on roughly ARS 70,000–92,000 (about $45–60) per person per day on a hostel budget, ARS 155,000–205,000 (about $100–135) in a mid-range hotel, and about ARS 235,000–425,000 (about $155–280) in four- and five-star comfort. A week therefore costs about ARS 490,000–645,000 ($320–425) on a tight budget, ARS 1,085,000–1,435,000 ($715–945) mid-range and ARS 1,645,000–2,975,000 ($1,080–1,960) in comfort, before flights and domestic flights. For a reality check, Argentina’s statistics office (INDEC) found that foreign visitors arriving by air spent an average of $87 a day in the second quarter of 2026, and those from the United States and Canada about $98 a day.
Argentina’s prices have changed fast in recent years, so this guide gives figures in both pesos and dollars. The official exchange rate was about ARS 1,520 to the US dollar in early October 2026 (the Central Bank’s reference rate on 2 October), and payments with foreign-issued cards are settled at a rate linked to the “financial” (MEP) dollar rather than at the official rate. Use our Money exchange tool for today’s rate. The biggest costs are long distances, which usually mean domestic flights to Patagonia or Iguazú, and the national park fees, which are priced for foreign visitors. Here is how it adds up for a trip to Argentina.
Argentina daily costs at a glance
These example days are built from the sourced prices further down this page: one person, one day in Buenos Aires or, for the sights row, a national park day. They leave out flights, domestic flights, tours, shopping and nightlife.
| Per person, per day | Budget | Mid-range | Comfort |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bed | Hostel dorm bed, about $11–16: ARS 17,000–25,000 | Per person in a three- or four-star double: from about ARS 55,000–65,000 | Half of a four- or five-star room at about $112–271: ARS 85,000–206,000 |
| Food | A fast-food meal, a cheap meal and a coffee: ARS 50,000–60,000 | Lunch, half of an ARS 98,500 dinner for two, coffee and a beer: about ARS 90,000 | Lunch, half of an ARS 182,000 dinner for two, drinks: about ARS 130,000 |
| Local transport | Two to four Subte or bus rides: ARS 3,000–7,000 | Subte plus a taxi: ARS 10,000–15,000 | Taxis: ARS 20,000–30,000 |
| Sights | Free parks, markets and street life: ARS 0 | Free sights, or a park day such as Nahuel Huapi: ARS 0–35,000 | Free sights, or Iguazú or Los Glaciares: ARS 0–60,000 |
| Total | About ARS 70,000–92,000 ($45–60) | About ARS 155,000–205,000 ($100–135) | About ARS 235,000–425,000 ($155–280) |
The dorm price is the 2026 average on the hostel booking site Hostelz; the mid-range figures are the “from” prices per person in Buenos Aires three- and four-star hotels reported by the business daily Ámbito in July 2026; the comfort range is the average four- and five-star price shown by the travel search site KAYAK for Buenos Aires; restaurant, transport and taxi prices are typical October 2026 Buenos Aires prices from the crowd-sourced Numbeo index and press reports; park fees are official. Prices in pesos rise often, so treat these as typical ranges, not quotes.
What visitors actually spend in Argentina
INDEC surveys foreign visitors leaving through Ezeiza and Aeroparque, Buenos Aires’ two airports, every quarter. In the second quarter of 2026 (April to June, the autumn low season), the 562,500 foreign tourists who arrived through them stayed an average of 12.4 nights and spent an average of $87.30 a day, $608.8 million in total. Visitors from the United States and Canada stayed 14.8 nights and spent $97.90 a day. These figures exclude the flight to Argentina.
| Where foreign visitors stayed, Q2 2026 | Share of visitors | Average spending per day |
|---|---|---|
| Four- and five-star hotels | 34.3% | $154.90 |
| One- to three-star hotels | 9.8% | $125.60 |
| Rented house or apartment | 26.4% | $109.20 |
| Friends or family | 26.1% | $44.10 |
On our Travel costs by country scale, which compares hotel, restaurant and transport prices with the United States (US = 100), Argentina scores 62, in our middle band, “moderate”. In plain words, a hotel night, a meal out or a taxi ride costs on average about 40% less than in the United States. Argentina is pricier than neighboring Brazil (43) and close to Chile (59), but cheaper than Uruguay (73). Because the peso has moved so much, check current prices before you go.
Accommodation costs
Hostelz’s 2026 data put the average dorm bed in Argentina at about $11 a night and the average private room in a hostel at about $49; Buenos Aires hostels cost a little more, with dorms from about $16. In Buenos Aires hotels, Ámbito reported in July 2026 that three-star doubles in the Microcentro started at about ARS 55,000 per person and four-star hotels at about ARS 65,000 per person, and that published rates may not include VAT. At the top end, KAYAK’s Buenos Aires page shows averages of about $112 a night for a four-star hotel and $271 for a five-star.
Outside the capital, prices follow the seasons: Patagonian towns such as El Calafate and El Chaltén and Ushuaia are busiest and dearest in the southern summer, while Bariloche also peaks in the July ski holidays.
Hotel VAT refund for foreign visitors
Foreign tourists do not pay Argentina’s 21% VAT (IVA) on hotel stays when they pay with a card issued abroad or a transfer from a foreign account, and the hotel records their passport details. Ask for it at check-in and pay with your own card; paying in cash means you pay the VAT.
Food and drink costs
Numbeo’s October 2026 Buenos Aires figures show a meal at an inexpensive restaurant at about ARS 28,800 (about $19; range ARS 16,300–53,100), a three-course dinner for two at a mid-range restaurant, without drinks, at about ARS 98,600 (about $65; range ARS 65,300–182,000), a fast-food combo at about ARS 19,600, a half-liter of local draft beer at about ARS 6,000 and a cappuccino at about ARS 5,900. Steak at a neighborhood parrilla and a bottle of Argentine wine are still good value by international standards, especially at lunch, when many restaurants offer a set menu.
Getting around Argentina
- Buenos Aires Subte and buses: you pay with a SUBE card. From July 2026, a Subte ride cost ARS 1,621 with a registered card and ARS 2,541 with an unregistered one, and city bus fares start at about ARS 920 for short trips with a registered card from October 2026. Fares are adjusted every month, so expect a little more.
- Taxis: Numbeo’s figures suggest about ARS 2,400 to start and ARS 1,500 per kilometer in Buenos Aires; ride-hailing apps also work in the big cities.
- Domestic flights: Argentina is huge, so most visitors fly from Buenos Aires to Iguazú, El Calafate, Ushuaia, Bariloche, Mendoza or Salta rather than spend a day on the road.
- Long-distance buses: comfortable overnight coaches with reclining seats link most cities and are a cheaper alternative on shorter routes.
Our Argentina itinerary shows how to combine Buenos Aires, Iguazú and Patagonia in two weeks.
National park fees and free things to do
Argentina’s National Parks Administration sets a general rate for foreign visitors, valid since 1 June 2026. A second day within 72 hours costs half price, and multi-day Flexipasses exist for the busiest parks.
| Park (foreign adult, per day) | Fee, as of October 2026 |
|---|---|
| Iguazú National Park (includes the park train) | ARS 60,000 (about $39) |
| Los Glaciares, Perito Moreno or El Chaltén zone | ARS 50,000 (about $33) |
| Tierra del Fuego National Park, near Ushuaia | ARS 40,000 (about $26) |
| Nahuel Huapi, Los Arrayanes and Lanín, near Bariloche | ARS 35,000 (about $23) |
| Los Cardones (near Salta), Talampaya and Iberá | ARS 25,000 (about $16) |
| Península Valdés protected area, near Puerto Madryn (provincial) | ARS 50,000 (about $33) |
Iguazú also sells a three-day Flexipass for ARS 120,000. In the cities, much of the best is free: the street life of San Telmo and its Sunday fair, the colorful houses of La Boca, the parks of Palermo, tango in the squares, and the waterfront in Mar del Plata. See our hiking and wine tasting pages for ideas in Patagonia and Mendoza, and our top places to visit in Argentina for the country’s highlights.
A sample mid-range week
Here is one person’s share of a mid-range week split between Buenos Aires, Iguazú and El Calafate, sharing a three- or four-star room and using the example day above:
| Item (per person, 7 nights) | Cost |
|---|---|
| Per-person share of a three- or four-star double, ARS 55,000–65,000 a night | ARS 385,000–455,000 |
| Food, at about ARS 90,000 a day | About ARS 630,000 |
| Subte, buses and taxis, ARS 10,000–15,000 a day | ARS 70,000–105,000 |
| Iguazú National Park, two days (second day at half price) | ARS 90,000 |
| Los Glaciares National Park, one day | ARS 50,000 |
| Total, before flights and tours | About ARS 1,225,000–1,330,000 ($805–875) |
Add the domestic flights, which are the biggest extra on this route, and tours such as boat trips at Iguazú or a glacier walk. Paying the hotel with a foreign card keeps the 21% VAT off the room price.
Tipping in Argentina
In restaurants a tip of about 10% is customary and is often left in cash. Some restaurants also charge a small cover charge (cubierto) for bread and service, which is not a tip. Our tip calculator works out amounts on the spot.
Money-saving tips for Argentina
- Pay hotels with a foreign card. You skip the 21% VAT on your stay.
- Use your card elsewhere too. Foreign cards are settled at the financial (MEP) dollar rate, so you need less cash.
- Travel in the shoulder seasons. May and June and August to early November, outside long weekends, are cheapest; January, February and the July ski holidays are the most expensive. See our best time to visit Argentina guide.
- Plan park days in pairs. The second consecutive day within 72 hours costs half price.
- Eat the main meal at lunch, when set menus are cheaper than dinner.
- Book domestic flights early for Patagonia in summer.
Plan your trip: our free trip planner can build a day-by-day plan for Argentina from our guides, including Buenos Aires, Iguazú, Los Glaciares, Bariloche and Salta. Then use the Money exchange tool to turn pesos into your own currency, and the Destination weather tool to pick your dates.
Frequently asked questions
How much money do I need for a week in Argentina?
Using the example days above, seven days on the ground cost roughly ARS 490,000–645,000 ($320–425) per person on a hostel budget, ARS 1,085,000–1,435,000 ($715–945) mid-range and ARS 1,645,000–2,975,000 ($1,080–1,960) in comfort, before flights and domestic flights. INDEC’s survey found visitors from the United States and Canada spent about $98 a day in the second quarter of 2026.
Is Argentina expensive?
It is mid-priced. Argentina scores 62 on our travel cost scale (US = 100), more than Brazil but less than Uruguay. Food, wine and city transport are good value; domestic flights, national park fees and Patagonian hotels in summer are the big costs.
Do I need cash in Argentina?
Some. Foreign cards are widely accepted and are settled at a rate linked to the financial dollar, and paying a hotel by foreign card avoids the 21% VAT. Keep pesos for tips, small cafés, markets and places that do not take cards, and note that the north zone of Los Glaciares, around El Chaltén, takes park fees online by card only.
How much is the entrance fee to Iguazú Falls in Argentina?
Foreign adults pay ARS 60,000 (about $39) per day, including the park train, and a second day within 72 hours costs half price. A three-day Flexipass costs ARS 120,000.
Should I bring US dollars to Argentina?
Not in large amounts. Foreign cards are accepted widely and are settled at a rate linked to the financial (MEP) dollar, so you can pay most bills by card, and paying a hotel by foreign card also saves the 21% VAT. A modest amount of cash in pesos covers tips and small purchases; compare the card rate with local exchange offers using our Money exchange tool.
What is the cheapest month to visit Argentina?
May and June and August to early November, outside long weekends, are the cheapest periods. Prices peak in January and February and during the July ski holidays. See our best time to visit Argentina guide.