Summary
Apartments in Argentina's big cities ask roughly $1,100 to $2,500 per square meter in October 2026: about $2,484 in Buenos Aires, $1,841 in Rosario, $1,474 in Córdoba and around $1,092 in Mendoza.
Buenos Aires is the pricey one among the large cities: it asks about 35% more per square meter than Rosario and about 69% more than Córdoba. Bariloche is the exception, with listings around $3,067 per square meter.
Listings are not deals. Used Buenos Aires apartments actually closed at about $2,097 per square meter in September 2026, and buyers negotiated around 4.75% off the last asking price.
Dollar prices are flat. Buenos Aires asking prices are up only 1.4% since January 2026, and actual closing prices are 0.4% lower than a year ago.
Buenos Aires is still 11.3% below its asking-price peak, and its dollar prices have gone nowhere over ten years while Mexico and Chile more than doubled.
Neighborhood matters more than the city average: a 70 m² apartment works out at about $75,000 in Villa Lugano and about $432,000 in Puerto Madero.
Buenos Aires is cheaper than Mexico City, Santiago or Montevideo, about 24–25% below them per square meter, but close to São Paulo.
For locals it is expensive: a typical $131,000 one-bedroom equals about 102 months of the average formal salary.
The market is busy but not accelerating: Buenos Aires signed 41,583 sale deeds from January to August 2026, 2.3% fewer than in 2025.
Mortgages are fading: mortgage deeds in Buenos Aires fell about 34% over the same eight months, so cash buyers still set prices.
Gross rental yields run from 5.70% in Buenos Aires to about 7.4% in southern Greater Buenos Aires and 7.8% in Córdoba, before a possible 21% tax on gross rent for foreign landlords.
Building costs in dollars are up about 21% in a year in Buenos Aires, which puts a floor under new-build prices but has not lifted resale prices.
The strong peso is the 2026 twist: the dollar rose about 4.9% this year while consumer prices rose about 23.6%, so owning in Argentina costs more in dollars than it did in January.
Bottom line: Argentina is fairly cheap for a dollar buyer, especially in Córdoba, Rosario and southern Buenos Aires, but the bargain phase is over and the buying costs (about 6–9% in Buenos Aires) eat most negotiation gains.
What does a square meter cost in Argentina's main cities?
Apartments in Argentina's main cities ask roughly $1,100 to $2,500 per square meter, and premium Buenos Aires neighborhoods or Bariloche go well above that.
Buenos Aires sits at the top of the big cities. Zonaprop's September 2026 index puts the average asking price for apartments at $2,484 per square meter. A typical 40 m² studio asks about $110,000, a 50 m² one-bedroom about $131,000 and a 70 m² two-bedroom about $180,000.
Prices drop fast outside the capital. Zonaprop's latest city reports put Rosario at $1,841 per square meter (May 2026) and Córdoba at $1,474 (March 2026). TuLugar, which reads all four cities in the same month, shows the same order in October 2026: Buenos Aires about $2,393, Rosario $1,778, Córdoba $1,420 and Mendoza $1,092.
Bariloche breaks the pattern. Its apartment listings ask around $3,067 per square meter on TuLugar in October 2026, more than Buenos Aires, because it is a tourist and second-home market with little land.
So there is no single "Argentina price". Quote a national average and you mix a resort town, the capital and provincial cities that cost half as much.
| City | Zonaprop asking price (latest) | TuLugar median, Oct 2026 | Typical 50 m² apartment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buenos Aires | $2,484/m² (Sept 2026) | $2,393/m² | ~$131,000 |
| Rosario | $1,841/m² (May 2026) | $1,778/m² | ~$91,000 |
| Córdoba | $1,474/m² (Mar 2026) | $1,420/m² | ~$80,000 |
| Mendoza | — | $1,092/m² | ~$55,000 (at TuLugar median) |
| Bariloche | — | $3,067/m² | ~$153,000 (at TuLugar median) |
Is Buenos Aires much more expensive than the rest of Argentina?
Yes, compared with the other large cities. Using the capital as a stand-in for the whole country makes Argentine property look pricier than it usually is.
On Zonaprop's numbers, Buenos Aires asks $2,484 per square meter against $1,841 in Rosario and $1,474 in Córdoba. That is a premium of about 35% over Rosario and about 69% over Córdoba. TuLugar's October 2026 readings, all taken the same month, give almost the same gaps (35% and 69%).
On a normal 50 m² apartment, that is about $131,000 in Buenos Aires, $91,000 in Rosario and $80,000 in Córdoba. Moving from Buenos Aires to Córdoba saves around $51,000 on the same size of home.
Mendoza is cheaper still, at around $1,092 per square meter, more than half below Buenos Aires. Bariloche is the one place that costs more than the capital.
Location changes the answer far more than another small move in the economy or a few points negotiated with a seller.
What does a normal Buenos Aires apartment cost today?
A normal Buenos Aires apartment costs roughly $110,000 to $180,000 at asking prices, for a studio up to a 70 m² two-bedroom.
Zonaprop's September 2026 index puts a typical 40 m² studio at $110,000, a 50 m² one-bedroom at $131,000 and a 70 m² two-bedroom at $180,000.
Real deals close lower. The M² Real index from RE/MAX, Universidad del CEMA and Reporte Inmobiliario puts closed sales of used Buenos Aires apartments at $2,097 per square meter in September 2026, against $2,484 asked on Zonaprop.
Do not just subtract one from the other: the two samples hold different homes. The cleaner measure is the same M² Real report comparing the last asking price and the final price on the same homes. In September 2026 buyers closed about 4.75% below the last asking price.
Then add buying costs. In Buenos Aires a buyer usually pays half of a 2.7% stamp tax (3.5% on the part above ARS 226.1 million), 1–2% notary fees plus VAT, about 0.2–0.4% in certificates and registry, and 3–4% plus VAT to the broker. All in, that is about 6–9% of the price.
On a $130,000 purchase, that means another $7,800 to $11,700. Most of what you win by negotiating goes back out in closing costs.
| Apartment size | Typical Buenos Aires asking price | Value at $2,097/m² (closing average) | Buyer costs at 6–9% of asking price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 40 m² | ~$110,000 | ~$83,900 | ~$6,600–$9,900 |
| 50 m² | ~$131,000 | ~$104,900 | ~$7,900–$11,800 |
| 70 m² | ~$180,000 | ~$146,800 | ~$10,800–$16,200 |
Are Buenos Aires property prices going up fast right now?
No. Buenos Aires prices in dollars are barely moving, even though far more homes change hands than two or three years ago.
Zonaprop's asking-price index rose 0.3% in September 2026 and is up only 1.4% since January.
Closed sales are flatter still. The M² Real index puts used-apartment closing prices at $2,097 per square meter in September 2026, against $2,105 a year earlier: down 0.4%.
Meanwhile peso inflation ran at 33.4% over the 12 months to September 2026. With the dollar almost stable, a flat dollar price means sellers are getting less and less in real peso terms. That is why many owners hold firm on price rather than cut.
The rebound happened in 2024 and 2025. What is left now is a stable dollar market, not a rising one.
Is property in Argentina still cheaper than it used to be?
Yes. Buenos Aires recovered from the post-2018 slump, but it still sits below its old dollar peak and has been one of Latin America's weakest markets over five and ten years.
Zonaprop puts Buenos Aires asking prices 11.3% below the top of its series in September 2026. The city statistics office (IDECBA) shows used one-bedroom asking prices at $2,343 per square meter in Q2 2026, against $2,482 five years earlier: still 5.6% lower.
Global Property Guide's longer series shows how deep the fall was. Buenos Aires prices fell 4.5% in 2019, 5.7% in 2020, 10.2% in 2021 and 8.8% in 2022. Together, that took about 26% off dollar values. Prices then stabilized in 2023 and gained 6.6% in 2024 and 3.2% in 2025, about 10% in total, which won back only part of the loss.
The regional gap is large. In Global Property Guide's 2026 comparison, Buenos Aires is down about 7.6% over five years, while Brazil is up about 27%, Uruguay 30%, Colombia 42%, Mexico 55% and Chile 57%.
Over ten years, Argentine prices are flat in nominal dollars, while Mexico and Chile are up more than 120%.
That history is the main reason Argentine property still looks cheap. Today's buyer has missed the bottom, but not a long run of dollar gains like elsewhere in the region.
| Market | 5-year nominal property-price change | 10-year change |
|---|---|---|
| Argentina / Buenos Aires | -7.6% | ~0% |
| Peru | +6.0% | +13.7% |
| Brazil / São Paulo | +27.2% | +41.5% |
| Uruguay | +29.9% | — |
| Colombia | +41.5% | +99.4% |
| Mexico | +55.1% | +124.5% |
| Chile | +57.2% | +121.5% |
How much does the Buenos Aires neighborhood change the price?
A lot. The neighborhood can change the price of the same size of apartment by more than $350,000.
Zonaprop's September 2026 index puts Puerto Madero at $6,165 per square meter and Villa Lugano at $1,071. In between, TuLugar's September 2026 medians put Palermo at $3,245, Núñez $3,238, Belgrano $3,109, Recoleta $2,711, Villa Crespo $2,395, Caballito $2,310 and San Telmo $1,992.
On a 70 m² apartment, that means about $75,000 in Villa Lugano and about $432,000 in Puerto Madero.
So the $2,484 city average only gets you so far. Shopping in Palermo, Núñez or Belgrano is a different budget from shopping in the south of the city.
It also changes the return. TuLugar puts gross yields at 4.2–4.7% in Belgrano, Palermo and Núñez in September 2026, against 6.1% in San Telmo, and Zonaprop names Lugano and Parque Patricios as the best-yielding areas. The expensive areas rarely pay the best rent for the price.
| Buenos Aires segment | Approx. asking price | Approx. value for 70 m² |
|---|---|---|
| Puerto Madero | ~$6,165/m² | ~$432,000 |
| Palermo, Núñez, Belgrano | ~$3,100–$3,250/m² | ~$217,000–$228,000 |
| Recoleta, Villa Urquiza, Villa Crespo, Caballito | ~$2,300–$2,700/m² | ~$161,000–$189,000 |
| Lower-cost areas (Villa Lugano, Balvanera, San Telmo) | ~$1,070–$2,000/m² | ~$75,000–$140,000 |
Is Buenos Aires actually cheap compared with the rest of Latin America?
Yes, Buenos Aires is on the cheaper side among the big Latin American capitals, but it is not the cheapest.
Global Property Guide's 2026 comparable city dataset puts Buenos Aires around $2,200 per square meter for the type of home it tracks. Mexico City is $2,947, Santiago $2,907, Montevideo $2,899 and Panama City $2,745.
That makes Buenos Aires about 25% cheaper than Mexico City, 24% cheaper than Santiago and Montevideo, and about 20% cheaper than Panama City.
The gap is growing because others are rising faster. In that dataset Buenos Aires gained only about 2.8% over the year, against 9.2% in Mexico City, 11% in Panama City and 17.8% in São Paulo.
Buenos Aires is close to São Paulo at about $2,155 per square meter and above Lima at about $2,009. Calling it one of the cheapest big cities in the region would be wrong.
Córdoba, Rosario or Mendoza are a different story: at $1,100 to $1,850 per square meter, they are well below any of these capitals.
| City | Comparable price | Difference vs. Buenos Aires |
|---|---|---|
| Mexico City | $2,947/m² | Buenos Aires ~25% cheaper |
| Santiago | $2,907/m² | ~24% cheaper |
| Montevideo | $2,899/m² | ~24% cheaper |
| Panama City | $2,745/m² | ~20% cheaper |
| Buenos Aires | $2,200/m² | — |
| São Paulo | $2,155/m² | Similar |
| Lima | $2,009/m² | Buenos Aires ~10% higher |
If Argentine property is cheap in dollars, can locals actually afford it?
For most Argentines, no. A price that looks fine to a buyer with dollars is very high against local pay.
The average formal salary of stable workers (RIPTE) was ARS 1,982,518 a month in August 2026, about USD 1,280. It is not the median wage of the whole country, as many people earn less or work informally, but it is a consistent benchmark.
Against a typical $131,000 one-bedroom in Buenos Aires, that is about 102 months of gross pay, or eight and a half years, before tax, food, rent or anything else.
In Córdoba, a typical $80,000 one-bedroom still costs about 63 months of the same salary.
That gap explains most of the confusion. Someone arriving with $150,000 sees a good apartment within reach. A household saving from Argentine wages faces a different calculation, which is why so many Argentines rent.
Has the property market in Argentina become busy again?
Yes. Buenos Aires signs far more sale deeds than in the weak years, but the fast growth phase is over.
Buenos Aires registered 54,761 sales in 2024, up 35.1% on 2023 and the highest total since 2018. Activity then sped up again: the first seven months of 2025 brought 36,179 deeds, up 45.3% year on year.
2026 is calmer. The Colegio de Escribanos recorded 41,583 sale deeds from January to August 2026, 2.3% fewer than over the same months of 2025.
That is still a high level. August 2026 had 6,055 deeds, 4.9% below August 2025, but the Colegio says it ranks among the five best Augusts of the past 28 years.
A busy market that is no longer accelerating fits flat prices: demand came back, but not strongly enough to force another round of price rises.
| Buenos Aires sale deeds | Change | What happened |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 full year (54,761) | +35.1% YoY | Strong recovery |
| January–July 2025 (36,179) | +45.3% YoY | Recovery accelerated |
| January–August 2026 (41,583) | -2.3% YoY | Market leveled off |
| August 2026 (6,055) | -4.9% YoY | Among the five best Augusts in 28 years |
Are mortgages making Argentine property more expensive now?
No. Mortgages came back in 2024 and 2025, but they are shrinking in 2026, so they are not what moves prices.
In Buenos Aires, 6,170 sale deeds used a mortgage from January to August 2026, against 9,341 a year earlier: down about 34%. In August 2026 alone, 1,059 deeds used a mortgage, 20.8% fewer than a year before, about 17.5% of all sales.
Nationally, banks granted 14,237 mortgages from January to July 2026, against 25,160 over the same months of 2025, a drop of about 43% (Tejido Urbano, from central bank data).
The government is trying to restart lending. The FGS pension fund auctioned ARS 200 billion to banks on 7 September 2026 and another ARS 200 billion on 6 October 2026, for loans capped at UVA + 7.5% over at least 15 years. Banco Nación lends at UVA + 6.7% to eligible salary clients and UVA + 12% otherwise; Banco Ciudad offers UVA + 6.5% for a first home of up to 80 m² until 31 December 2026. The central bank saw mortgage lending grow again in September 2026.
For a foreign buyer with only foreign income, none of this really applies: we found no confirmed access to these UVA mortgages for non-residents. You buy in cash, in dollars, and so do most locals. That keeps the market driven by savings, not credit.
Is buying property in Argentina attractive if the goal is rental income?
Gross yields are fair, around 5.7% in Buenos Aires and higher in cheaper areas, but taxes and costs take a big bite for a foreign owner.
Zonaprop puts the Buenos Aires gross rental yield at 5.70% a year in September 2026. That is about 17.5 years of gross rent to pay back the price, before vacancy, building fees, repairs, management and tax.
Rosario was at 5.99% in Zonaprop's May 2026 report, about 16.7 years. Southern Greater Buenos Aires reached 7.44% in September 2026, about 13.4 years. Córdoba stood at 7.8% in March 2026, about 12.8 years: lower prices do most of the work there, as rents do not fall as much as prices.
Rents are rising, but slower than inflation. A 50 m² Buenos Aires apartment asked ARS 898,154 a month in September 2026 (about USD 580), up 28.7% over 12 months while consumer prices rose 33.4%. Since the end of rent control under DNU 70/2023, rental listings have more than tripled from their 2023 low, and tenants have more choice.
Taxes change the math for foreigners. Since January 2026, resident landlords pay no income tax on long-term rents to a tenant's permanent home (Decree 406/2026). For non-residents the decree is silent, so by default 21% of gross rent is withheld (35% on a presumed 60% net). On that basis a 5.70% gross yield drops to about 4.5% before any other cost. Ask an Argentine tax adviser before you count on the exemption.
| Market (Zonaprop) | Gross rental yield | Gross payback period |
|---|---|---|
| Buenos Aires (Sept 2026) | 5.70% | 17.5 years |
| Rosario (May 2026) | 5.99% | 16.7 years |
| Greater Buenos Aires South (Sept 2026) | 7.44% | 13.4 years |
| Córdoba (Mar 2026) | 7.80% | 12.8 years |
Are rising construction costs going to make Argentine property more expensive?
They push up new-build prices, but resale prices have not followed.
INDEC's construction-cost index for Greater Buenos Aires rose 1.5% in September 2026, with materials up 1.3% and labor up 1.6%. Over 12 months it is up 31.3% in pesos.
In dollars the gap is clear. Zonaprop's September 2026 report shows building costs in Buenos Aires up 18.5% since January and 21% over 12 months, while apartment asking prices rose just 1.4% since January. Costs are rising more than ten times faster than prices this year.
That squeezes developers. New builds already ask a lot more: IDECBA's Q2 2026 data shows new one-bedroom apartments at $3,215 per square meter against $2,343 for used ones, a 37% premium. National construction activity was down 4.4% year on year in August 2026, even though the floor area approved for new buildings in Buenos Aires rose 37% in Q2 2026.
We see this as a floor under new-build prices, not a sign that homes are about to jump. There is plenty of used stock to choose from, and actual closing prices in Buenos Aires are flat over a year.
Does the strong peso make Argentine property more expensive in 2026?
Yes, for anyone who earns in dollars or euros. The purchase price in dollars has barely moved, but everything you pay in pesos around it costs more in dollars each month.
The dollar traded around ARS 1,550 in late October 2026, with official, MEP and blue rates less than 2% apart. The wholesale dollar rose only about 4.9% since January, while consumer prices rose about 23.6% from January to September. In real terms the peso is strong.
That shows up in running costs. Average building fees (expensas) in Buenos Aires reached ARS 379,774 a month in September 2026, about USD 245, up 28.6% in a year. Repairs, staff and local services follow the same path.
What to do: budget yearly costs in dollars at today's rate and add a margin, and do not count on a sudden devaluation making things cheaper. The central bank's September 2026 market survey expects only about ARS 1,614 per dollar by the end of 2026.
What do taxes add to the price for a foreign buyer in 2026?
Buying costs stay high, but selling got cheaper in 2026.
In Buenos Aires, plan on about 6–9% on top of the price: stamp tax, notary, registry and broker. Córdoba's stamp tax is 1% and Mendoza's 2%, so totals there are a bit lower. Property deals in Argentina are usually in dollars, and a contract in dollars must be paid in dollars.
When you sell, individuals, residents and non-residents alike, pay no income tax on the gain on property sales since 1 January 2026 (Law 27.802 and Decree 406/2026). The old 1.5% transfer tax (ITI) was abolished in July 2024. Companies are not covered by the exemption, which is one more reason to buy in your own name.
While you own, a non-resident owes the yearly wealth tax (Bienes Personales) on Argentine property, paid through a local representative, and 21% of gross rent by default as explained above. Buying property does not give residency. A separate citizenship-by-investment programme, announced on 2 October 2026, requires a $350,000 contribution, not a home purchase.
So how expensive is property in Argentina now?
For someone buying with dollars or euros, Argentina is still fairly cheap, especially outside prime Buenos Aires. For people earning local salaries, it is expensive.
A useful range is $1,100 to $1,850 per square meter in Mendoza, Córdoba and Rosario, and $2,100 to $2,500 for ordinary Buenos Aires apartments, depending on whether you look at closed deals or listings. Puerto Madero passes $6,000, and Bariloche asks around $3,000.
For a normal apartment, that means about $110,000 to $180,000 in Buenos Aires, about $91,000 to $143,000 in Rosario (50 to 70 m²) and about $80,000 for a typical one-bedroom in Córdoba.
Nothing points to prices taking off. Buenos Aires asking prices are up 1.4% in 2026, closing prices are 0.4% lower than a year ago, sales are no longer growing and mortgage deeds are down about a third. The capital is still 11.3% below its asking-price peak.
But the bargain phase is over. Sales recovered strongly, negotiation margins are thin at about 4.75%, building costs in dollars keep rising and the strong peso makes owning more expensive in dollars.
Our answer: Argentine property is cheap compared with most big Latin American capitals and with its own past dollar prices, but it is no longer distressed. The good deals now come from picking the right city and street, not from buying "Argentina". Córdoba, Rosario and southern Buenos Aires can still look cheap to a dollar buyer. Prime Buenos Aires usually does not.
Related blog posts
- Are property prices in Argentina likely to rise?
- Can foreigners get a mortgage in Argentina?
- What can $100K buy you in Argentina?
- Is it a good time to buy property in Argentina now?
- How much does a house cost in Argentina?
- Why are rents still rising in Argentina after deregulation?
Our methodology
This article estimates how expensive property in Argentina is in October 2026 by looking separately at asking prices, closed sale prices, neighborhoods, past prices, regional comparisons, local salaries, sales activity, mortgages, rental yields, building costs and taxes. We do not use one national average, because the gap between cities and neighborhoods is too large for that to mean anything.
Asking prices and typical apartment prices come from Zonaprop's city indices (Buenos Aires September 2026, Rosario May 2026, Córdoba March 2026), checked against TuLugar's October 2026 city and neighborhood medians, which also give Mendoza and Bariloche. Closed prices and the negotiation margin come from the RE/MAX, Universidad del CEMA and Reporte Inmobiliario M² Real index (September 2026). Five-year and new-versus-used comparisons use IDECBA data for Q2 2026. Sales and mortgage deeds come from the Colegio de Escribanos de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires (August 2026), national mortgage counts from Tejido Urbano, rental yields and rents from Zonaprop, salaries from the RIPTE series (August 2026) and building costs from INDEC (September 2026) and Zonaprop.
Buying costs come from the Colegio de Escribanos, AGIP and broker associations; tax rules from Law 27.802, Decree 406/2026 and Law 27.743, with the non-resident rental question based on a June 2026 note by Estudio Piccinini. Regional comparisons and the 2019–2025 price history come from Global Property Guide.
We checked these figures in October 2026. Peso amounts are converted at about ARS 1,550 per US dollar (official and MEP rates were within 1% of each other on 22 October 2026, the blue rate about ARS 1,570), and euro amounts at about ARS 1,740 per euro.
Where we had no direct figure, we said so or gave a range. Zonaprop's reports for Rosario and Córdoba are a few months older than the Buenos Aires one, and listing platforms measure different samples, so neighborhood and city figures from different sources are approximate. All asking prices are listings, not closed deals; the 50 m² prices for Mendoza and Bariloche are simple estimates at the city median.
Key sources used for this analysis include Zonaprop's Buenos Aires index for September 2026, Zonaprop's Rosario index, Zonaprop's Córdoba index, the September 2026 M² Real report, TuLugar's September 2026 market report, TuLugar's market data, IDECBA's used-apartment price series, the Colegio de Escribanos August 2026 deed report, CPAU on national mortgage volumes, Infobae on Buenos Aires rents, Argentina's RIPTE wage data, INDEC's construction-cost report, Global Property Guide's Argentina price series, its Latin American square-meter comparison, Decree 406/2026, Estudio Piccinini on rental tax for non-residents, Infobae on the dollar and Infobae on September 2026 inflation.
