Index · v1 ·
Buenos Aires Inflation Index
What it costs to build, rent and buy in Buenos Aires, measured in dollars. Three official city series converted at the dólar MEP and set to 100 in February 2019, with consumer prices and wages alongside. Version 1, first published 25 Oct 2026.
Since February 2019, in MEP dollars
| Series | Base level | Latest level | Index (base = 100) | Latest | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Construction cost per m², USD | 736 | 1,082 | 146.9 | Sep 2026 | provisional |
| Asking rent, 2 rooms, USD per month | 362 | 527 | 145.4 | Sep 2026 | provisional |
| Asking sale price per m², USD | 2,862 | 2,343 | 81.9 | Q2 2026 | provisional |
| Consumer prices (CPI GBA) in USD | 157.2 | Aug 2026 | final | ||
| Average formal wage (RIPTE) in USD | 954 | 1,251 | 131.1 | Aug 2026 | final |
Construction cost per m² went from 25.5% of the asking price per m² in Q1 2019 to 44.4% in Q2 2026. The gross yield proxy (asking rent times 12 over the asking price of the same 43 m² flat) went from 3.4% to 6.3%.
Fuente: IDECBA (GCBA) sobre la base de datos de Argenprop
Charts
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Buenos Aires in dollars: construction cost, asking rent and asking sale price per m², February 2019 = 100
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The three series against consumer prices and formal wages, all in MEP dollars, February 2019 = 100
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Construction cost as a share of the asking price per m², and the gross rental yield proxy, quarterly
Download the data
| File | Contents | Size |
|---|---|---|
| ba_inflation_index.csv | Monthly table: levels in pesos and dollars, MEP rate, every index (USD and pesos) and status flags. | 15 KB |
| ba_index_ratios_quarterly.csv | Quarterly: cost to build vs price per m², rent and gross yield proxy. | 3 KB |
| ba_index_pesos_reference.csv | Pesos reference and cross checks: IDECBA, INDEC ICC, CAC, MEP, Zonaprop headline. | 2 KB |
| ba_inflation_index_notes.csv | Column definitions and sources. | 2 KB |
Free to reuse with credit to The Argentina Register and to the original sources. IDECBA data is licensed CC BY 2.5 AR.
Method
- Construction cost: IDECBA cost of building one m² of housing, Total Ciudad, in pesos (monthly, file EE_CMC), divided by the monthly average dólar MEP. Excludes land, VAT, permits, financing and builder margin.
- Rent: IDECBA average asking rent for a 2 room flat (43 m², used and new), CABA, monthly (file MI_DAP_AX15), divided by the monthly average dólar MEP.
- Sale price: IDECBA average asking price per m² in dollars, 2 room used flats, city total, quarterly (file MI_DVP_AX03). Already in dollars; each quarter sits on its middle month and nothing is interpolated.
- Base: February 2019 = 100 for every series (for the quarterly sale series, Q1 2019 = 100). It is the first month where all three series, the MEP rate, CPI and wages overlap.
- Dólar MEP: mean of daily bolsa sell quotes in the month, ArgentinaDatos. CPI: INDEC IPC GBA, Dec 2016 = 100. Wages: RIPTE, Secretaría de Trabajo. Both via datos.gob.ar.
- Ratios: quarterly. Cost to price = construction cost per m² in USD over asking price per m². Gross yield proxy = IDECBA 2 room used rent (quarterly, file MI_DAP_AX10, city total) times 12, in USD, over 43 m² times the asking price per m². Asking prices, before expensas, vacancy, taxes and any discount at closing.
- Cross check: the Zonaprop Index put CABA asking prices at USD 2,484 per m² in September 2026, about 6% above the IDECBA Q2 2026 figure for 2 room used flats; methods and baskets differ, so it is never mixed into the index.
Provisional and unverified
- IDECBA marks as provisional: construction cost from August 2026, rent from October 2025 (monthly) and Q3 2025 (quarterly), sale price from Q1 2025. Values can be revised.
- INDEC ICC September 2026 (31.3% y/y) and the Zonaprop headline were logged on 25 Oct 2026 and not re fetched for this build. The Zonaprop gross yield (5.70%) comes from a press copy and is unverified.
- Asking prices are not closing prices. The CPI and RIPTE lines end in August 2026, the latest month on datos.gob.ar when this was built.
Pesos reference: is the IDECBA cost in line with other cost indexes?
In pesos, the city cost per m² moves with the other construction cost indexes, so the dollar story comes from the exchange rate, not from an odd input. Year on year changes:
| Series | Month | Change y/y | Value | Source | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IDECBA construction cost per m2, Total Ciudad (ARS) | Aug 2026 | 32.5% | 1,637,795 | IDECBA EE_CMC.xlsx; same values in CPAU Indices y Costos Oct 2026 | provisional (Aug 2026) |
| IDECBA construction cost per m2, Total Ciudad (ARS) | Sep 2026 | 30.8% | 1,665,347 | IDECBA EE_CMC.xlsx | provisional (Sep 2026) |
| IDECBA ICCBA nivel general (2012=100) | Aug 2026 | 32.4% | 34,801 | IDECBA via CPAU Indices y Costos Oct 2026, p.9 | read from CPAU table; provisional |
| INDEC ICC Gran Buenos Aires, nivel general | Aug 2026 | 33.2% | INDEC via CPAU Indices y Costos Oct 2026, p.10 | read from CPAU table | |
| INDEC ICC Gran Buenos Aires, nivel general | Sep 2026 | 31.3% | INDEC ICC Gran Buenos Aires, September 2026 report (headline logged 25 Oct 2026) | logged, not fetched again for this build | |
| CAC index (CAMARCO, Dec 2014=100) | Aug 2026 | 33.5% | 22,945 | CAMARCO via CPAU Indices y Costos Feb and Oct 2026 | Aug 2026 provisional |
| CAC index (CAMARCO, Dec 2014=100) | Sep 2026 | 32.9% | 23,608 | camarco.org.ar Indicador septiembre 2026 (read 25 Oct 2026); Sep 2025 via CPAU Feb 2026 | Sep 2026 provisional |
| Dolar MEP, monthly mean (ARS per USD) | Aug 2026 | 14.5% | 1,532 | ArgentinaDatos /v1/cotizaciones/dolares/bolsa | final |
| Dolar MEP, monthly mean (ARS per USD) | Sep 2026 | 6.1% | 1,539 | ArgentinaDatos /v1/cotizaciones/dolares/bolsa | final |
| Zonaprop Index CABA, asking USD per m2 (cross check) | Sep 2026 | 2,484 | Zonaprop Index CABA, September 2026 report (headline logged 25 Oct 2026) | headline only; different method and basket, never mixed into the index | |
| Zonaprop Index CABA, gross rental yield % (cross check) | Sep 2026 | 5.70 | Zonaprop figure seen in a Revista Mercado press copy (logged 25 Oct 2026) | UNVERIFIED (press copy) |
Read more
Fuente: IDECBA (GCBA) sobre la base de datos de Argenprop. Sale and rent: licence CC BY 2.5 AR. Construction cost: IDECBA. Exchange rate: ArgentinaDatos. CPI: INDEC. Wages: RIPTE. Not investment or real estate advice.