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Food & Drink Cost of restaurant food in Buenos Aires December 2023?

Spending $100 USD on a meal in Buenos Aires can be quite challenging. I haven't dined at places like Don Julio or other extremely high-end establishments during this visit, but even those don't typically reach the $100 per person mark.
Generally, if you're dining at a nice parrilla and ordering a large steak, it would fall within the ballpark of $20 USD, considering you've exchanged currency at the blue rate or paid with a foreign credit card, which might incur a slightly higher charge.
 
cost range for meals in restaurants
i got ya, mang, here are some credit card charges for the past 15 days or so (in MEP mastercard rate, shown in Dollars here since that's how they post. you will get discounts for cash, and you can haggle on some things, but overall restaurants 70% of the time have the updated price on the menu (with whiteout at the smaller/less-formal spots! and the exchange rate for me using a credit card has been worth it to lose some Pesos instead of having to carry a huge fistful of cash every time i go somewhere). this is for 2 people (and when my dog eats with us at places like Che Bonche that make him a meal, 3 of us!) who are fairly thrifty middle-class and like to try local stuff instead of going for the 5-star dining. groceries are "Express" and all the "MercadoPago" is a billing system that runs a US credit card and pays the merchant (blue and white credit card machines)

EXPRESS MEXICO 1530 CAP.FEDERAL ARG
$9.60
-----
MERCADOPAGO*ALNABEKSHA CAP.FEDERAL ARG
$14.24
-----
PLAZA MAYOR CAPITAL ARG
$9.64
-----
BONNIE & CLYDE CAP.FEDERAL ARG
$19.17
-----
LOS INMORTALES ----CAPITAL F ARG
$13.65
-----
LOS 36 BILLARES CAP.FEDERAL ARG
$2.81
-----
BUENOS AIRES GRILL CAPITAL FEDER ARG
$47.66
-----
JUMBO ALMAGRO CAPITAL FEDER ARG
$19.29
-----
EXPRESS AGUIRRE 236 CAP.FEDERAL ARG
$9.81
-----
SAIBHIR CAP.FEDERAL ARG
$9.37
-----
MAIKY PARRILLA CAP.FEDERAL ARG
$2.93
-----
SAKURA SUSHI CAPITAL FEDER ARG
$26.60
-----
CINNALOVERS CAP.FEDERAL ARG
$1.89
-----
DON ANTONIO PIZZA Y EM CAPITAL FEDER ARG
$5.14
-----
MERCADOPAGO*WHOOPI CAP.FEDERAL ARG
$5.26
-----
JUMBO ALMAGRO CAPITAL FEDER ARG
$11.78
-----
QUEEN ALE HOUSE CAPITAL FEDER ARG
$6.52
-----
LEBLON CAPITAL FEDER ARG
$2.17
-----
BUCAREST BUENOS AIRES ARG
$21.14
-----
MERCADOPAGO*CROQUE CAP.FEDERAL ARG
$10.96
-----
AVERSA LEANDRO CAPITAL FEDER ARG
$2.11
-----
TU MASCOTA CABA ARG
$1.17
-----
CANARIO CAP.FEDERAL ARG
$12.84
-----
L AMUSE BOUCHE CAPITAL FEDER ARG
$7.05
-----
SAIBHIR CAP.FEDERAL ARG
$5.04
-----
BEBIDAS CAPITAL FEDER ARG
$5.04
-----
MERCADOPAGO*TURIN CAP.FEDERAL ARG
$5.29
-----
IL VOLO CAP.FEDERAL ARG
$3.40
-----
EXPRESS AGUIRRE 236 CAP.FEDERAL ARG
$1.19
-----
DIA TIENDA 12 CAPITAL ARG
$14.72
-----
MERCADOPAGO*HARAJU CAP.FEDERAL ARG
$9.30
-----
MERCADOPAGO*CROQUE CAP.FEDERAL ARG
$9.19
-----
LA CABRERA CABA ARG
$52.33
-----
MERCADOPAGO*GROWLE CAP.FEDERAL ARG
$3.88
-----
MERCADOPAGO*GROWLE CAP.FEDERAL ARG
$3.62
-----
JUMBO ALMAGRO CAPITAL FEDER ARG
$15.57
-----
FAT BRODER PALERMO CAPITAL FEDER ARG
$4.13
-----
CHINO FINO CAPITAL FEDER ARG
$17.19
-----
MONTI BAR DE PASTAS CAP.FEDERAL ARG
$11.90
-----
RACOGAR CAP FED ARG
$2.21
-----
MERCADOPAGO*THEOSS CAP.FEDERAL ARG
$9.23
-----
TEMPLE PALERMO CAP.FEDERAL ARG
$5.96
-----
MERCADOPAGO*BORJAX CAP.FEDERAL ARG
$4.59
-----
VEA SM 119 CAPITAL FEDER ARG
$10.64
-----
SENASA CONTROL EQUIPAJ EZEIZA ARG
$3.83
-----
SENASA CONTROL EQUIPAJ EZEIZA ARG
$0.76

hope those help, @CarlFidji
 
i got ya, mang, here are some credit card charges for the past 15 days or so (in MEP mastercard rate, shown in Dollars here since that's how they post. you will get discounts for cash, and you can haggle on some things, but overall restaurants 70% of the time have the updated price on the menu (with whiteout at the smaller/less-formal spots! and the exchange rate for me using a credit card has been worth it to lose some Pesos instead of having to carry a huge fistful of cash every time i go somewhere). this is for 2 people (and when my dog eats with us at places like Che Bonche that make him a meal, 3 of us!) who are fairly thrifty middle-class and like to try local stuff instead of going for the 5-star dining. groceries are "Express" and all the "MercadoPago" is a billing system that runs a US credit card and pays the merchant (blue and white credit card machines)

EXPRESS MEXICO 1530 CAP.FEDERAL ARG
$9.60
-----
MERCADOPAGO*ALNABEKSHA CAP.FEDERAL ARG
$14.24
-----
PLAZA MAYOR CAPITAL ARG
$9.64
-----
BONNIE & CLYDE CAP.FEDERAL ARG
$19.17
-----
LOS INMORTALES ----CAPITAL F ARG
$13.65
-----
LOS 36 BILLARES CAP.FEDERAL ARG
$2.81
-----
BUENOS AIRES GRILL CAPITAL FEDER ARG
$47.66
-----
JUMBO ALMAGRO CAPITAL FEDER ARG
$19.29
-----
EXPRESS AGUIRRE 236 CAP.FEDERAL ARG
$9.81
-----
SAIBHIR CAP.FEDERAL ARG
$9.37
-----
MAIKY PARRILLA CAP.FEDERAL ARG
$2.93
-----
SAKURA SUSHI CAPITAL FEDER ARG
$26.60
-----
CINNALOVERS CAP.FEDERAL ARG
$1.89
-----
DON ANTONIO PIZZA Y EM CAPITAL FEDER ARG
$5.14
-----
MERCADOPAGO*WHOOPI CAP.FEDERAL ARG
$5.26
-----
JUMBO ALMAGRO CAPITAL FEDER ARG
$11.78
-----
QUEEN ALE HOUSE CAPITAL FEDER ARG
$6.52
-----
LEBLON CAPITAL FEDER ARG
$2.17
-----
BUCAREST BUENOS AIRES ARG
$21.14
-----
MERCADOPAGO*CROQUE CAP.FEDERAL ARG
$10.96
-----
AVERSA LEANDRO CAPITAL FEDER ARG
$2.11
-----
TU MASCOTA CABA ARG
$1.17
-----
CANARIO CAP.FEDERAL ARG
$12.84
-----
L AMUSE BOUCHE CAPITAL FEDER ARG
$7.05
-----
SAIBHIR CAP.FEDERAL ARG
$5.04
-----
BEBIDAS CAPITAL FEDER ARG
$5.04
-----
MERCADOPAGO*TURIN CAP.FEDERAL ARG
$5.29
-----
IL VOLO CAP.FEDERAL ARG
$3.40
-----
EXPRESS AGUIRRE 236 CAP.FEDERAL ARG
$1.19
-----
DIA TIENDA 12 CAPITAL ARG
$14.72
-----
MERCADOPAGO*HARAJU CAP.FEDERAL ARG
$9.30
-----
MERCADOPAGO*CROQUE CAP.FEDERAL ARG
$9.19
-----
LA CABRERA CABA ARG
$52.33
-----
MERCADOPAGO*GROWLE CAP.FEDERAL ARG
$3.88
-----
MERCADOPAGO*GROWLE CAP.FEDERAL ARG
$3.62
-----
JUMBO ALMAGRO CAPITAL FEDER ARG
$15.57
-----
FAT BRODER PALERMO CAPITAL FEDER ARG
$4.13
-----
CHINO FINO CAPITAL FEDER ARG
$17.19
-----
MONTI BAR DE PASTAS CAP.FEDERAL ARG
$11.90
-----
RACOGAR CAP FED ARG
$2.21
-----
MERCADOPAGO*THEOSS CAP.FEDERAL ARG
$9.23
-----
TEMPLE PALERMO CAP.FEDERAL ARG
$5.96
-----
MERCADOPAGO*BORJAX CAP.FEDERAL ARG
$4.59
-----
VEA SM 119 CAPITAL FEDER ARG
$10.64
-----
SENASA CONTROL EQUIPAJ EZEIZA ARG
$3.83
-----
SENASA CONTROL EQUIPAJ EZEIZA ARG
$0.76

hope those help, @CarlFidji
This is great and would be good if you had an idea of what you got for it. I took a photo the other day of the supermarket and all the stuff I got for not too much money but I accidentally deleted the photo. Stuff is really cheap in USD terms.

Here are a few photos of receipts I had of food a few weeks ago when I was in Buenos Aires to give you an idea of the per person cost of dining out.
Exchange rate was 1,000 pesos to $1 USD so around what it is now. Prices are without tip. I tip generously but you should add in 10% to your total.

aramburu bis receipt.JPG
This was for 2 people. Delicious pate appetizer, 2 gourmet burgers with fries, a bottled water and a Diet Pepsi. Less than $18 US or $9 @.

picaron receipt.jpg
Picaron - One of my favorite restaurants (I posted a detailed review in the Food & Drink section of this website).

4 people and we ate like crazy. And my friends drank a nice bottle of wine so almost $13 of this is a bottle of wine. It was $77 US for 4 people or $19 @ each and this is at a very nice place that you have to have reservations well ahead of time to get in.

Garabaldi receipt.jpg
This is from Girabaldi Restaurant right on the water front in Costanera. (I put a detailed review of the restaurant in the Food & Drink section of this website).

This was for 4 people and we ate like pigs with several appetizers and 4 entrees. I paid $58 US dollars for 4 people or $14.50 US each.

Go to those reviews and you can see the massive amounts of food! People that are complaining about food costs here are totally insane. They are very cheap. I took my 3 kids and my wife for Ramen here in San Diego a few weeks ago and it was about $250 US dollars!

It's crazy cheap in Buenos Aires for really great quality food.
 
Dining out and grocery store prices are outrageous in the USA now. We went to the USA for vacation for Thanksgiving and I was SHOCKED at prices in the USA in California. We filled up the rental car and I don't know how they do it there. We spent $300 in the grocery store at Whole Foods and it was barely anything. Crazy. Buenos Aires is very cheap.
 
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