Newcomer Is It Normal to Pay This Much for Utilities in a Studio apt?

[captain]

Hey everyone! I need your help understanding this, I just received the utility costs for August, and the amount is 243,000. The apartment is a 35-square-meter studio, and the building doesn’t have security. Does anyone else have similar expenses? Is it normal to pay this much for utilities?

ABL AGOSTO $ 11.135.-
AYSA AGOSTO $ 17.500.-
EDESUR VTO 9/9 $ 18.546.-
METROGAS VTO 9/9 $ 9.267.-
INTERNET $28.000.-
EXPENSAS $ 158.400.
Total: $ 242.848

 

[Porter]

Everything seems fine. The utilities are a bit high, but that might be because it’s an older building (without amenities). Utilities typically cover maintenance (cleaning, elevators, lights in common areas). I agree you should check with your landlord. You should only be paying regular (ordinary) expenses, not extraordinary ones, which are usually for repairs in the building. If the apartment is in Palermo, Belgrano, Recoleta, or other major neighborhoods, the costs can be that high, especially since everything is going up with the government lifting regulations.

 

[Melibaires]

You can check all the expenses online; this way, you can keep track of everything.

 

[captain]

You can check all the expenses online; this way, you can keep track of everything.

Is there a special website for it?

 

[Melibaires]

You have to visit each website and enter the “número de partida” or "numero de cliente." This way, you can see the details of each expense. For example, with Edesur:

Conocé tu factura - Edesur

Te explicamos detalladamente cómo está conformada tu factura Edesur. Descubrí cuáles son los conceptos importantes para comprender la liquidación.

www.edesur.com.ar

 

[Betsy Ross]

Hey everyone! I need your help understanding this, I just received the utility costs for August, and the amount is 243,000. The apartment is a 35-square-meter studio, and the building doesn’t have security. Does anyone else have similar expenses? Is it normal to pay this much for utilities?

ABL AGOSTO $ 11.135.-
AYSA AGOSTO $ 17.500.-
EDESUR VTO 9/9 $ 18.546.-
METROGAS VTO 9/9 $ 9.267.-
INTERNET $28.000.-
EXPENSAS $ 158.400.
Total: $ 242.848

Are they really breaking down the individual costs for each thing? On most monthly expenses they do include the total of these items but it sounds like on yours they must just further break it down for each individual unit. It's on the high side for just a small studio unit with no security. It looks like they include internet which is not common. It looks like your total is 242,848 pesos which which is about $188 dollars at the current exchange rate. But subtract out the internet as that isn't usually included.

It looks like the water total might just be split amongst all the owners in the building too. The common expenses are shared with all the owners like electricity for common areas. Of course you still have your own utility costs in your property. A little on the high side but all the buildings have gone up.

 

[Vince]

242,000 is a lot to pay for a studio apartment with no security guard.

 

[Wally]

I assume you're in a long term rental and you agreed to pay the monthly expenses. They have jumped up a lot over the past year. Especially this year. It's always a good idea if you agreed to pay the monthly HOA bill to ask for the actual bill so you can review it. And it's normal to pay the actual usage utility bills but ask to get the actual copies of the bills but those items actually are reasonable. My electricity bill has jumped up quite a bit this year.

 

[Betsy Ross]

I assume you're in a long term rental and you agreed to pay the monthly expenses. They have jumped up a lot over the past year. Especially this year. It's always a good idea if you agreed to pay the monthly HOA bill to ask for the actual bill so you can review it. And it's normal to pay the actual usage utility bills but ask to get the actual copies of the bills but those items actually are reasonable. My electricity bill has jumped up quite a bit this year.

I just assumed that you were copying and pasting from an actual expense but now looking closer it looks like maybe you were copying/pasting from an email that the owner sent you. Agree with Wally to ask to see the actual utility bills but that actually is probably the correct amount. I mistakenly thought you were being charged 242,848 for only the expenses but if that is all in with actual usage that isn't bad at all.

 

[earlyretirement]

I just assumed that you were copying and pasting from an actual expense but now looking closer it looks like maybe you were copying/pasting from an email that the owner sent you. Agree with Wally to ask to see the actual utility bills but that actually is probably the correct amount. I mistakenly thought you were being charged 242,848 for only the expenses but if that is all in with actual usage that isn't bad at all.

I was thinking the same thing as you @Betsy Ross. You will notice on a monthly expense, they include the amount of electricity used in general areas of the building which owners have their pro-rata share of. You can see an example of an actual bill where you can see total water usage and then owner's are billed based on % of their size of their unit.

158,400 is still on the high side for a studio apartment. I have a 1 bedroom with Encargada and it is 136,437 pesos. But that amount is not out of line with increased rates.

 

[captain]

Yes, it is a long term rental, I agreed to pay the apartment expenses, I have already requested copies of the services to be able to evaluate the prices, he told me he will send them today, I just got an email from him with the amounts to pay, I understand that everything here is increasing but it seemed too much, I will check everything...Thanks for you help!

 

[turtle]

Everything seems correct. The categories are properly assigned. Aysa is water, Edesur is electricity, Metrogas is gas, ABL is the municipal tax, and the building expenses (expensas) cover maintenance costs. These include cleaning, garbage collection, elevator maintenance, insurance, electricity, water, the doorman’s salary (usually half of the expensas), and the administrator’s fees.

The ABL is almost a fixed amount each month. Electricity, water, and gas depend on your usage. Both internet and building expenses will increase dramatically with inflation. If the building had security, the expenses would be much higher.

 

[Matt G]

Are the condo fees still going up in Buenos Aires? What about utility bills?

 

[Johnny]

Are the condo fees still going up in Buenos Aires? What about utility bills?

Yes they keep going up. They still aren't bad compared to the US but percentage wise it has gone up quite a bit. Here is my bill from January and another one from last month. This is for a penthouse 1 bedroom apartment in Palermo. I'm told for the December bill 98,222 pesos was for some property tax called ABL but even discounting that it went up a good bit. There is a doorman during the day from 8 AM to 8 PM but no real amenities in the building.

January 2025





December 2025

 

[Johnny]

Are the condo fees still going up in Buenos Aires? What about utility bills?

It just depends on usage but kwh hour rates are still cheap here compared to USA. Here is my last electricity bill. It was from spring before it got hot but I will see what my bill is next month. Not bad considering my place stays fully rented.

 

[Matt G]

Yes they keep going up. They still aren't bad compared to the US but percentage wise it has gone up quite a bit. Here is my bill from January and another one from last month. This is for a penthouse 1 bedroom apartment in Palermo. I'm told for the December bill 98,222 pesos was for some property tax called ABL but even discounting that it went up a good bit. There is a doorman during the day from 8 AM to 8 PM but no real amenities in the building.

January 2025

Thank you Johnny! That really helps to see actual bills. Wow that is a big increase for less than one year! Still seems reasonable.

Thank you for posting that electricity bill! Actually not bad at all.

 

[Betsy Ross]

Thank you Johnny! That really helps to see actual bills. Wow that is a big increase for less than one year! Still seems reasonable.

Thank you for posting that electricity bill! Actually not bad at all.

Condo fees have continued to go up and probably will continue as long as utilities and wages go up. Big jump from 2023 to now. Especially high are buildings that don't have many units to split the costs. Buildings that only have or or two apartments per floor and have a doorman are very expensive. Some in my building are over $900 USD per month and we have no amenities.

Buildings with amenities can be high. Electricity prices have went up significantly.

 

[VINO]

Still nothing compared to condo fees in the States. My sister pays massive amounts of condo fees in her building in NYC.

 

[Uncle Wong]

Yes they keep going up. They still aren't bad compared to the US but percentage wise it has gone up quite a bit. Here is my bill from January and another one from last month. This is for a penthouse 1 bedroom apartment in Palermo. I'm told for the December bill 98,222 pesos was for some property tax called ABL but even discounting that it went up a good bit. There is a doorman during the day from 8 AM to 8 PM but no real amenities in the building.

January 2025



View attachment 10199

December 2025

View attachment 10200

Thank you @Johnny for sharing this information! It helps. Wow the fees jumped up. I guess it helps that the exchange rate from the start of 2025 was much lower and the dollar is stronger now so that helps but I would think most of the owners earn in pesos so that is a big jump up in less than 1 year.

What accounts for it jumping up so high?