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Simulator: How many square meters can you buy based on your salary? - La Nacion Propiedades
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www.lanacion.com.ar
February 13, 2026
A property investment simulator shows that buying a one-bedroom apartment requires between 20 and almost 100 years of minimum wage.
The values per square meter, expressed in dollars, allow for a clear map of urban accessibility to be drawn.Freepik
The debate on access to housing returns, time and again, to the same starting point: the gap between income and real estate prices . In a context where the price per square meter remains tied to the dollar and wages are growing far behind the cost of living, the possibility of a worker being able to buy an apartment through traditional means is becoming increasingly remote.
The possibility of a worker being able to buy an apartment in the traditional way is becoming increasingly remote. Ricardo Pristupluk
The minimum living wage, a key reference for measuring purchasing power , calculating social benefits and setting legal thresholds, was set at $346,800 per month from February 2026, as established by the Government by decree in December 2025.
The regulations specify that this amount applies to salaried workers who work a full legal workday; those who work hourly receive $1734 per hour . Although it doesn't define the entire labor market, it does help to illustrate the gap between the lowest formal income and real estate market values in Buenos Aires.
In this scenario, where real estate market benchmarks remain dollarized and access to credit remains limited, an inevitable question arises: How many minimum wages are needed to buy a one-bedroom apartment in Buenos Aires?
To answer this question, a simulation was developed using a one-bedroom, 50 m² apartment in five neighborhoods: Puerto Madero, Núñez, Palermo, Villa del Parque, and La Boca. The price per square meter was obtained from surveys conducted on the Zonaprop platform, expressed in dollars, and cross-referenced with the property value, the current dollar exchange rate, and the minimum wage, allowing for the creation of a map of property values and affordability.
A one-bedroom apartment of 50 square meters in Puerto Madero, the most expensive neighborhood in the country, exceeds US$ 300,000Jardin Magazine Archive
In Núñez , where the price per square meter is around US$3,407 , a similar apartment costs approximately US$170,000 . This means that a worker earning the minimum wage would need around 680 salaries , equivalent to more than 50 years of income .
Something very similar happens in Palermo , one of the most sought-after neighborhoods: with a price per square meter of around US$3,387 , the final price is close to US$169,000 . In terms of salaries, this translates to approximately 677 minimum wages , or 56 years of uninterrupted work.
Palermo, one of the most sought-after neighborhoods: with a value per square meter of around US$ 3387. Daniel Basualdo
The gap begins to narrow in Villa del Parque , a middle-class neighborhood with more affordable prices: there, the price per square meter is around US$2,270 , so the same 50-square-meter unit costs around US$113,500 . To afford it, you would need 450 minimum wages , or almost 37 years of full income.
Finally, La Boca is the most affordable neighborhood in the analysis, with a price per square meter of US$1,552 . The estimated price for a one-bedroom apartment is around US$77,600 , which requires approximately 311 minimum wages . Even so, even in the most accessible neighborhood, the distance is equivalent to 25 years of work.
While values may vary depending on orientation, age, building condition or proximity to commercial centers, the simulator reveals a structural trend: even for those who manage to stay within the formal labor market, access to housing through savings in pesos is almost impossible.
Prices in dollars remain relatively stable, but incomes show a sustained loss of real purchasing power. The result is a gap that widens year after year: to buy a two-room apartment in Buenos Aires, a worker needs between 20 and 100 years' salary , depending on the neighborhood and the property.
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Simulador: cuántos m2 podés comprar según tu sueldo
Un simulador de inversión en propiedades muestra que comprar un dos ambientes exige entre 20 y casi 100 años de salario mínimo
www.lanacion.com.ar
February 13, 2026
A property investment simulator shows that buying a one-bedroom apartment requires between 20 and almost 100 years of minimum wage.
The values per square meter, expressed in dollars, allow for a clear map of urban accessibility to be drawn.Freepik
The debate on access to housing returns, time and again, to the same starting point: the gap between income and real estate prices . In a context where the price per square meter remains tied to the dollar and wages are growing far behind the cost of living, the possibility of a worker being able to buy an apartment through traditional means is becoming increasingly remote.
The possibility of a worker being able to buy an apartment in the traditional way is becoming increasingly remote. Ricardo Pristupluk
The minimum living wage, a key reference for measuring purchasing power , calculating social benefits and setting legal thresholds, was set at $346,800 per month from February 2026, as established by the Government by decree in December 2025.
The regulations specify that this amount applies to salaried workers who work a full legal workday; those who work hourly receive $1734 per hour . Although it doesn't define the entire labor market, it does help to illustrate the gap between the lowest formal income and real estate market values in Buenos Aires.
In this scenario, where real estate market benchmarks remain dollarized and access to credit remains limited, an inevitable question arises: How many minimum wages are needed to buy a one-bedroom apartment in Buenos Aires?
To answer this question, a simulation was developed using a one-bedroom, 50 m² apartment in five neighborhoods: Puerto Madero, Núñez, Palermo, Villa del Parque, and La Boca. The price per square meter was obtained from surveys conducted on the Zonaprop platform, expressed in dollars, and cross-referenced with the property value, the current dollar exchange rate, and the minimum wage, allowing for the creation of a map of property values and affordability.
Number of minimum wages needed according to each neighborhood
A two-room apartment of 50 square meters in Puerto Madero , the most expensive neighborhood in the country, costs over US$300,000 , given that the price per square meter is around US$6,157 . Thus, considering the average between the official buying and selling exchange rates, someone earning the minimum wage would need to save more than 1,200 full salaries to afford a standard unit. Translated into years, this difference is equivalent to almost 100 years of work , without spending a single penny.
A one-bedroom apartment of 50 square meters in Puerto Madero, the most expensive neighborhood in the country, exceeds US$ 300,000Jardin Magazine Archive
In Núñez , where the price per square meter is around US$3,407 , a similar apartment costs approximately US$170,000 . This means that a worker earning the minimum wage would need around 680 salaries , equivalent to more than 50 years of income .
Something very similar happens in Palermo , one of the most sought-after neighborhoods: with a price per square meter of around US$3,387 , the final price is close to US$169,000 . In terms of salaries, this translates to approximately 677 minimum wages , or 56 years of uninterrupted work.
Palermo, one of the most sought-after neighborhoods: with a value per square meter of around US$ 3387. Daniel Basualdo
The gap begins to narrow in Villa del Parque , a middle-class neighborhood with more affordable prices: there, the price per square meter is around US$2,270 , so the same 50-square-meter unit costs around US$113,500 . To afford it, you would need 450 minimum wages , or almost 37 years of full income.
Finally, La Boca is the most affordable neighborhood in the analysis, with a price per square meter of US$1,552 . The estimated price for a one-bedroom apartment is around US$77,600 , which requires approximately 311 minimum wages . Even so, even in the most accessible neighborhood, the distance is equivalent to 25 years of work.
While values may vary depending on orientation, age, building condition or proximity to commercial centers, the simulator reveals a structural trend: even for those who manage to stay within the formal labor market, access to housing through savings in pesos is almost impossible.
Prices in dollars remain relatively stable, but incomes show a sustained loss of real purchasing power. The result is a gap that widens year after year: to buy a two-room apartment in Buenos Aires, a worker needs between 20 and 100 years' salary , depending on the neighborhood and the property.
www.buysellba.com
