Buenos Aires on a Budget: 10 Affordable Things to Do

Visiting Buenos Aires doesn’t have to break your budget. There are many wonderful things you can do in Buenos Aires for an affordable price!

About three years ago, I wrote a guest post for Have Clothes Will Travel about 5 Affordable Things To Do In Buenos Aires (once again, a huge thanks to Lindsey for featuring my writing). Back then Buenos Aires was a bit of an expensive place to visit even if you came on a foreign income.

However, by now the economic crisis, devaluation of the Argentine peso, and the COVID-19 pandemic have taken most of the expensiveness out of Buenos Aires.

Buenos Aires is now a pretty affordable place to visit on a foreign income. And there are so many great activities and interesting things to do in the city.

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A Guide to Affordable Activities to Do in Buenos Aires That Won’t Break Your Budget

Street Art in Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires has some quite amazing pieces of street art if you just know where to look for them. You can either just try your luck and wander around until you dump into some. Or you can check out my complete guide to street art in Buenos Aires.

The best thing is that it is completely free for you to check any of these pieces out!

If you want to explore a bit more, you can also sign-up for a guided tour of some of the Palermo neighborhood’s best street art for just around 10 USD.

Price: Free or 1.000 ARG (10 USD) for a tour
Address: Around the city

Lunch at Puerto Madero

Behind the Pink House, you have Puerto Madero, one of the most exclusive areas of Buenos Aires. It is also one of the few places where the city shows its proximity to the sea.

Some of the best (and most expensive) restaurants are in Puerto Madero but if you go at lunchtime you might be able to find a good lunch offer, a so-called menú ejecutivo.

Or you can simply take a walk down by the dock and enjoy the view of the impressive Puente de la Mujer, one of Buenos Aires’ more modern landmarks. 

Price: Purchases in the restaurants for your budget to decide.
Address: Av. Alicia Moreau de Justo
Subway stations nearby: Catedral (D-line), Plaza de Mayo (A-line), and Bolívar (E-line).

The viewpoint of Galeria Güemes

I love viewpoints. Who doesn’t? Just glassing over the roofs of a city and seeing all the toy-sized cars and people below.

If you are looking for an affordable experience and amazing views of Buenos Aires, Mirador de Galería Güemes is your place to go!

The viewpoint is located on the roof of the 14th floor of the small shopping arcade Galería de Güemes on Florida Street in Central Buenos Aires.

When you enter the arcade, take the first elevator on your right-hand’s side up to the 14th. The price for your ticket is currently 500 Argentine pesos (apr. 2.5 USD).

Their opening hours can change a bit, so keep an eye out for any updates on their Instagram page or website.

Price: 500 ARG (2,5 USD)
Address: Florida 165
Subway station nearby: Florida (B line) and Catedral (D line)

Rooftop bar at Palacio Barolo

On the 16th floor of the magnificent Barolo Palace, you’ll find the rooftop bar Salón 1923. Here you can have a drink or something to eat while enjoying the views of the Argentine Congress and other beautiful old buildings in the center of Buenos Aires.

This is a more affordable option to the classic guided tours of Buenos Aires’ iconic Palacio Barolo. Even though the guided tours will let you come up the lighthouse on top of Palacio Barolo, the rooftop bar still has some amazing views to offer.

Price: Purchases in the bar for your budget to decide
Address: Avenida de Mayo 1370
Subway station nearby: Saenz Peña (A-line)

Tickets to the Colón Theater

The Colon Theater is hard to miss. The majestic building is located right on the central Avenida 9 de Julio that crosses through downtown Buenos Aires.

The theater is known for being one of the best in Latin America, and its beautifully decorated interior will make you think that you suddenly traveled to Paris, Rome, or somewhere else in Europe.

If you want to experience the theater in all this bright, why not go to watch a play there?

Actually, the ticket to watch a play in Teatro Colon is a lot more affordable than you might think. With a bit of good luck and flexibility, you can catch a ticket for as low as 800 pesos (apr. 8 USD) for a play, a concert, or whatever is going on.

You can see the upcoming events and plays online on Teatro Colon’s calendar here or you can head to the ticket office at the Teatro Colon and ask for any available cheap tickets.

Price: 800 – 1,800 ARG (8 – 17 USD)
Address: Cerrito 628
Subway stations nearby: Tribunales (D-line) and Uruguay (B-line)

Visit the Ateneo Gran Splendid Bookshop

Imagine a theater that turned into a bookshop! It sounds crazy but it is nonetheless what you’ll get when visiting the Ateneo Gran Splendid.

This place is without a doubt one of the most beautiful bookshops, I have ever seen! And it is a very affordable option for experiencing something different in Buenos Aires.

Drop by the cafe on the stage for a unique experience. Other than that, it is completely free to visit Ateneo Gran Splendid.

Price: Entrance for free. Purchases in the store and cafe for your budget to decide.
Address: Avenida Santa Fe 1860
Subway station nearby: Callao (D-line)

Day Trip to the Tigre Delta

A pleasant and very affordable activity to do when in Buenos Aires is to take a day trip to visit the Tigre Delta.

The town of Tigre is located by the river of the same name and can be reached from Buenos Aires in around one hour of public transportation.

Once you are in Tigre, you can opt for exploring the hidden gems in the town of Tigre or go on a boat ride around the Delta – or both!

Read more about how to do a day trip to Tigre on your own here or sign up for one of the many guided tours on GetYourGuide:

Price: 18.50 ARG (0.20 USD) for public transportation and 11 USD for a boat ride.
Address: Tigre Delta,
Subway station nearby: Train line Mitre from the Retiro train station. Read more here.

The English Tower

Another iconic Buenos Aires landmark with a very affordable entrance fee is the English Tower, also known as Torre Monumental.

The tower is a clock tower in perfect working condition and very well-maintained. The local British community in Argentina gave it as a gift to the City of Buenos Aires in 1910 in commemoration of the Mayo Revolution of 1810.

When you are around this area, do yourself the favor and scroll up through the massive General San Martín Square and Park located in front of the clock tower.

Price: 100 ARG (apr. 1 USD). Free on Wednesdays.
Address: Av. Dr. José María Ramos Mejía 1315
Subway station nearby: Retiro (C- & E-line)

Spanish Art Museum Museo de Larreta

If you want to enjoy a quiet afternoon and see something else than Downtown Buenos Aires, a good option is to head up to the Belgrano neighborhood.

Belgrano is a wonderful neighborhood to explore my favorite tree-covered streets and huge mansions laying side-by-side with tall apartment buildings.

Here you will also find the small art museum called Museo de Larreta with a beautiful Spanish-inspired interior garden. Part of the garden is turned into a café which quickly became one of my favorite place – and I’m sure you will enjoy it too!

The entrance to the museum is super affordable, and the prices at the cafe are not that crazy either.

Price: 50 ARG (0.50 USD). Free entrance on Wednesdays.
Address: Juramento 2291
Subway station nearby: Juramento (D-line)

The Palace of Running Waters, Palacio de Aguas Corrientes

The Palace of Running Waters, Palacio de Aguas Corrientes, is one of the most spectacular buildings in Buenos Aires. So, if you enjoy spectacular buildings and affordable activities, this one should be on your list for Buenos Aires.

Directly translated the name of this gigantic building means Palace of Running Water, and it is Buenos Aires’ old water pump station. Nowadays it houses a museum and some archives.

But the architecture on the outside is stunning!

Price: Free to visit from the outside. The entrance to the museum is currently only with previous reservations.
Address: Riobamba 750
Subway station nearby: Callao (D-line)

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How did you like these affordable activities to do in Buenos Aires? Which one was your favorite one? Share your thoughts or tips on more affordable things to do in Buenos Aires below!

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