ARGENTINA · EXPLAINER
Key Facts
- What it is The city government’s monthly consumer price index, called IPCBA, covers only the city of Buenos Aires.
- Latest reading Prices rose 1.9% in October 2026 and 32.5% over twelve months.
- The basket Services carry 58.59% of the weight and goods 41.41%, using 2021 as the base year.
- Biggest weights Housing carries 17.43% and food 17.13% of the basket.
- Not national The nationwide figure comes from a different office, INDEC.
- Power Index Argentina ranks 4th of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index, with 60.2 points (November 2026 edition).
Buenos Aires inflation is measured by the city government’s own price index, which rose 1.9% in October 2026 and 32.5% over twelve months. This explainer shows what that index counts, who publishes it and why a jump in vegetables can move it.
The number matters to investors and travelers because it arrives before the national figure and often hints at where it will land. It also shows which household costs are rising fastest in Argentina’s capital.
What the City Price Index Measures
The index is called IPCBA, short for Índice de Precios al Consumidor de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. It is produced by the Instituto de Estadística y Censos de la Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, the statistics office of the city government.
It tracks the prices that households in the city pay each month for a fixed basket of goods and services. The basket uses 2021 as its base year, so a reading of 100 means the prices of that year, and October 2026 stood at 2,695.00.
What Is Inside the Basket
The basket has 13 divisions, and two of them are the heaviest. Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels carries 17.43%, and food and non-alcoholic drinks carries 17.13%.
Transport carries 11.44%, restaurants and hotels 9.58% and health 8.70%. Services make up 58.59% of the whole basket and goods 41.41%, so service prices such as rents and medical plans count more than shop prices.
Live Market IntelligenceArgentina — Live Market Board
Rio Times · Live Market Intelligence
Argentina — Live Market Board
—
168,481.49
+1.38%
71,087.56
+0.38%
10,536.40
+0.68%
2,848,945
—
2,466.03
-0.74%
| Instrument | Last | Change | YoY | Prev. | High | Low | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MERVAL | 2,848,945 | — | -4.19% | 2,859,051 | — | — | — |
| USD/ARS | 1,545 | +0.00% | +6.50% | 1,545 | 1,545 | 1,545 | — |
| YPF | 6,505 | +0.46% | +17.89% | 6,475 | 6,675 | 6,360 | 708,971 |
| GGAL | 4,950 | -0.95% | -42.85% | 4,998 | 5,140 | 4,933 | 548,462 |
| PAMPA | 4,290 | +0.29% | -16.78% | 4,278 | 4,390 | 4,235 | 351,604 |
| TXAR | 693.00 | -1.28% | -11.88% | 702.00 | 709.50 | 673.50 | 619,637 |
| ALUAR | 774.50 | +0.58% | -19.82% | 770.00 | 784.50 | 771.00 | 192,215 |
| TGS | 7,240 | -0.55% | -16.98% | 7,280 | 7,450 | 7,120 | 44,794 |
| CEPU | 1,678 | +1.76% | -24.72% | 1,649 | 1,678 | 1,600 | 129,716 |
| MIRGOR | 1,740 | -0.57% | -91.98% | 1,750 | 1,780 | 1,695 | 3,417 |
| COME | 31.18 | +2.20% | -47.95% | 30.51 | 31.40 | 30.76 | 3,810,293 |
| LOMA NEGRA | 2,978 | +1.79% | -9.67% | 2,925 | 3,003 | 2,853 | 34,896 |
| BYMA | 198.00 | +0.00% | -36.59% | 198.00 | 201.25 | 193.50 | 2,776,937 |
| TELECOM ARG | 3,340 | -1.18% | -7.86% | 3,380 | 3,490 | 3,293 | 11,295 |
| GLOBANT | 47.58 | -3.37% | -18.81% | 49.24 | 47.64 | 46.35 | 616,989 |
| MERCADOLIBRE | 1,510 | -1.31% | -29.04% | 1,530 | 1,558 | 1,502 | 677,425 |
Core, Regulated and Seasonal Prices
The office splits the basket into seasonal items such as vegetables (10.19%), regulated prices such as tariffs (18.59%) and everything else (71.22%). Each group is tracked on its own every month.
That last group, called Resto IPCBA, is the city’s stand-in for core inflation. In October it rose 1.8%, while regulated prices rose 1.8% and seasonal prices rose 3.3%.
Why Vegetables Moved the Number
Vegetables, tubers and legumes rose 12.9% in October and are up 89.1% since January. Over twelve months they have risen 68.8%, far more than the 32.5% rise in the overall index.
Fruit moved the other way and fell 3.2% in the month. Food as a whole rose 2.2% and added 0.38 points to the 1.9% total.
How It Differs From the National Figure
The national price index comes from INDEC, the national statistics institute, and covers the whole country. INDEC reported 1.9% for September and 33.4% over twelve months, while the city reported 1.8% for September.
Because the city and the country are measured separately, the numbers can differ by a tenth of a point. The central bank’s market survey expected 1.8% nationally for October.
What It Means for You
For a US investor in Argentine assets, the city index is an early read on whether disinflation is stalling. A steady 1.8% to 1.9% monthly pace still means prices nearly double in three years.
For a traveler, services such as hotels and restaurants rose 1.6% in October, below the average. Our Buenos Aires city guide covers how to plan a stay.
What Is Not Known
INDEC’s national October number is the next release, and it will show whether the country followed the city. Economists polled by the central bank expected 1.8%.
The city institute’s November index, due in early December, will show whether the vegetable spike fades. Until then the 12.9% jump is a single month of data.
More: Latin America news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the IPCBA?
It is the consumer price index of the city of Buenos Aires, published monthly by the city’s statistics institute. It tracks a fixed basket of goods and services with 2021 as the base year.
Why does the city report different inflation from the country?
The city index uses its own basket and weights and covers only the capital. INDEC measures the whole country, so monthly readings can differ slightly.
What is core inflation in the city index?
The city calls it Resto IPCBA, a group that leaves out seasonal and regulated prices. It makes up 71.22% of the basket and rose 1.8% in October.
How much did Buenos Aires prices rise over twelve months?
Prices rose 32.5% in the twelve months to October 2026. That was 0.4 points lower than the yearly rate in September.
Sources: Instituto de Estadística y Censos de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires, IPCBA Octubre de 2026 (informe de resultado 2069), November 2026; Banco Central de la República Argentina, Relevamiento de Expectativas de Mercado, October 2026, 5 November 2026; INDEC consumer price index, September 2026, 13 October 2026.
In depth
Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief · Editorial standards · Report an error
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