June 2026 Expenses: Expected Values for a Three-Room Apartment in Palermo

Monthly building maintenance fees, known as "expensas," are a significant and often unwelcome expense for residents in Buenos Aires, frequently outpacing official inflation figures.

While official monthly inflation rates hover between 2% and 3%, the cost of common building expenses often shows higher increases. However, a closer look at accumulated values suggests a potential shift in this trend. Estimating precise patterns by neighborhood is challenging due to diverse building types and apartment sizes. As a reference, a small three-room apartment in Palermo, without amenities but with a building superintendent, incurs expenses of approximately $300,000 per month as of June this year. Factors like the number of units per floor, building age, and square footage heavily influence these costs.

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After several years marked by constant increases, we are beginning to see a deceleration in the speed at which expenses are growing.

According to the latest monthly report from ConsorcioAbierto, which analyzes data from about 13,000 buildings, the average expense in the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires (CABA) for May was $336,960. This represents a modest 0.1% increase from April. The year-on-year rise stands at 30.5%, compared to an average of $258,218 in May of the previous year.

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During much time the discussion was centered on how to face the increases. Now another question begins to appear: how to administer better the available resources. More and more administrations are looking to reduce manual tasks, have more ordered information and detect problems before they become major expenses.

"After several years marked by constant increases, we are beginning to see a deceleration in the speed at which expenses are growing," noted Albano Laiuppa, director of ConsorcioAbierto. He added that the focus is shifting from merely coping with increases to better resource administration. "More and more administrations are looking to reduce manual tasks, organize information more effectively, and identify problems before they become major expenses."

The report also breaks down the primary cost drivers. Personnel and salaries account for the largest share at 32% of the total expenses. This proportion is higher in smaller buildings (0-50 units) and lower in larger ones (over 200 units), indicating economies of scale. Operational and maintenance costs follow at 29%, with administrative, banking, and tax expenses at 14%. Public services contribute an average of 12%, and extraordinary maintenance and construction projects make up the remaining 9%. Laiuppa explained that most resources are dedicated to daily operations, so increases in these areas directly impact residents' fees.

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The largest part of the resources is destined to sustain the daily operation of the building: personnel, maintenance, services and necessary tasks so that everything functions correctly. That is why, when those costs increase, the effect is quickly transferred to the expense that each neighbor receives.