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Which prices rose most: sector ranking
Last updated: . Live values update automatically on the linked indicator pages.
About this page. This page is our own price calculation, built and run by The Argentine Thread. We take the official INDEC consumer price index by division, add the price series we collect ourselves, convert everything to US dollars at the MEP rate, and rank what rose most. We do it to cross check the official numbers independently. Argentina's official inflation statistics have a record of credibility problems: in 2013 the IMF formally censured Argentina over the quality of its CPI data, and INDEC was reorganised in 2016. Today's INDEC series is the standard reference, and we publish our own series next to it so readers can compare and judge the gaps for themselves.
Every CPI division and our fuel index, ranked by how much prices rose in the 12 months to 2026-08, in pesos and in US dollars at the MEP rate. Bars above the all items line rose faster than inflation.
What is official and what is ours. Every row except fuel is the official INDEC consumer price index for that division, taken as published. The fuel row is not from INDEC: it is our own index, built from pump prices we collect for one brand of regular gasoline in Buenos Aires City. The US dollar columns are also our own calculation: we divide each month's index by that month's average MEP rate. We have not built a replacement CPI, and nothing here is an official inflation figure.
| Rank | Sector | 12 months, pesos | 12 months, US$ at MEP | Since Dec 2023, pesos | Since Dec 2023, US$ at MEP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fuel, regular (our own index, CABA, one brand) | +61.1% | +40.7% | +269.8% | +133.9% |
| 2 | Housing, water, power, gas | +49.1% | +30.2% | +548.3% | +310.1% |
| 3 | Education | +40.0% | +22.2% | +434.0% | +237.8% |
| 4 | Transport | +38.2% | +20.6% | +279.8% | +140.2% |
| 5 | Communications | +36.8% | +19.5% | +377.4% | +202.0% |
| 6 | Food and non alcoholic drinks | +34.9% | +17.8% | +214.4% | +98.9% |
| 7 | CPI, all items | +33.5% | +16.6% | +247.5% | +119.8% |
| 8 | Health | +33.2% | +16.3% | +243.5% | +117.3% |
| 9 | Other goods and services | +32.8% | +16.0% | +293.2% | +148.8% |
| 10 | Household equipment | +24.4% | +8.6% | +157.0% | +62.6% |
| 11 | Alcohol and tobacco | +22.6% | +7.1% | +220.0% | +102.5% |
| 12 | Clothing and footwear | +11.0% | -3.0% | +122.4% | +40.7% |
Ours vs INDEC
Where we have an independent series, we set its change next to the closest INDEC category over the identical window. The gap is ours minus INDEC, in percentage points. Rows without enough history are marked pending; we do not estimate them.
| Our series | INDEC category | Window | Ours, pesos | INDEC, pesos | Gap | Ours, US$ MEP | INDEC, US$ MEP | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel, regular gasoline (ours, CABA) | Transport, GBA | 2025-08 to 2026-08 | +61.1% | +38.6% | +22.6 pp | +40.7% | +21.0% | +19.7 pp |
| Fuel, regular gasoline (ours, CABA) | Regulated prices, GBA | 2025-08 to 2026-08 | +61.1% | +43.1% | +18.0 pp | +40.7% | +25.0% | +15.7 pp |
| Fuel, regular gasoline (ours, CABA) | Transport, GBA | 2023-12 to 2026-08 | +269.8% | +317.5% | -47.7 pp | +133.9% | +164.1% | -30.2 pp |
| Fuel, regular gasoline (ours, CABA) | Regulated prices, GBA | 2023-12 to 2026-08 | +269.8% | +447.7% | -177.9 pp | +133.9% | +246.5% | -112.5 pp |
| Registered private wages (INDEC wage index) | CPI all items, national | 2025-07 to 2026-07 | +29.7% | +33.8% | -4.2 pp | +8.6% | +12.0% | -3.5 pp |
| Registered private wages (INDEC wage index) | CPI all items, national | 2023-12 to 2026-07 | +273.0% | +241.8% | +31.2 pp | +137.0% | +117.2% | +19.8 pp |
| Food, online supermarket basket (CABA) | Food and non alcoholic drinks, GBA | Pending | First snapshot 24 Oct 2026. First monthly change late Nov 2026; first 12 month comparison Oct 2027 | |||||
| Prepaga premiums | Health, GBA | Pending | Collection from published company notices not started. First comparison once 6 months exist, about May 2027 | |||||
| Mobile prepaid packs | Communications, GBA | Pending | Monthly snapshot not started. First comparison about May 2027 | |||||
| Regulated utilities (electricity, gas, water tariff charts) | Housing, water, electricity, gas, GBA | Pending | Tariff charts from the Boletín Oficial not yet compiled; backfill from 2023 is possible, target Dec 2026 | |||||
Why they can differ. Fuel is a single good while INDEC's transport and regulated groups mix fuel with fares, cars and other items, and INDEC's fuel subclass is not in the public series API; read the gap as direction, not error. Our fuel series is one brand in Buenos Aires City, INDEC uses GBA. INDEC weights still come from the 2004/05 household survey and the index is based in December 2016, so sectors that grew in household budgets since then are underweighted. Our prices are posted cash prices with no promotions or card discounts. The windows start at different points in the cycle: since December 2023, regulated prices caught up from frozen levels (fares, utilities), which is why INDEC's regulated group outran fuel over that span while fuel outran it in the last 12 months. The wage row compares two INDEC series (wages against CPI), so it measures purchasing power rather than a measurement gap.
Method and caveats
CPI divisions are INDEC national indices (base December 2016). The fuel row is our index for regular gasoline from one brand in Buenos Aires City, aligned to the same months. US dollar changes divide each month by its average MEP rate. The recreation and restaurants divisions were not served by the official API on 24 October 2026 and will be added on the next refresh. Further sub indices (freight, restaurant menus, services) will join this ranking as they reach 12 months of data.
Live indicators
- CPI monthlyMonthly inflation (CPI)What it isThe month on month change in the national consumer price index published by INDEC, the statistics agency.What it means for youIt tells you how fast peso prices are rising. For visitors and dollar earners, what matters more is inflation in dollar terms, which also depends on the exchange rate.How people use itBusinesses use it to set price increases and wage negotiations, landlords and tenants use it for rent adjustments, and investors use it to compare with peso interest rates.Read more
- Dólar MEP, liveMEP dollar (dólar bolsa)What it isA market rate obtained by buying an Argentine bond or share in pesos and selling the same security for dollars inside Argentina. MEP stands for Mercado Electrónico de Pagos.What it means for youIt is the most useful benchmark for what pesos are really worth in dollars. This site converts peso prices to US dollars at the MEP rate for that reason.How people use itResidents use it, through a broker or bank app, to buy dollars legally and deposit them in a local dollar account. Visitors paying with a foreign card are often charged a rate close to it.Read more
Related guide pages
Information only, not investment advice. Figures are dated and sourced; nothing here is estimated by us unless stated.