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AMBA Utility and Transport Bills Up 561% Since 2023 as 2026 Indexation Sets Monthly Rises

Inflation-linked fare updates alongside retargeted subsidies point to higher out-of-pocket costs next year.

Overview

  • The IIEP reports the services basket in the Buenos Aires metropolitan area rose 561% from December 2023 to December 2025, far outpacing the 185% increase in the CPI.
  • City and provincial governments will adjust bus and subway fares monthly in 2026 by CPI with fixed add-ons—+2% for buses and +1% for the subway—and Buenos Aires Province will apply an additional 10% step on December’s fare.
  • An average AMBA household without subsidies spent $183,410 in December on transport, electricity, gas and water, equal to 11.1% of an average registered salary, with transport as the main burden.
  • In the latest month, the average electricity bill climbed 20.8% to $44,808, gas bills fell 4.6% on seasonal demand, and water charges increased 4.4%.
  • User tariffs cover 53% of providers’ costs on average, and a 2026 subsidy redesign will remove or reduce support for higher-income users and introduce consumption caps, targeting a subsidy bill near 0.5% of GDP.