City inflation edges up in September
Inflation in the City of Buenos Aires accelerated slightly to 1.8% in September from 1.7% in August, the Instituto de Estadística y Censos de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires (IDECBA) reported on Thursday. The monthly rate stayed below 2% for a second consecutive month. The city's consumer price index has accumulated a 23.7% increase over the first nine months of 2026, while the year-on-year variation stood at 32.9%, 0.4 percentage points below the August reading.[S1][S2][S3][S4]
Four divisions explained 64.9% of the monthly rise: housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels; food and non-alcoholic beverages; health; and education. The September increase was also shaped by a split between goods, which rose 1.6%, and services, which climbed 2%. In August, goods had advanced 1.6% and services 1.8%, so the acceleration in September came mainly from services.[S1][S2][S3][S4]
Education leads the increases
Education posted the largest rise among the index divisions, at 2.9%, driven by higher fees at formal education establishments. It contributed 0.15 percentage points to the general level. Personal care, social protection and other products followed with 2.4%, while clothing and footwear rose 2.3%. Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels also increased 2.3%, pushed by adjustments in common housing expenses and rents, and made the largest single contribution to the index at 0.47 percentage points.[S1][S2][S3][S4][S5]
Food and non-alcoholic beverages rose 2.1%, with vegetables, tubers and legumes jumping 11.3%. Milk, dairy products and eggs increased 1.9%, and meat and derivatives 1.3%. Health climbed 2.2% on higher private health insurance premiums, while transport advanced 1.3%. Information and communication rose 2.2%, alcoholic beverages and tobacco 1.4%, and restaurants and hotels 1.1%. The smallest increases were recorded in household equipment and maintenance at 0.3%, recreation and culture at 0.9%, and insurance and financial services at 1%.[S1][S2][S3][S4][S5]
Core inflation slows as regulated prices rise
Core inflation, measured by the Resto IPCBA indicator, came in at 1.7%, below the 2.1% recorded in August, and slowed to 31.6% year-on-year. Seasonal prices rose 2.3%, a reversal from August when they fell 2.9% on lower tourism-related prices, with vegetables and clothing driving the September increase. Regulated prices advanced 2.1%, up from 1.8% the previous month, reflecting higher formal education and private medicine fees as well as adjustments in residential water, gas and electricity tariffs and in subway and urban bus fares. Regulated prices held steady at 41.6% year-on-year.[S1][S3][S4]
The city report serves as a reference for the national inflation figure, which the Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (INDEC) is scheduled to publish on Tuesday, October 13, at 16:00. Private analysts surveyed in the Banco Central's latest Relevamiento de Expectativas de Mercado expect the national September rate to come in at 1.9%, below 2%. In August, national prices had risen 1.7%, accumulating 21.3% over the first eight months of the year and 33.5% year-on-year.[S1][S2][S3][S4][S5]
