Overview
- IDECBA's May 2026 update puts the minimum monthly income to be considered middle class for a reference four‑person, homeowner family in CABA at about AR$2,450,044, a 2.7% rise from April.
- The Canasta Básica Total (CBT), the official poverty cutoff for that same household, reached roughly AR$1,549,225 in May while the Canasta Básica Alimentaria (CBA), the indigence line, was reported between about AR$844,146 and AR$925,314 across outlets.
- IDECBA defines class membership by multiples of the CBT, with the class media band running from 1.25 to 4 times the CBT, which produces a May class range of roughly AR$2.45 million to AR$7.84 million for the reference household.
- The City CPI (IPCBA) rose 2.1% in May (14% year‑to‑date, 33.1% year‑on‑year), and IDECBA notes that rising prices for food, housing, health and education are the main drivers pushing the canastas and income floors higher.
- Using market rental estimates changes the picture: adding an estimated AR$1.14 million for a three‑room rent would raise the middle‑class entry point to about AR$3.59 million, underlining how the homeowner assumption understates costs for renters.