How much does it cost to build a “cheap” house of 73 to 81 square meters today?
Construction prices rose again in May and have accumulated a 126% increase since October 2023. In this context, many people are wondering how much it costs to build a "cheap" 73 to 81 square meter house today.
According to experts consulted by LA NACION, the construction of a very inexpensive square meter costs around US$1,300 + VAT (US$1,573). However, it can rise to US$3,000 if more expensive materials are used for the entire project and the goal is to build a premium home.
Thus, a very inexpensive house between 73 and 81 square meters, for example a 77 m² house, currently averages US$121,121 . It's worth noting that this is a home built using the traditional construction model.
One of the main causes behind this phenomenon is the stability of the dollar with a fall in the price of the American currency in recent months , which makes That increasingly more dollars will be needed to build the same thing. For more than two years, costs measured in US dollars kept pace with fluctuating inflation in pesos and constant devaluations. However, with the dollar remaining virtually unchanged recently, construction costs have reached unexpected levels.
This scenario is causing concern among builders, property owners in the construction phase, and subdivision developers due to the decline in demand. “The biggest concern among builders when the exchange rate restrictions were lifted was seeing the dollar drop so much. It's not just them that's worried, it's also those who have a house under construction. If they had a certain amount of dollars to build that house, they're going to need a lot more,” explains Germán Gómez Picasso, director of Reporte Inmobiliario.
Meanwhile, the cost of building a premium home in a gated community or neighborhood has skyrocketed in the last year: it costs $1,232,162,763 to build a 315 m² home , equivalent to nearly $4 million per square meter , including taxes and professional fees, according to the latest report by Reporte Inmobiliario. In dollars, the total sum would be US$940,582.26 at the blue dollar exchange rate—almost a million dollars—with a value of US$2,985.98/m² at the time the information was collected.
This amount represents a year-on-year increase of 65% , since in March 2024 the same work required an investment of $747,157,927.47 .
In January 2025 , building a 315 m² home in a gated community or neighborhood required a total investment of $1,156,272,392 (US$963,560 with a $1,200 dollar, or almost a million dollars). However, between January and March of this year alone, the cost increased by more than $75 million , representing a 6.6% rise in just three months. Another fact that reflects the impact is that current costs already exceed the historic peak recorded in April 2018, when building a 315 m² home cost US$572,279.56 .
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