If you're looking to hire an AI developer, Latin America is a great place to find one, especially in tech-forward cities like Buenos Aires and Mexico City. Both cities have rapidly growing developer communities and lower costs than the U.S. They also have skilled professionals with experience in machine learning, natural language processing, and AI infrastructure.
In this blog, we’ll explore the key differences between hiring in these two cities. You’ll gain valuable insights on topics such as pricing, time zone compatibility, English proficiency, and senior talent availability to help you decide where to build your AI team.
Why Hire an AI Developer for Your Business?
When you hire an AI developer, you’re doing more than filling a technical role. You’re also unlocking the ability to automate processes, analyze large data sets, and create intelligent systems that learn and improve over time. AI developers use technologies like machine learning, natural language processing (NLP), and computer vision to build software that solves real business problems, from personalized product recommendations to fraud detection and smart chatbots.
They typically work with tools such as Python, TensorFlow, and cloud platforms like AWS or Google Cloud to develop AI solutions. The impact goes beyond efficiency. AI is projected to boost productivity by up to 20% and increase annual GDP growth by 3% in the 2030s. For companies aiming to stay ahead, hiring an AI developer today means building smarter, faster, and more scalable operations for the future.
Hire an AI Developer in Buenos Aires vs Mexico City
When deciding where to hire an AI developer, Buenos Aires and Mexico City are two of the most popular tech hubs in Latin America. This radar chart compares the key factors to consider when hiring an AI developer in these cities, highlighting the strengths and opportunities of each location. From talent availability to cost efficiency and cultural fit, this visual provides a quick overview of what each city offers.
Below, we’ll take a closer look at each factor presented in the chart to give you a thorough understanding of why Buenos Aires and Mexico City stand out in the AI development landscape and which city might be the best match for your project needs.
Hiring Costs
One of the biggest advantages of hiring in Latin America is the cost savings. For example, you can hire an AI developer in cities like Buenos Aires or Mexico City for a fraction of the cost you'd pay in the U.S.
Buenos Aires: Thanks to a favorable exchange rate and a strong local talent pool, Buenos Aires is one of the most affordable places to hire an AI developer. The monthly cost of hiring a mid-to-senior-level professional is typically between $3,300 and $6,000 USD.
Mexico City: Although it's slightly more expensive than Buenos Aires, it's still much cheaper than hiring locally in the U.S. Expect to pay around $4,000 to $7,500 USD per month for a skilled AI developer. The city also offers a large bilingual tech workforce and excellent time zone alignment with U.S.-based teams.
Learn more about hiring generative AI developers in Argentina.
Time Zone Compatibility
One of the biggest perks of hiring an AI developer in Latin America is how well the region aligns with U.S. time zones. This makes real-time communication, daily standups, and project updates much easier.
Mexico City: If you're looking to hire an AI developer with strong time zone alignment, Mexico City is an excellent choice. Operating on Central Standard Time (CST), it’s just one hour ahead of San Francisco and two hours behind Miami and New York. This makes real-time collaboration seamless with most U.S. cities.
Buenos Aires: Buenos Aires is also a good fit for remote teams, especially those on the East Coast. It's usually four hours ahead of San Francisco and one hour ahead of Miami and New York. While collaboration is still possible, teams on the West Coast may need to adjust their schedules slightly to ensure full overlap when hiring an AI developer based in Argentina.
English Proficiency
Strong English skills aren’t just a bonus when you hire an AI developer—they’re essential for reading technical documentation, writing clean code comments, and collaborating smoothly with international teams.
Buenos Aires: Argentina consistently ranks among the top countries in Latin America for English proficiency. According to the EF English Proficiency Index, Buenos Aires scores 566, placing many of its developers in the "high proficiency" range. Most AI developers here are fluent or nearly fluent, especially in written communication, which is perfect for documentation-heavy projects and clear remote collaboration.
Mexico City: Mexico City also has a growing pool of English-speaking developers, particularly those with international experience or degrees from bilingual universities. However, the average proficiency is a score of 464 on the EF index. While many developers can communicate effectively, fluency varies depending on educational background and work experience.
Work Culture
Collaboration is much smoother when developers understand U.S. business expectations and are familiar with international workflows. Here’s how Mexico City and Buenos Aires compare when looking to hire an AI developer with the right mindset:
Mexico City: The tech scene is booming, fueled by a growing startup culture, international partnerships, and rising venture capital investment. Many AI developers are involved in innovation hubs, accelerators, and co-working spaces. While some have experience with U.S. clients, others may be newer to fully remote, cross-border work, especially outside of startups.
Buenos Aires: The city has a long-standing developer export culture, so working with U.S. clients is often the norm. When you hire an AI developer from Argentina, you're more likely to find talent already accustomed to U.S. business hours, communication styles, and project workflows.
Learn more about hiring top AI developers in Latin America.
Access to Senior AI Talent
Consider hiring an AI developer in Latin America. Both Mexico City and Buenos Aires offer strong talent pools, but their strengths differ slightly.
Mexico City: With over 220,000 tech professionals, the city is at the center of its AI activity. The city is home to over 300 fintech startups, so it’s easy to find AI developers accustomed to working in fast-paced, product-focused environments. This is great if you’re building something quickly and need engineers who thrive in agile environments.
Buenos Aires: Argentina has around 115,000 tech professionals, and Buenos Aires is a leader in international collaboration. The city fosters innovation through education and startup resources, creating a robust community of AI developers and consultants. If you want to hire an AI developer with remote experience and exposure to global projects, Buenos Aires might be a better fit.
Find out more about hiring dedicated AI developers.
Our thoughts on the pricing structure of Toptal
While it's not possible for us to find details about how much of what a client pays ultimately goes to a candidate, we believe clients looking for transparent and straightforward pricing may want to look at other alternatives.
Our opinion is that if they are charging a client more than $12,000 monthly for a developer, they should at the very least be giving $9,600 to the candidate, but it's likely that it's even less than that.
What Hiring Managers Should Ask Before Choosing a Talent Partner
Before partnering with any talent provider — whether Toptal, Teilur, or others — hiring managers should consider asking the following key questions:
- What percentage of the fee actually goes to the talent?
- Are replacement or satisfaction guarantees included in the contract?
- How are regional salary benchmarks determined?
- Is there full transparency in how rates are broken down?
- What is the long-term cost difference between hiring directly and through a platform?
These questions can help businesses make informed decisions and ensure that pricing aligns with both market realities and ethical compensation practices.
Transparent Pricing for Hiring an AI Developer
We work with a transparent pricing model that tells you exactly what you are paying and why. Teilur Talent discloses margins upfront. You will never pay more than 20% above what your developer receives. This approach builds trust and gives you the clarity you need to plan for the long term without questioning your hiring costs.
Additionally, our end-to-end solution handles everything from candidate pre-screening to contract management, payroll, and local compliance. Hiring overseas can be complicated by tax, labor, and legal issues, but we take care of them so you don't have to. It's the simplest way to hire global AI talent with total control and no surprises.
Find out more about transparent rate pricing.
FAQ
How do I hire an AI developer?
Start by defining your project needs—NLP, predictive modeling, etc.—then screen developers based on tech stack, portfolio, and communication skills. Work with a talent partner to streamline this.
Where can I find an AI developer?
You can find AI developers through marketplaces, tech communities, or talent networks. If you're looking for professionals in Latin America, consider working with a regional hiring partner to ensure better vetting, cultural fit, and support throughout the process.
What does an AI programmer do?
They build, train, and deploy models that simulate human intelligence—like recommendation systems, computer vision, or chatbots.
What are the 4 types of AI?
Reactive Machines, Limited Memory, Theory of Mind, and Self-aware AI. Most developers today work with the first two, especially Limited Memory (like deep learning).
