Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Arendal

For one person, living is cheaper in Buenos Aires: $1,656 a month against $2,679 in Arendal, rent and utilities included – about $12,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Buenos Aires
🇦🇷 Argentina
$1,656
/mo nomad
Arendal
🇳🇴 Norway
$2,679
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Buenos Aires and in Arendal

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Buenos Aires and in Arendal actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,656 in Buenos Aires versus $2,679 in Arendal.

  • Buenos Aires $1,656
  • Arendal $2,679

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,697 in Buenos Aires versus $3,805 in Arendal.

  • Buenos Aires $2,697
  • Arendal $3,805

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,737 in Buenos Aires versus $4,931 in Arendal.

  • Buenos Aires $3,737
  • Arendal $4,931

Living in Buenos Aires costs roughly 38% less than in Arendal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Buenos Aires 23% above, Arendal 98% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Buenos Aires
Arendal
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.09 ARS 29.0K
$19.51 NOK 184
-2.15%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$65.8 ARS 99.9K
$65.8 NOK 619
-
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.20 ARS 20.0K
$15.52 NOK 146
-14.95%
Cappuccino
$3.85 ARS 5,841
$5.33 NOK 50.2
-27.77%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.99 ARS 3,020
$3.49 NOK 32.84
-42.98%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.60 ARS 2,430
$3.25 NOK 30.62
-50.77%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.93 ARS 5,959
$11.55 NOK 109
-65.97%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.61 ARS 7,003
$12.08 NOK 114
-61.84%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Buenos Aires
Arendal
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.50 ARS 2,272
$2.31 NOK 21.78
-35.06%
White Bread (500g)
$2.53 ARS 3,837
$3.47 NOK 32.63
-27.09%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.61 ARS 2,445
$3.78 NOK 35.56
-57.41%
Eggs
$2.84 ARS 4,316
$4.93 NOK 46.38
-42.39%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.30 ARS 15.6K
$14.81 NOK 139
-30.45%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.00 ARS 15.2K
$14.35 NOK 135
-30.31%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.30 ARS 20.2K
$33.30 NOK 314
-60.06%
Apples (1kg)
$2.88 ARS 4,366
$3.49 NOK 32.83
-17.48%
Banana (1kg)
$2.20 ARS 3,334
$2.63 NOK 24.75
-16.35%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.40 ARS 2,120
$3.48 NOK 32.74
-59.77%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.98 ARS 3,004
$4.74 NOK 44.63
-58.23%
Potato (1kg)
$1.21 ARS 1,835
$2.55 NOK 23.97
-52.55%
Onion (1kg)
$1.26 ARS 1,910
$3.10 NOK 29.18
-59.35%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.71 ARS 2,592
$2.82 NOK 26.55
-39.36%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.72 ARS 2,603
$2.24 NOK 21.13
-23.21%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.29 ARS 6,505
$17.67 NOK 166
-75.72%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.70 ARS 8,645
$14.46 NOK 136
-60.58%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.17 ARS 3,288
$3.74 NOK 35.19
-41.98%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.76 ARS 4,188
$4.38 NOK 41.27
-36.99%
🚌 Getting Around
Buenos Aires
Arendal
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.75 ARS 1,141
$3.69 NOK 34.72
-79.67%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.27 ARS 41.4K
$90.2 NOK 849
-69.75%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.57 ARS 2,375
$6.11 NOK 57.5
-74.30%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.03 ARS 1,558
$1.70 NOK 16.03
-39.41%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.90 ARS 12.0K
$105 NOK 986
-92.46%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.42 ARS 2,160
$2.26 NOK 21.31
-37.17%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.9K ARS 42.4M
$48.3K NOK 454.3K
-42.09%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$35.0K ARS 53.1M
$41.0K NOK 385.9K
-14.69%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Buenos Aires
Arendal
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$195 ARS 296.2K
$252 NOK 2,372
-22.53%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$25.16 ARS 38.2K
$34.68 NOK 326
-27.45%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$31.54 ARS 47.9K
$79.7 NOK 751
-60.45%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Buenos Aires
Arendal
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$50.9 ARS 77.3K
$36.61 NOK 345
39.09%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.73 ARS 25.4K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$10.34 ARS 15.7K
$15.38 NOK 145
-32.77%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Buenos Aires
Arendal
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$463 ARS 703.2K
$314 NOK 2,952
47.79%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,793 ARS 13.3M
$13.8K NOK 129.9K
-36.26%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Buenos Aires
Arendal
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$120 ARS 181.8K
$125 NOK 1,176
-4.09%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$95.5 ARS 144.9K
$43.59 NOK 410
119.04%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$114 ARS 173.1K
$124 NOK 1,165
-7.82%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$139 ARS 211.4K
$204 NOK 1,922
-31.78%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Buenos Aires
Arendal
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$756 ARS 1.1M
$1,109 NOK 10.4K
-31.80%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$520 ARS 788.8K
$1,039 NOK 9,783
-49.98%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,590 ARS 2.4M
$1,556 NOK 14.6K
2.19%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,198 ARS 1.8M
$1,453 NOK 13.7K
-17.51%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,713 ARS 4.1M
$4,112 NOK 38.7K
-34.02%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,901 ARS 2.9M
$3,134 NOK 29.5K
-39.36%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Buenos Aires
Arendal
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$938 ARS 1.4M
$4,151 NOK 39.1K
-77.41%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
57.25
4.68
1123.29%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 11, 2026

Last update for Arendal: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Buenos Aires
$520
Arendal
$1K 99.9% $519
Groceries & Markets
Buenos Aires
$283
Arendal
$488 72.3% $205
Eating Out
Buenos Aires
$282
Arendal
$375 33.3% $94
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Buenos Aires
$252
Arendal
$366 45.5% $115
Clothing & Footwear
Buenos Aires
$211
Arendal
$223 5.9% $13
Sport & Entertainment
Buenos Aires
$72
Arendal
$67 5.9% $4.2
Getting Around
Buenos Aires
$37
Arendal
$120 223% $83

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $756 in Buenos Aires and $1,109 in Arendal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Arendal pays 343% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $66.0 in Buenos Aires vs $66.0 in Arendal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $488 per month, with Buenos Aires cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇦🇷 Buenos Aires
🇳🇴 Arendal
🕒 Local time
13:36 1:36 PM
18:36 6:36 PM
5 h ahead of Buenos Aires
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,891,082 Capital
46,406
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

NOK, USD, EUR to ARS – Argentine Peso Converter

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,706 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR).

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 9.41 NOK (1 NOK = 0.106 USD). 1 EUR = 10.58 NOK (100 NOK = 9.45 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Buenos Aires Arendal 12,060 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Buenos Aires
  • Arendal

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
Buenos Aires vs Arendal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Buenos Aires and in Arendal?
Buenos Aires and Arendal differ by about 62% in total monthly costs ($1,656 vs $2,679 including rent). Buenos Aires is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 343% lower in Arendal. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Buenos Aires and in Arendal?
Rent for a central apartment: $756 in Buenos Aires versus $1,109 in Arendal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Buenos Aires and Arendal?
Childcare runs $463 in Buenos Aires versus $314 in Arendal. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 72% higher in Arendal. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
At $1,656 in Buenos Aires versus $2,679 in Arendal, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Buenos Aires but tight or insufficient in Arendal. The gap between the two cities makes Buenos Aires the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Buenos Aires and Arendal?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Is Buenos Aires or Arendal safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Buenos Aires and Arendal are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Buenos Aires or Arendal?
Expats usually find Buenos Aires gentler on the wallet – expenses run 62% less than in Arendal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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