Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Hella

For one person, living costs are similar in Buenos Aires and in Hella: $1,656 and $1,722 a month, rent and utilities included.

80

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
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Buenos Aires Living Index
84

Cost of Living Index in Hella
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Hella Living Index

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Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,656

/mo nomad

Hella

🇮🇸 Iceland

$1,722

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Hella actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,656 in Buenos Aires versus $1,722 in Hella.

Buenos Aires $1,656
Hella $1,722

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,697 in Buenos Aires versus $2,928 in Hella.

Buenos Aires $2,697
Hella $2,928

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,737 in Buenos Aires versus $4,135 in Hella.

Buenos Aires $3,737
Hella $4,135

Living in Buenos Aires costs roughly 4% less than in Hella, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Buenos Aires 23% above, Hella 28% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.09 ARS 29.0K

$31.26 ISK 3,791

-38.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 ARS 99.9K

$123 ISK 14.9K

-46.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.20 ARS 20.0K

$27.14 ISK 3,291

-51.36%

Cappuccino

$3.85 ARS 5,841

$6.93 ISK 841

-44.44%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 ARS 3,020

$3.36 ISK 407

-40.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ARS 2,430

$3.07 ISK 373

-47.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.93 ARS 5,959

$13.71 ISK 1,663

-71.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 ARS 7,003

$12.32 ISK 1,495

-62.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 ARS 2,272

$2.04 ISK 247

-26.47%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 ARS 3,837

$4.26 ISK 516

-40.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 ARS 2,445

$3.58 ISK 434

-55.03%

Eggs

$2.84 ARS 4,316

$6.99 ISK 848

-59.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.30 ARS 15.6K

$22.00 ISK 2,668

-53.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

$24.51 ISK 2,973

-59.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.30 ARS 20.2K

$41.04 ISK 4,978

-67.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.88 ARS 4,366

$3.35 ISK 406

-14.03%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 ARS 3,334

$2.86 ISK 347

-23.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.40 ARS 2,120

$3.13 ISK 379

-55.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 ARS 3,004

$6.62 ISK 803

-70.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 ARS 1,835

$3.81 ISK 463

-68.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 ARS 1,910

$1.71 ISK 208

-26.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 ARS 2,592

$3.78 ISK 458

-54.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 ARS 2,603

$1.77 ISK 215

-2.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 ARS 6,505

$13.79 ISK 1,672

-68.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.70 ARS 8,645

$23.61 ISK 2,863

-75.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 ARS 3,288

$3.71 ISK 449

-41.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ARS 4,188

$3.50 ISK 425

-21.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ARS 1,141

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.27 ARS 41.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.57 ARS 2,375

$6.61 ISK 802

-76.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ARS 1,558

$2.76 ISK 335

-62.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ARS 12.0K

$81.2 ISK 9,844

-90.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ARS 2,160

$2.09 ISK 253

-32.06%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$27.9K ARS 42.4M

$51.2K ISK 6.2M

-45.45%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$35.0K ARS 53.1M

$54.1K ISK 6.6M

-35.39%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$195 ARS 296.2K

$95.2 ISK 11.5K

105.11%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$25.16 ARS 38.2K

$33.16 ISK 4,022

-24.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.54 ARS 47.9K

$87.7 ISK 10.6K

-64.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.9 ARS 77.3K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.73 ARS 25.4K

Cinema Ticket

$10.34 ARS 15.7K

$19.67 ISK 2,386

-47.43%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$463 ARS 703.2K

$1,198 ISK 145.2K

-61.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,793 ARS 13.3M

$25.7K ISK 3.1M

-65.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$120 ARS 181.8K

$147 ISK 17.8K

-18.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$95.5 ARS 144.9K

$67.0 ISK 8,130

42.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 ARS 173.1K

$183 ISK 22.2K

-37.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 ARS 211.4K

$253 ISK 30.7K

-44.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 ARS 1.1M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$520 ARS 788.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,590 ARS 2.4M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,198 ARS 1.8M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,713 ARS 4.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,901 ARS 2.9M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$938 ARS 1.4M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

8.81

549.83%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 11, 2026

Last update for Hella: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$520 31.4%

Hella

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$283 17.1%

Hella

$620 36% 119% $337

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$282 17%

Hella

$534 31% 89.4% $252

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$252 15.2%

Hella

$216 12.6% 14.2% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$211 12.7%

Hella

$292 17% 38.6% $81

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$72 4.3%

Hella

$39 * 2.3% 45.1% $32

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2%

Hella

$20 * 1.2% 44.8% $17

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $66.0 in Buenos Aires vs $123 in Hella for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $620 per month, with Buenos Aires cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇮🇸 Hella

🕒 Local time

02:27 2:27 AM

05:27 5:27 AM

3 h ahead of Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

900

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR

1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.33 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ISK, USD, EUR to ARS – Argentine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇷 Argentine Peso ($)

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,706 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR).

Icelandic Króna exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 121 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD). 1 EUR = 136 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.33 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Buenos Aires Hella 11,450 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Buenos Aires
Hella

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 Hella: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires and Hella differ by about 4% in total monthly costs ($1,656 vs $1,722 including rent). Buenos Aires is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,484 in Buenos Aires and $2,583 in Hella to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $463 in Buenos Aires versus $1,198 in Hella. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Buenos Aires – a meal for two runs $66.0 versus $123 in Hella. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,656 in Buenos Aires versus $1,722 in Hella, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Buenos Aires but tight or insufficient in Hella. The gap between the two cities makes Buenos Aires the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Buenos Aires and Hella are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Buenos Aires gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Hella. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.