Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Iqaluit, NU

For one person, living is cheaper in Buenos Aires: $1,656 a month against $2,934 in Iqaluit, NU, rent and utilities included – about $15,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
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Buenos Aires Living Index
142

Cost of Living Index in Iqaluit, NU
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Iqaluit, NU Living Index

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Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,656

/mo nomad

Iqaluit, NU

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,934

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Buenos Aires and in Iqaluit, NU

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,656 in Buenos Aires versus $2,934 in Iqaluit, NU.

Buenos Aires $1,656
Iqaluit, NU $2,934

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,697 in Buenos Aires versus $4,585 in Iqaluit, NU.

Buenos Aires $2,697
Iqaluit, NU $4,585

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,737 in Buenos Aires versus $6,236 in Iqaluit, NU.

Buenos Aires $3,737
Iqaluit, NU $6,236

Living in Buenos Aires costs roughly 44% less than in Iqaluit, NU, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Buenos Aires 23% above, Iqaluit, NU 117% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.09 ARS 28.9K

$26.82 CA$38.14

-28.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 ARS 99.5K

$63.4 CA$90.1

3.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.20 ARS 20.0K

$12.91 CA$18.36

2.25%

Cappuccino

$3.85 ARS 5,821

$7.02 CA$9.98

-45.16%

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

$1.99 ARS 3,010

$3.71 CA$5.28

-46.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ARS 2,422

$1.62 CA$2.31

-1.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.93 ARS 5,940

$6.73 CA$9.57

-41.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 ARS 6,979

$5.45 CA$7.74

-15.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 ARS 2,264

$2.44 CA$3.47

-38.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 ARS 3,825

$2.55 CA$3.63

-0.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 ARS 2,437

$3.18 CA$4.53

-49.37%

Eggs

$2.84 ARS 4,302

$3.41 CA$4.85

-16.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.30 ARS 15.6K

$9.71 CA$13.81

6.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 ARS 15.1K

$13.07 CA$18.59

-23.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.30 ARS 20.1K

$14.48 CA$20.59

-8.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.88 ARS 4,351

$3.70 CA$5.26

-22.16%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 ARS 3,323

$1.33 CA$1.90

65.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.40 ARS 2,113

$3.58 CA$5.09

-60.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 ARS 2,994

$3.80 CA$5.41

-47.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 ARS 1,829

$2.41 CA$3.42

-49.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 ARS 1,904

$2.16 CA$3.08

-41.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 ARS 2,583

$2.37 CA$3.37

-27.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 ARS 2,595

$1.58 CA$2.25

8.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 ARS 6,484

$13.88 CA$19.73

-69.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.70 ARS 8,617

$12.82 CA$18.22

-55.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 ARS 3,277

$2.54 CA$3.62

-14.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ARS 4,174

$3.00 CA$4.27

-8.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ARS 1,137

$2.23 CA$3.17

-66.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.27 ARS 41.3K

$61.5 CA$87.4

-55.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.57 ARS 2,367

$6.57 CA$9.34

-76.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ARS 1,553

$1.38 CA$1.96

-25.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ARS 11.9K

$20.20 CA$28.73

-60.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ARS 2,153

$1.14 CA$1.62

24.56%

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

$27.9K ARS 42.3M

$38.0K CA$54.1K

-26.48%

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

$35.0K ARS 52.9M

$30.1K CA$42.8K

16.23%

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

$195 ARS 295.2K

$114 CA$162

71.51%

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

$25.16 ARS 38.0K

$38.71 CA$55.0

-35.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.54 ARS 47.7K

$53.6 CA$76.2

-41.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.9 ARS 77.0K

$40.57 CA$57.7

25.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.73 ARS 25.3K

$17.61 CA$25.04

-5.00%

Cinema Ticket

$10.34 ARS 15.6K

$8.09 CA$11.51

27.81%

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

$463 ARS 700.9K

$755 CA$1,073

-38.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,793 ARS 13.3M

$13.1K CA$18.6K

-32.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$120 ARS 181.2K

$52.7 CA$74.9

127.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$95.5 ARS 144.4K

$38.18 CA$54.3

150.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 ARS 172.6K

$85.7 CA$122

33.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 ARS 210.7K

$102 CA$145

36.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 ARS 1.1M

$1,751 CA$2,489

-56.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$520 ARS 786.2K

$1,700 CA$2,417

-69.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,590 ARS 2.4M

$2,877 CA$4,091

-44.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,198 ARS 1.8M

$3,448 CA$4,902

-65.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,713 ARS 4.1M

$4,252 CA$6,045

-36.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,901 ARS 2.9M

$3,525 CA$5,011

-46.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$938 ARS 1.4M

$4,135 CA$5,879

-77.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

5.32

976.13%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 11, 2026

Last update for Iqaluit, NU: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$520 31.4%

Iqaluit, NU

$1.7K 58% 227% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$283 17.1%

Iqaluit, NU

$358 12.2% 26.5% $75

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$282 17%

Iqaluit, NU

$403 13.8% 43.2% $122

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$252 15.2%

Iqaluit, NU

$206 7% 18.2% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$211 12.7%

Iqaluit, NU

$125 4.3% 40.5% $85

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$72 4.3%

Iqaluit, NU

$57 1.9% 20.7% $15

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2%

Iqaluit, NU

$84 2.9% 127% $47

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $756 in Buenos Aires and $1,751 in Iqaluit, NU. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Iqaluit, NU pays 341% 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 $63.0 in Iqaluit, NU. Groceries flip the comparison at $283 vs $358, with Buenos Aires cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇨🇦 Iqaluit, NU

🕒 Local time

20:59 8:59 PM

19:59 7:59 PM

1 h behind Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

8,000

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.61 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.91 EUR

1 CAD = 0.703 USD

1 CAD = 0.628 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to ARS – Argentine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇷 Argentine Peso ($)

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 1,513 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.61 USD). 1 EUR = 1,693 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.91 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.628 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Buenos Aires Iqaluit, NU 10,970 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Buenos Aires
Iqaluit, NU

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 Iqaluit, NU: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires and Iqaluit, NU differ by about 77% in total monthly costs ($1,656 vs $2,934 including rent). Buenos Aires is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 341% lower in Iqaluit, NU. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $756 in Buenos Aires versus $1,751 in Iqaluit, NU. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $463 in Buenos Aires versus $755 in Iqaluit, NU. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Iqaluit, NU. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,656 in Buenos Aires versus $2,934 in Iqaluit, NU, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Buenos Aires but tight or insufficient in Iqaluit, NU. 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 Iqaluit, NU 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 77% less than in Iqaluit, NU. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.