Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Keflavik

For one person, living is cheaper in Buenos Aires: $1,656 a month against $2,992 in Keflavik, rent and utilities included – about $16,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
Learn more

Buenos Aires Living Index
147

Cost of Living Index in Keflavik
Learn more

Keflavik Living Index

Jump to prices

Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,656

/mo nomad

Keflavik

🇮🇸 Iceland

$2,992

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,656 in Buenos Aires versus $2,992 in Keflavik.

Buenos Aires $1,656
Keflavik $2,992

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,697 in Buenos Aires versus $4,538 in Keflavik.

Buenos Aires $2,697
Keflavik $4,538

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,737 in Buenos Aires versus $6,084 in Keflavik.

Buenos Aires $3,737
Keflavik $6,084

Living in Buenos Aires costs roughly 45% less than in Keflavik, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Buenos Aires 23% above, Keflavik 122% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.09 ARS 29.0K

$24.71 ISK 2,997

-22.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 ARS 99.9K

$124 ISK 15.0K

-46.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.20 ARS 20.0K

$20.40 ISK 2,475

-35.29%

Cappuccino

$3.85 ARS 5,841

$4.06 ISK 493

-5.17%

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

$1.99 ARS 3,020

$3.18 ISK 386

-37.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ARS 2,430

$3.19 ISK 387

-49.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.93 ARS 5,959

$8.00 ISK 970

-50.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 ARS 7,003

$8.34 ISK 1,012

-44.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 ARS 2,272

$2.10 ISK 255

-28.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 ARS 3,837

$4.23 ISK 513

-40.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 ARS 2,445

$2.53 ISK 307

-36.36%

Eggs

$2.84 ARS 4,316

$6.32 ISK 767

-55.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.30 ARS 15.6K

$19.06 ISK 2,311

-45.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

$24.38 ISK 2,958

-58.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.30 ARS 20.2K

$41.25 ISK 5,003

-67.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.88 ARS 4,366

$2.48 ISK 301

16.13%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 ARS 3,334

$2.51 ISK 304

-12.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.40 ARS 2,120

$2.44 ISK 296

-42.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 ARS 3,004

$4.01 ISK 486

-50.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 ARS 1,835

$3.20 ISK 388

-62.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 ARS 1,910

$1.70 ISK 206

-25.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 ARS 2,592

$3.84 ISK 465

-55.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 ARS 2,603

$1.78 ISK 215

-3.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 ARS 6,505

$13.97 ISK 1,695

-69.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.70 ARS 8,645

$16.58 ISK 2,012

-65.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 ARS 3,288

$3.61 ISK 438

-39.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ARS 4,188

$2.94 ISK 356

-6.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ARS 1,141

$3.68 ISK 446

-79.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.27 ARS 41.4K

$77.6 ISK 9,407

-64.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.57 ARS 2,375

$6.63 ISK 804

-76.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ARS 1,558

$2.58 ISK 312

-60.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ARS 12.0K

$80.2 ISK 9,727

-90.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ARS 2,160

$2.10 ISK 255

-32.38%

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

$27.9K ARS 42.4M

$50.1K ISK 6.1M

-44.26%

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

$35.0K ARS 53.1M

$54.7K ISK 6.6M

-36.05%

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

$195 ARS 296.2K

$94.8 ISK 11.5K

105.91%

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

$25.16 ARS 38.2K

$33.29 ISK 4,038

-24.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.54 ARS 47.9K

$85.0 ISK 10.3K

-62.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.9 ARS 77.3K

$78.5 ISK 9,526

-35.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.73 ARS 25.4K

Cinema Ticket

$10.34 ARS 15.7K

$19.48 ISK 2,363

-46.92%

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

$463 ARS 703.2K

$407 ISK 49.3K

13.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,793 ARS 13.3M

$25.7K ISK 3.1M

-65.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$120 ARS 181.8K

$152 ISK 18.4K

-21.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$95.5 ARS 144.9K

$65.4 ISK 7,934

45.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 ARS 173.1K

$182 ISK 22.0K

-37.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 ARS 211.4K

$191 ISK 23.1K

-26.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 ARS 1.1M

$1,896 ISK 230.0K

-60.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$520 ARS 788.8K

$1,329 ISK 161.2K

-60.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,590 ARS 2.4M

$2,516 ISK 305.1K

-36.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,198 ARS 1.8M

$2,061 ISK 250.0K

-41.85%

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

$3,752 ISK 455.0K

-75.00%

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 Keflavik: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$520 31.4%

Keflavik

$1.3K 44.4% 156% $809

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$283 17.1%

Keflavik

$566 18.9% 99.7% $282

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$282 17%

Keflavik

$390 13% 38.4% $108

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$252 15.2%

Keflavik

$213 7.1% 15.4% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$211 12.7%

Keflavik

$265 8.9% 25.8% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$72 4.3%

Keflavik

$118 3.9% 64.1% $46

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2%

Keflavik

$112 3.7% 202% $75

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $756 in Buenos Aires and $1,896 in Keflavik. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Keflavik pays 300% 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 $124 in Keflavik for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $566 per month, with Buenos Aires cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇮🇸 Keflavik

🕒 Local time

22:00 10:00 PM

01:00 1:00 AM

3 h ahead of Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

15,000

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Buenos Aires Keflavik 11,410 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Buenos Aires
Keflavik

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 Keflavik: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires and Keflavik differ by about 81% in total monthly costs ($1,656 vs $2,992 including rent). Buenos Aires is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 300% lower in Keflavik. 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 $1,896 in Keflavik. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $463 in Buenos Aires versus $407 in Keflavik. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 100% higher in Keflavik. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,656 in Buenos Aires versus $2,992 in Keflavik, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Buenos Aires but tight or insufficient in Keflavik. 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 Keflavik 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 81% less than in Keflavik. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.