Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Longyearbyen

For one person, living is cheaper in Buenos Aires: $1,656 a month against $2,733 in Longyearbyen, rent and utilities included – about $12,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
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Buenos Aires Living Index
134

Cost of Living Index in Longyearbyen
Learn more

Longyearbyen Living Index

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Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,656

/mo nomad

Longyearbyen

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,733

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,656 in Buenos Aires versus $2,733 in Longyearbyen.

Buenos Aires $1,656
Longyearbyen $2,733

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,697 in Buenos Aires versus $4,180 in Longyearbyen.

Buenos Aires $2,697
Longyearbyen $4,180

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,737 in Buenos Aires versus $5,627 in Longyearbyen.

Buenos Aires $3,737
Longyearbyen $5,627

Living in Buenos Aires costs roughly 39% less than in Longyearbyen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Buenos Aires 23% above, Longyearbyen 102% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.09 ARS 29.0K

$20.05 NOK 189

-4.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 ARS 99.9K

$106 NOK 996

-37.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.20 ARS 20.0K

$18.00 NOK 169

-26.67%

Cappuccino

$3.85 ARS 5,841

$6.85 NOK 64.5

-43.80%

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

$1.99 ARS 3,020

$6.11 NOK 57.5

-67.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ARS 2,430

$5.58 NOK 52.5

-71.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.93 ARS 5,959

$7.43 NOK 70.0

-47.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 ARS 7,003

$8.96 NOK 84.3

-48.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 ARS 2,272

$2.40 NOK 22.57

-37.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 ARS 3,837

$3.71 NOK 34.95

-31.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 ARS 2,445

$4.33 NOK 40.78

-62.82%

Eggs

$2.84 ARS 4,316

$4.97 NOK 46.82

-42.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.30 ARS 15.6K

$14.26 NOK 134

-27.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

$20.30 NOK 191

-50.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.30 ARS 20.2K

$31.52 NOK 297

-57.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.88 ARS 4,366

$6.42 NOK 60.5

-55.14%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 ARS 3,334

$2.55 NOK 24.03

-13.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.40 ARS 2,120

$6.85 NOK 64.5

-79.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 ARS 3,004

$6.66 NOK 62.7

-70.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 ARS 1,835

$5.49 NOK 51.7

-77.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 ARS 1,910

$4.53 NOK 42.66

-72.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 ARS 2,592

$4.51 NOK 42.50

-62.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 ARS 2,603

$3.53 NOK 33.23

-51.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 ARS 6,505

$17.34 NOK 163

-75.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.70 ARS 8,645

$14.45 NOK 136

-60.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 ARS 3,288

$3.54 NOK 33.31

-38.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ARS 4,188

$4.24 NOK 39.93

-34.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ARS 1,141

$5.27 NOK 49.65

-85.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.27 ARS 41.4K

$86.2 NOK 811

-68.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.57 ARS 2,375

$9.06 NOK 85.3

-82.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ARS 1,558

$1.80 NOK 16.93

-42.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ARS 12.0K

$73.7 NOK 694

-89.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ARS 2,160

$2.13 NOK 20.05

-33.33%

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

$27.9K ARS 42.4M

$50.3K NOK 473.1K

-44.39%

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

$35.0K ARS 53.1M

$41.3K NOK 388.9K

-15.36%

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

$195 ARS 296.2K

$242 NOK 2,274

-19.19%

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

$25.16 ARS 38.2K

$32.99 NOK 311

-23.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.54 ARS 47.9K

$54.1 NOK 509

-41.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.9 ARS 77.3K

$50.5 NOK 475

0.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.73 ARS 25.4K

$36.19 NOK 341

-53.77%

Cinema Ticket

$10.34 ARS 15.7K

$14.85 NOK 140

-30.37%

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

$463 ARS 703.2K

$200 NOK 1,887

131.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,793 ARS 13.3M

$14.2K NOK 133.8K

-38.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$120 ARS 181.8K

$104 NOK 981

15.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$95.5 ARS 144.9K

$56.3 NOK 530

69.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 ARS 173.1K

$125 NOK 1,179

-8.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 ARS 211.4K

$154 NOK 1,447

-9.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 ARS 1.1M

$1,104 NOK 10.4K

-31.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$520 ARS 788.8K

$1,017 NOK 9,569

-48.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,590 ARS 2.4M

$1,983 NOK 18.7K

-19.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,198 ARS 1.8M

$1,698 NOK 16.0K

-29.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,713 ARS 4.1M

$6,197 NOK 58.3K

-56.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,901 ARS 2.9M

$4,017 NOK 37.8K

-52.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$938 ARS 1.4M

$2,931 NOK 27.6K

-68.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

4.94

1058.91%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 11, 2026

Last update for Longyearbyen: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$520 31.4%

Longyearbyen

$1K 37.2% 95.6% $497

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$283 17.1%

Longyearbyen

$586 21.5% 107% $303

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$282 17%

Longyearbyen

$398 14.6% 41.4% $117

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$252 15.2%

Longyearbyen

$329 12% 30.5% $77

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$211 12.7%

Longyearbyen

$198 7.2% 6.2% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$72 4.3%

Longyearbyen

$80 2.9% 12% $8.6

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2%

Longyearbyen

$125 4.6% 239% $88

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $756 in Buenos Aires and $1,104 in Longyearbyen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Longyearbyen pays 213% 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 $106 in Longyearbyen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $586 per month, with Buenos Aires cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇳🇴 Longyearbyen

🕒 Local time

15:06 3:06 PM

20:06 8:06 PM

5 h ahead of Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

2,400

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR

100 NOK = 10.62 USD

100 NOK = 9.45 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NOK, USD, EUR to ARS – Argentine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇷 Argentine Peso ($)

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).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Buenos Aires Longyearbyen 13,420 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Buenos Aires
Longyearbyen

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 Longyearbyen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires and Longyearbyen differ by about 65% in total monthly costs ($1,656 vs $2,733 including rent). Buenos Aires is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 213% lower in Longyearbyen. 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 $1,104 in Longyearbyen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $463 in Buenos Aires versus $200 in Longyearbyen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 107% higher in Longyearbyen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,656 in Buenos Aires versus $2,733 in Longyearbyen, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Buenos Aires but tight or insufficient in Longyearbyen. 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 Longyearbyen 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 65% less than in Longyearbyen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.