Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Lulea

For one person, living is cheaper in Buenos Aires: $1,685 a month against $1,823 in Lulea, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Buenos Aires
🇦🇷 Argentina
$1,685
/mo nomad
Lulea
🇸🇪 Sweden
$1,823
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,685 in Buenos Aires versus $1,823 in Lulea.

  • Buenos Aires $1,685
  • Lulea $1,823

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,742 in Buenos Aires versus $2,920 in Lulea.

  • Buenos Aires $2,742
  • Lulea $2,920

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,799 in Buenos Aires versus $4,016 in Lulea.

  • Buenos Aires $3,799
  • Lulea $4,016

Living in Buenos Aires costs roughly 8% less than in Lulea, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Buenos Aires 26% above, Lulea 36% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Buenos Aires
Lulea
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.73 ARS 28.4K
$11.72 SEK 117
59.81%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$64.5 ARS 97.8K
$95.5 SEK 955
-32.50%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.88 ARS 19.5K
$10.95 SEK 109
17.63%
Cappuccino
$3.98 ARS 6,029
$4.36 SEK 43.52
-8.72%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.05 ARS 3,103
$2.51 SEK 25.10
-18.33%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.55 ARS 2,349
$1.87 SEK 18.66
-17.11%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.84 ARS 5,830
$8.58 SEK 85.8
-55.24%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.60 ARS 6,970
$9.49 SEK 94.8
-51.53%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Buenos Aires
Lulea
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.44 ARS 2,181
$1.77 SEK 17.71
-18.64%
White Bread (500g)
$2.46 ARS 3,738
$3.26 SEK 32.60
-24.54%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.63 ARS 2,467
$4.94 SEK 49.41
-67.00%
Eggs
$2.89 ARS 4,385
$4.65 SEK 46.43
-37.85%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.65 ARS 16.1K
$12.25 SEK 122
-13.06%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.00 ARS 15.2K
$13.21 SEK 132
-24.30%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.74 ARS 20.8K
$26.18 SEK 262
-47.52%
Apples (1kg)
$2.75 ARS 4,166
$2.55 SEK 25.47
7.84%
Banana (1kg)
$2.18 ARS 3,300
$2.65 SEK 26.53
-17.74%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.45 ARS 2,205
$2.49 SEK 24.87
-41.77%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.99 ARS 3,013
$4.11 SEK 41.10
-51.58%
Potato (1kg)
$1.24 ARS 1,885
$2.04 SEK 20.39
-39.22%
Onion (1kg)
$1.27 ARS 1,921
$1.54 SEK 15.43
-17.53%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.70 ARS 2,575
$3.36 SEK 33.58
-49.40%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.73 ARS 2,617
$1.29 SEK 12.93
34.11%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.18 ARS 6,337
$6.68 SEK 66.7
-37.43%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.80 ARS 8,790
$12.05 SEK 120
-51.87%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.09 ARS 3,163
$1.78 SEK 17.77
17.42%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.77 ARS 4,198
$1.72 SEK 17.15
61.05%
🚌 Getting Around
Buenos Aires
Lulea
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.75 ARS 1,132
$3.32 SEK 33.21
-77.41%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.15 ARS 41.2K
$55.4 SEK 554
-51.03%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.62 ARS 2,451
$9.04 SEK 90.3
-82.08%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.98 ARS 1,481
$2.05 SEK 20.52
-52.20%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.72 ARS 11.7K
$70.6 SEK 706
-89.07%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.36 ARS 2,058
$1.77 SEK 17.65
-23.16%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.0K ARS 42.5M
$31.9K SEK 318.5K
-12.09%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.5K ARS 52.4M
$33.5K SEK 334.6K
3.12%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Buenos Aires
Lulea
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$216 ARS 326.9K
$160 SEK 1,603
34.38%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$25.61 ARS 38.8K
$31.51 SEK 315
-18.72%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$31.36 ARS 47.6K
$26.96 SEK 269
16.32%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Buenos Aires
Lulea
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$49.82 ARS 75.6K
$46.15 SEK 461
7.95%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.06 ARS 25.9K
$35.47 SEK 354
-51.90%
Cinema Ticket
$10.43 ARS 15.8K
$12.94 SEK 129
-19.40%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Buenos Aires
Lulea
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$466 ARS 706.7K
$153 SEK 1,528
204.71%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,057 ARS 13.7M
$5,466 SEK 54.6K
65.68%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Buenos Aires
Lulea
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$122 ARS 185.2K
$117 SEK 1,168
4.52%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$97.4 ARS 147.8K
$31.97 SEK 320
204.79%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$117 ARS 177.4K
$120 SEK 1,202
-2.76%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$140 ARS 211.9K
$161 SEK 1,611
-13.29%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Buenos Aires
Lulea
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$763 ARS 1.2M
$778 SEK 7,773
-1.86%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$505 ARS 766.1K
$581 SEK 5,811
-13.12%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,598 ARS 2.4M
$1,418 SEK 14.2K
12.75%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,185 ARS 1.8M
$1,098 SEK 11.0K
7.88%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,678 ARS 4.1M
$3,049 SEK 30.5K
-12.17%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,858 ARS 2.8M
$2,254 SEK 22.5K
-17.58%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Buenos Aires
Lulea
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$954 ARS 1.4M
$2,595 SEK 25.9K
-63.23%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
57.25
3.85
1387.01%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 6, 2026

Last update for Lulea: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Buenos Aires
$505
Lulea
$581 15.1% $76
Groceries & Markets
Buenos Aires
$284
Lulea
$404 42.1% $120
Eating Out
Buenos Aires
$279
Lulea
$258 7.4% $21
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Buenos Aires
$273
Lulea
$219 19.7% $54
Clothing & Footwear
Buenos Aires
$214
Lulea
$194 9.7% $21
Sport & Entertainment
Buenos Aires
$71
Lulea
$72 1.9% $1.3
Getting Around
Buenos Aires
$37
Lulea
$88 140% $51

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $763 in Buenos Aires and $778 in Lulea. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lulea pays 172% 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: $64.0 in Buenos Aires vs $96.0 in Lulea for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $284 vs $404 per month, with Buenos Aires cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇦🇷 Buenos Aires
🇸🇪 Lulea
🕒 Local time
03:34 3:34 AM
08:34 8:34 AM
5 h ahead of Buenos Aires
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,891,082 Capital
73,864
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

SEK, USD, EUR to ARS – Argentine Peso Converter

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,701 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR).

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 9.99 SEK (1 SEK = 0.1 USD). 1 EUR = 11.21 SEK (100 SEK = 8.92 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Buenos Aires Lulea 13,060 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Buenos Aires
  • Lulea

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 Lulea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Buenos Aires and in Lulea?
Buenos Aires and Lulea differ by about 8% in total monthly costs ($1,685 vs $1,823 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 172% lower in Lulea. 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 Lulea?
Rent for a central apartment: $763 in Buenos Aires versus $778 in Lulea. 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 Lulea?
Childcare runs $466 in Buenos Aires versus $153 in Lulea. 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 42% higher in Lulea. 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 $1,685 in Buenos Aires versus $1,823 in Lulea, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Buenos Aires but tight or insufficient in Lulea. 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 Lulea?
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 Lulea safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Buenos Aires and Lulea 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 Lulea?
Expats usually find Buenos Aires gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Lulea. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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