Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Reykjavik

For one person, living is cheaper in Buenos Aires: $1,685 a month against $4,037 in Reykjavik, rent and utilities included – about $28,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

81

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
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Buenos Aires Living Index
193

Cost of Living Index in Reykjavik
Learn more

Reykjavik Living Index

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Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,685

/mo nomad

Reykjavik

🇮🇸 Iceland

$4,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,685 in Buenos Aires versus $4,037 in Reykjavik.

Buenos Aires $1,685
Reykjavik $4,037

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,742 in Buenos Aires versus $5,666 in Reykjavik.

Buenos Aires $2,742
Reykjavik $5,666

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,799 in Buenos Aires versus $7,295 in Reykjavik.

Buenos Aires $3,799
Reykjavik $7,295

Living in Buenos Aires costs roughly 58% less than in Reykjavik, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Buenos Aires 26% above, Reykjavik 201% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.73 ARS 28.4K

$30.59 ISK 3,727

-38.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 ARS 97.7K

$136 ISK 16.5K

-52.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.88 ARS 19.5K

$27.08 ISK 3,300

-52.44%

Cappuccino

$3.98 ARS 6,027

$6.72 ISK 818

-40.77%

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

$2.05 ARS 3,102

$3.27 ISK 399

-37.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 ARS 2,348

$3.16 ISK 386

-50.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.84 ARS 5,828

$13.91 ISK 1,695

-72.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 ARS 6,968

$12.06 ISK 1,469

-61.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 ARS 2,180

$2.04 ISK 248

-29.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 ARS 3,737

$4.32 ISK 526

-43.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 ARS 2,466

$3.67 ISK 447

-55.59%

Eggs

$2.89 ARS 4,384

$7.02 ISK 855

-58.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.65 ARS 16.1K

$22.01 ISK 2,682

-51.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

$24.70 ISK 3,009

-59.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.74 ARS 20.8K

$42.66 ISK 5,198

-67.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ARS 4,165

$3.37 ISK 411

-18.40%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 ARS 3,299

$2.85 ISK 347

-23.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 ARS 2,204

$3.17 ISK 387

-54.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ARS 3,012

$6.39 ISK 779

-68.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ARS 1,884

$4.01 ISK 489

-69.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 ARS 1,920

$1.64 ISK 200

-22.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 ARS 2,574

$3.80 ISK 462

-55.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 ARS 2,616

$1.74 ISK 212

-0.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.18 ARS 6,335

$13.80 ISK 1,681

-69.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.80 ARS 8,787

$23.38 ISK 2,849

-75.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 ARS 3,162

$3.53 ISK 430

-40.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 ARS 4,197

$3.45 ISK 420

-19.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ARS 1,131

$5.77 ISK 703

-87.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.15 ARS 41.2K

$95.1 ISK 11.6K

-71.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.62 ARS 2,450

$6.63 ISK 808

-75.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 ARS 1,480

$2.79 ISK 340

-64.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.72 ARS 11.7K

$81.4 ISK 9,915

-90.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ARS 2,057

$2.11 ISK 257

-35.55%

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

$28.0K ARS 42.5M

$50.8K ISK 6.2M

-44.88%

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

$34.5K ARS 52.3M

$52.7K ISK 6.4M

-34.52%

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

$216 ARS 326.8K

$88.7 ISK 10.8K

143.11%

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

$25.61 ARS 38.8K

$31.53 ISK 3,842

-18.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.36 ARS 47.5K

$84.6 ISK 10.3K

-62.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.82 ARS 75.5K

$100 ISK 12.2K

-50.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 ARS 25.9K

$48.20 ISK 5,873

-64.61%

Cinema Ticket

$10.43 ARS 15.8K

$19.87 ISK 2,422

-47.51%

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

$466 ARS 706.5K

$1,277 ISK 155.7K

-63.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,057 ARS 13.7M

$31.0K ISK 3.8M

-70.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$122 ARS 185.1K

$161 ISK 19.6K

-24.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$97.4 ARS 147.7K

$64.9 ISK 7,908

50.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ARS 177.3K

$183 ISK 22.3K

-35.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 ARS 211.8K

$254 ISK 30.9K

-44.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$763 ARS 1.2M

$2,499 ISK 304.6K

-69.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$505 ARS 765.8K

$2,000 ISK 243.7K

-74.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,598 ARS 2.4M

$3,452 ISK 420.6K

-53.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,185 ARS 1.8M

$2,742 ISK 334.2K

-56.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,678 ARS 4.1M

$8,001 ISK 974.9K

-66.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,858 ARS 2.8M

$6,249 ISK 761.5K

-70.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$954 ARS 1.4M

$4,691 ISK 571.6K

-79.65%

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 6, 2026

Last update for Reykjavik: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$505 30.4%

Reykjavik

$2K 50.9% 296% $1.5K

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$284 17.1%

Reykjavik

$625 15.9% 120% $341

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$279 16.8%

Reykjavik

$526 13.4% 88.5% $247

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$273 16.4%

Reykjavik

$205 5.2% 24.8% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$214 12.9%

Reykjavik

$298 7.6% 39.1% $84

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$71 4.3%

Reykjavik

$140 3.6% 98.3% $69

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2%

Reykjavik

$139 3.5% 279% $102

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $763 in Buenos Aires and $2,499 in Reykjavik. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Reykjavik pays 391% 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 $136 in Reykjavik for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $284 vs $625 per month, with Buenos Aires cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇮🇸 Reykjavik

🕒 Local time

22:59 10:59 PM

01:59 1:59 AM

3 h ahead of Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

136,894 Capital

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.6 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR

1,000 ISK = 8.21 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.32 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,516 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.6 USD). 1 EUR = 1,700 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR).

Icelandic Króna exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 122 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.21 USD). 1 EUR = 137 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.32 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Buenos Aires Reykjavik 11,440 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Buenos Aires
Reykjavik

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 Reykjavik: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires and Reykjavik differ by about 139% in total monthly costs ($1,685 vs $4,037 including rent). Buenos Aires is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 391% lower in Reykjavik. 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: $763 in Buenos Aires versus $2,499 in Reykjavik. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $466 in Buenos Aires versus $1,277 in Reykjavik. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 120% higher in Reykjavik. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,685 in Buenos Aires versus $4,037 in Reykjavik, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Buenos Aires but tight or insufficient in Reykjavik. 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 Reykjavik 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 139% less than in Reykjavik. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.