Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Sala

For one person, living is cheaper in Sala: $1,530 a month against $1,656 in Buenos Aires, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
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Buenos Aires Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Sala
Learn more

Sala Living Index

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Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,656

/mo nomad

Sala

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,530

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,656 in Buenos Aires versus $1,530 in Sala.

Buenos Aires $1,656
Sala $1,530

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,697 in Buenos Aires versus $2,260 in Sala.

Buenos Aires $2,697
Sala $2,260

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,737 in Buenos Aires versus $2,989 in Sala.

Buenos Aires $3,737
Sala $2,989

Living in Buenos Aires is roughly 8% more expensive than in Sala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Buenos Aires 23% above, Sala 13% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.09 ARS 29.0K

$11.75 SEK 116

62.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 ARS 99.9K

$58.6 SEK 581

12.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.20 ARS 20.0K

$9.45 SEK 93.6

39.68%

Cappuccino

$3.85 ARS 5,841

$3.17 SEK 31.39

21.45%

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

$1.99 ARS 3,020

$1.75 SEK 17.38

13.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ARS 2,430

$2.15 SEK 21.35

-25.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.93 ARS 5,959

$6.94 SEK 68.7

-43.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 ARS 7,003

$6.93 SEK 68.7

-33.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 ARS 2,272

$1.66 SEK 16.45

-9.64%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 ARS 3,837

$2.54 SEK 25.16

-0.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 ARS 2,445

$3.48 SEK 34.45

-53.74%

Eggs

$2.84 ARS 4,316

$5.29 SEK 52.5

-46.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.30 ARS 15.6K

$11.10 SEK 110

-7.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

$12.95 SEK 128

-22.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.30 ARS 20.2K

$22.02 SEK 218

-39.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.88 ARS 4,366

$2.87 SEK 28.42

0.35%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 ARS 3,334

$2.66 SEK 26.39

-17.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.40 ARS 2,120

$2.59 SEK 25.65

-45.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 ARS 3,004

$4.79 SEK 47.50

-58.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 ARS 1,835

$1.46 SEK 14.46

-17.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 ARS 1,910

$1.14 SEK 11.29

10.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 ARS 2,592

$2.57 SEK 25.51

-33.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 ARS 2,603

$1.01 SEK 10.02

70.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 ARS 6,505

$6.88 SEK 68.2

-37.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.70 ARS 8,645

$6.10 SEK 60.5

-6.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 ARS 3,288

$1.89 SEK 18.76

14.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ARS 4,188

$1.76 SEK 17.47

56.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ARS 1,141

$2.90 SEK 28.75

-74.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.27 ARS 41.4K

$21.18 SEK 210

28.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.57 ARS 2,375

$5.90 SEK 58.5

-73.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ARS 1,558

$1.69 SEK 16.73

-39.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ARS 12.0K

$79.0 SEK 782

-90.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ARS 2,160

$1.73 SEK 17.13

-17.92%

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

$27.9K ARS 42.4M

$32.5K SEK 322.3K

-14.08%

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

$35.0K ARS 53.1M

$33.1K SEK 327.9K

5.67%

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

$195 ARS 296.2K

$177 SEK 1,752

10.41%

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

$25.16 ARS 38.2K

$19.96 SEK 198

26.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.54 ARS 47.9K

$38.76 SEK 384

-18.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.9 ARS 77.3K

$45.97 SEK 456

10.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.73 ARS 25.4K

$20.24 SEK 201

-17.34%

Cinema Ticket

$10.34 ARS 15.7K

$16.13 SEK 160

-35.90%

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

$463 ARS 703.2K

$213 SEK 2,111

117.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,793 ARS 13.3M

$1,194 SEK 11.8K

636.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$120 ARS 181.8K

$44.45 SEK 440

169.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$95.5 ARS 144.9K

$34.80 SEK 345

174.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 ARS 173.1K

$51.9 SEK 514

119.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 ARS 211.4K

$54.0 SEK 535

158.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 ARS 1.1M

$705 SEK 6,989

7.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$520 ARS 788.8K

$501 SEK 4,966

3.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,590 ARS 2.4M

$930 SEK 9,217

70.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,198 ARS 1.8M

$684 SEK 6,782

75.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,713 ARS 4.1M

$4,018 SEK 39.8K

-32.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,901 ARS 2.9M

$2,838 SEK 28.1K

-33.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$938 ARS 1.4M

$2,422 SEK 24.0K

-61.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

2.8

1944.64%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 11, 2026

Last update for Sala: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$520 31.4%

Sala

$501 32.8% 3.6% $19

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$283 17.1%

Sala

$360 23.5% 27.1% $77

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$282 17%

Sala

$225 14.7% 20.3% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$252 15.2%

Sala

$236 15.4% 6.5% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$211 12.7%

Sala

$83 5.4% 60.5% $128

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$72 4.3%

Sala

$78 5.1% 9.3% $6.6

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2%

Sala

$47 3.1% 27.4% $10

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $756 in Buenos Aires and $705 in Sala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sala pays 158% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $66.0 in Buenos Aires vs $59.0 in Sala. Groceries flip the comparison at $283 vs $360, with Buenos Aires cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇸🇪 Sala

🕒 Local time

08:01 8:01 AM

13:01 1:01 PM

5 h ahead of Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

22,994

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR

100 SEK = 10.09 USD

100 SEK = 8.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SEK, USD, EUR to ARS – Argentine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇷 Argentine Peso ($)

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,706 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR).

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 9.91 SEK (1 SEK = 0.101 USD). 1 EUR = 11.14 SEK (100 SEK = 8.98 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Buenos Aires Sala 12,530 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Buenos Aires
Sala

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 Sala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires and Sala differ by about 8% in total monthly costs ($1,656 vs $1,530 including rent). Sala is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 158% lower in Sala. 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 $705 in Sala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $463 in Buenos Aires versus $213 in Sala. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Buenos Aires pay roughly 27% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,530 in Sala versus $1,656 in Buenos Aires, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sala but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes Sala 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 Sala 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 Sala gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.