Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Selfoss

For one person, living is cheaper in Buenos Aires: $1,685 a month against $3,460 in Selfoss, rent and utilities included – about $21,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Selfoss outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
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Buenos Aires Living Index

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Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,685

/mo nomad

Selfoss

🇮🇸 Iceland

$3,460

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,685 in Buenos Aires versus $3,460 in Selfoss.

Buenos Aires $1,685
Selfoss $3,460

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,742 in Buenos Aires versus $2,461 in Selfoss.

Buenos Aires $2,742
Selfoss $2,461

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,799 in Buenos Aires versus $1,462 in Selfoss.

Buenos Aires $3,799
Selfoss $1,462

Living in Buenos Aires costs roughly 51% less than in Selfoss, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Buenos Aires 26% above, Selfoss 158% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.73 ARS 28.4K

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 ARS 97.8K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.88 ARS 19.5K

$20.81 ISK 2,538

-38.11%

Cappuccino

$3.98 ARS 6,029

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

$2.05 ARS 3,103

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 ARS 2,349

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.84 ARS 5,830

$12.20 ISK 1,488

-68.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 ARS 6,970

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 ARS 2,181

$1.79 ISK 219

-19.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 ARS 3,738

$7.61 ISK 928

-67.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 ARS 2,467

$4.46 ISK 544

-63.45%

Eggs

$2.89 ARS 4,385

$6.56 ISK 800

-55.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.65 ARS 16.1K

$17.24 ISK 2,103

-38.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

$21.77 ISK 2,655

-54.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.74 ARS 20.8K

$33.50 ISK 4,085

-58.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ARS 4,166

$2.72 ISK 332

1.10%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 ARS 3,300

$2.75 ISK 335

-20.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 ARS 2,205

$2.65 ISK 324

-45.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ARS 3,013

$7.51 ISK 916

-73.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ARS 1,885

$3.21 ISK 391

-61.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 ARS 1,921

$2.18 ISK 266

-41.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 ARS 2,575

$3.60 ISK 439

-52.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 ARS 2,617

$1.44 ISK 175

20.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.18 ARS 6,337

$15.97 ISK 1,947

-73.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.80 ARS 8,790

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 ARS 3,163

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 ARS 4,198

$1.17 ISK 143

136.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ARS 1,132

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.15 ARS 41.2K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.62 ARS 2,451

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 ARS 1,481

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.72 ARS 11.7K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ARS 2,058

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

$28.0K ARS 42.5M

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

$34.5K ARS 52.4M

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

$216 ARS 326.9K

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

$25.61 ARS 38.8K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.36 ARS 47.6K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.82 ARS 75.6K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 ARS 25.9K

Cinema Ticket

$10.43 ARS 15.8K

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

$466 ARS 706.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,057 ARS 13.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$122 ARS 185.2K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$97.4 ARS 147.8K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ARS 177.4K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 ARS 211.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$763 ARS 1.2M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$505 ARS 766.1K

$2,820 ISK 343.9K

-82.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,598 ARS 2.4M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,185 ARS 1.8M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,678 ARS 4.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,858 ARS 2.8M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$954 ARS 1.4M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 6, 2026

Last update for Selfoss: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$505 30.4%

Selfoss

–

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$284 17.1%

Selfoss

–

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$279 16.8%

Selfoss

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$273 16.4%

Selfoss

–

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$214 12.9%

Selfoss

–

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$71 4.3%

Selfoss

–

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2%

Selfoss

–

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇮🇸 Selfoss

🕒 Local time

04:02 4:02 AM

07:02 7:02 AM

3 h ahead of Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

9,000

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR

1,000 ISK = 8.2 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.31 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 = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,701 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR).

Icelandic Króna exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 122 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.2 USD). 1 EUR = 137 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.31 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

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

From you

Buenos Aires
Selfoss

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 Selfoss: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires and Selfoss differ by about 105% in total monthly costs ($1,685 vs $3,460 including rent). Buenos Aires is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,528 in Buenos Aires and $5,190 in Selfoss to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 85% higher in Selfoss. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,685 per month in Buenos Aires versus $3,460 in Selfoss – a 105% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,685 in Buenos Aires versus $3,460 in Selfoss, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Buenos Aires but tight or insufficient in Selfoss. 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 Selfoss 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 105% less than in Selfoss. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.