Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Sumba

For one person, living is cheaper in Sumba: $213 a month against $1,685 in Buenos Aires, rent and utilities included – about $17,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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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

Sumba

🇫🇴 Faroe Islands

$213

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,685 in Buenos Aires versus $213 in Sumba.

Buenos Aires $1,685
Sumba $213

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,742 in Buenos Aires versus $285 in Sumba.

Buenos Aires $2,742
Sumba $285

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,799 in Buenos Aires versus $357 in Sumba.

Buenos Aires $3,799
Sumba $357

Living in Buenos Aires is roughly 693% more expensive than in Sumba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Buenos Aires is 26% above, Sumba is 84% below.

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

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

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 ARS 6,970

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 ARS 2,181

$2.32 FOK 15.52

-37.93%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 ARS 3,738

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 ARS 2,467

Eggs

$2.89 ARS 4,385

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.65 ARS 16.1K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.74 ARS 20.8K

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ARS 4,166

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 ARS 3,300

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 ARS 2,205

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ARS 3,013

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ARS 1,885

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 ARS 1,921

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 ARS 2,575

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 ARS 2,617

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.18 ARS 6,337

$10.63 FOK 71.0

-60.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.80 ARS 8,790

$12.06 FOK 80.6

-51.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 ARS 3,163

$2.26 FOK 15.13

-7.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 ARS 4,198

$1.84 FOK 12.31

50.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ARS 1,132

$4.51 FOK 30.10

-83.37%

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

$1.92 FOK 12.86

-29.17%

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

$61.9 FOK 414

-49.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.82 ARS 75.6K

$37.94 FOK 253

31.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 ARS 25.9K

Cinema Ticket

$10.43 ARS 15.8K

$15.51 FOK 104

-32.75%

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

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 Sumba: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$505 30.4%

Sumba

–

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$284 17.1%

Sumba

–

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$279 16.8%

Sumba

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$273 16.4%

Sumba

–

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$214 12.9%

Sumba

–

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$71 4.3%

Sumba

–

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2%

Sumba

–

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇫🇴 Sumba

🕒 Local time

05:11 5:11 AM

09:11 9:11 AM

4 h ahead of Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

300

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

Faroese Króna FOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR

1 FOK = 0.15 USD

1 FOK = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

FOK, 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).

Faroese Króna exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 FOK (1 FOK = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.49 FOK (1 FOK = 0.133 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Buenos Aires Sumba 11,650 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Buenos Aires
Sumba

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 Sumba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires and Sumba differ by about 693% in total monthly costs ($1,685 vs $213 including rent). Sumba 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 $319 in Sumba 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 356% higher in Buenos Aires. 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 $213 in Sumba – a 693% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $213 in Sumba versus $1,685 in Buenos Aires, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sumba but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes Sumba 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 Sumba 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 Sumba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 693% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.