Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Umea

For one person, living costs are similar in Buenos Aires and in Umea: $1,685 and $1,608 a month, rent and utilities included.

81

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
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Buenos Aires Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Umea
Learn more

Umea Living Index

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Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,685

/mo nomad

Umea

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,685 in Buenos Aires versus $1,608 in Umea.

Buenos Aires $1,685
Umea $1,608

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,742 in Buenos Aires versus $2,579 in Umea.

Buenos Aires $2,742
Umea $2,579

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,799 in Buenos Aires versus $3,550 in Umea.

Buenos Aires $3,799
Umea $3,550

Living in Buenos Aires is roughly 5% more expensive than in Umea, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Buenos Aires 26% above, Umea 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.73 ARS 28.4K

$15.02 SEK 150

24.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 ARS 97.8K

$79.3 SEK 793

-18.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.88 ARS 19.5K

$12.00 SEK 120

7.33%

Cappuccino

$3.98 ARS 6,029

$3.99 SEK 39.90

-0.25%

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

$2.05 ARS 3,103

$3.20 SEK 31.99

-35.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 ARS 2,349

$2.36 SEK 23.59

-34.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.84 ARS 5,830

$8.30 SEK 83.0

-53.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 ARS 6,970

$7.40 SEK 74.0

-37.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 ARS 2,181

$1.63 SEK 16.29

-11.66%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 ARS 3,738

$3.44 SEK 34.42

-28.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 ARS 2,467

$4.07 SEK 40.68

-59.95%

Eggs

$2.89 ARS 4,385

$3.90 SEK 38.95

-25.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.65 ARS 16.1K

$11.24 SEK 112

-5.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

$10.73 SEK 107

-6.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.74 ARS 20.8K

$17.23 SEK 172

-20.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ARS 4,166

$2.46 SEK 24.57

11.79%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 ARS 3,300

$2.26 SEK 22.63

-3.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 ARS 2,205

$2.82 SEK 28.16

-48.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ARS 3,013

$4.30 SEK 43.00

-53.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ARS 1,885

$1.64 SEK 16.35

-24.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 ARS 1,921

$1.66 SEK 16.60

-23.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 ARS 2,575

$2.49 SEK 24.90

-31.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 ARS 2,617

$1.28 SEK 12.83

35.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.18 ARS 6,337

$6.89 SEK 68.9

-39.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.80 ARS 8,790

$9.89 SEK 98.9

-41.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 ARS 3,163

$2.27 SEK 22.66

-7.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 ARS 4,198

$2.44 SEK 24.40

13.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ARS 1,132

$2.92 SEK 29.16

-74.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.15 ARS 41.2K

$56.9 SEK 568

-52.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.62 ARS 2,451

$6.80 SEK 68.0

-76.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 ARS 1,481

$5.02 SEK 50.2

-80.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.72 ARS 11.7K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ARS 2,058

$1.74 SEK 17.37

-21.84%

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

$28.0K ARS 42.5M

$33.0K SEK 330.0K

-15.18%

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

$34.5K ARS 52.4M

$33.6K SEK 336.3K

2.63%

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

$216 ARS 326.9K

$86.0 SEK 860

150.55%

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

$25.61 ARS 38.8K

$32.39 SEK 324

-20.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.36 ARS 47.6K

$27.15 SEK 271

15.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.82 ARS 75.6K

$48.96 SEK 489

1.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 ARS 25.9K

$35.34 SEK 353

-51.73%

Cinema Ticket

$10.43 ARS 15.8K

$16.17 SEK 162

-35.50%

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

$466 ARS 706.7K

$137 SEK 1,368

240.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,057 ARS 13.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$122 ARS 185.2K

$99.5 SEK 995

22.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$97.4 ARS 147.8K

$36.44 SEK 364

167.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ARS 177.4K

$117 SEK 1,166

0.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 ARS 211.9K

$141 SEK 1,405

-0.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$763 ARS 1.2M

$736 SEK 7,357

3.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$505 ARS 766.1K

$504 SEK 5,040

0.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,598 ARS 2.4M

$1,105 SEK 11.0K

44.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,185 ARS 1.8M

$823 SEK 8,227

43.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,678 ARS 4.1M

$4,542 SEK 45.4K

-41.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,858 ARS 2.8M

$3,043 SEK 30.4K

-38.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$954 ARS 1.4M

$2,674 SEK 26.7K

-64.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

3.65

1468.49%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 6, 2026

Last update for Umea: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$505 30.4%

Umea

$504 30.7% 0.2% $0.8

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$284 17.1%

Umea

$350 21.3% 23.2% $66

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$279 16.8%

Umea

$283 17.2% 1.3% $3.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$273 16.4%

Umea

$146 8.9% 46.6% $127

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$214 12.9%

Umea

$177 10.8% 17.4% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$71 4.3%

Umea

$81 5% 15% $11

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2%

Umea

$100 6.1% 174% $64

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $763 in Buenos Aires and $736 in Umea. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Umea pays 180% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $64.0 in Buenos Aires vs $79.0 in Umea for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $284 vs $350 per month, with Buenos Aires cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇸🇪 Umea

🕒 Local time

02:48 2:48 AM

07:48 7:48 AM

5 h ahead of Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

79,594

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR

100 SEK = 10.01 USD

100 SEK = 8.92 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 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).

USD to ARS in detail →

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Buenos Aires Umea 12,900 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Buenos Aires
Umea

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 Umea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires and Umea differ by about 5% in total monthly costs ($1,685 vs $1,608 including rent). Umea is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 180% lower in Umea. 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 $736 in Umea. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $466 in Buenos Aires versus $137 in Umea. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Buenos Aires pay roughly 23% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,608 in Umea versus $1,685 in Buenos Aires, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Umea but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes Umea 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 Umea 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 Umea gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.