Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lulea and Buenos Aires

For one person, living is cheaper in Buenos Aires: $1,685 a month against $1,823 in Lulea, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

88

Cost of Living Index in Lulea
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Lulea Living Index
81

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
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Buenos Aires Living Index

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Lulea

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,823

/mo nomad

Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,685

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lulea and in Buenos Aires actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,823 in Lulea versus $1,685 in Buenos Aires.

Lulea $1,823
Buenos Aires $1,685

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,920 in Lulea versus $2,742 in Buenos Aires.

Lulea $2,920
Buenos Aires $2,742

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,016 in Lulea versus $3,799 in Buenos Aires.

Lulea $4,016
Buenos Aires $3,799

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lulea 36% above, Buenos Aires 26% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 SEK 117

$18.73 ARS 28.4K

-37.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.5 SEK 955

$64.5 ARS 97.8K

48.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.95 SEK 109

$12.88 ARS 19.5K

-14.98%

Cappuccino

$4.36 SEK 43.52

$3.98 ARS 6,029

9.55%

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

$2.51 SEK 25.10

$2.05 ARS 3,103

22.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 SEK 18.66

$1.55 ARS 2,349

20.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.58 SEK 85.8

$3.84 ARS 5,830

123.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.49 SEK 94.8

$4.60 ARS 6,970

106.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 SEK 17.71

$1.44 ARS 2,181

22.92%

White Bread (500g)

$3.26 SEK 32.60

$2.46 ARS 3,738

32.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.94 SEK 49.41

$1.63 ARS 2,467

203.07%

Eggs

$4.65 SEK 46.43

$2.89 ARS 4,385

60.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.25 SEK 122

$10.65 ARS 16.1K

15.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.21 SEK 132

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

32.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.18 SEK 262

$13.74 ARS 20.8K

90.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.55 SEK 25.47

$2.75 ARS 4,166

-7.27%

Banana (1kg)

$2.65 SEK 26.53

$2.18 ARS 3,300

21.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 SEK 24.87

$1.45 ARS 2,205

71.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.11 SEK 41.10

$1.99 ARS 3,013

106.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 SEK 20.39

$1.24 ARS 1,885

64.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 SEK 15.43

$1.27 ARS 1,921

21.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.36 SEK 33.58

$1.70 ARS 2,575

97.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 SEK 12.93

$1.73 ARS 2,617

-25.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.68 SEK 66.7

$4.18 ARS 6,337

59.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.05 SEK 120

$5.80 ARS 8,790

107.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 SEK 17.77

$2.09 ARS 3,163

-14.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 SEK 17.15

$2.77 ARS 4,198

-37.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.32 SEK 33.21

$0.75 ARS 1,132

342.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.4 SEK 554

$27.15 ARS 41.2K

104.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.04 SEK 90.3

$1.62 ARS 2,451

458.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 SEK 20.52

$0.98 ARS 1,481

109.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$70.6 SEK 706

$7.72 ARS 11.7K

814.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.77 SEK 17.65

$1.36 ARS 2,058

30.15%

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

$31.9K SEK 318.5K

$28.0K ARS 42.5M

13.76%

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

$33.5K SEK 334.6K

$34.5K ARS 52.4M

-3.03%

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

$160 SEK 1,603

$216 ARS 326.9K

-25.58%

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

$31.51 SEK 315

$25.61 ARS 38.8K

23.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.96 SEK 269

$31.36 ARS 47.6K

-14.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.15 SEK 461

$49.82 ARS 75.6K

-7.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.47 SEK 354

$17.06 ARS 25.9K

107.91%

Cinema Ticket

$12.94 SEK 129

$10.43 ARS 15.8K

24.07%

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

$153 SEK 1,528

$466 ARS 706.7K

-67.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,466 SEK 54.6K

$9,057 ARS 13.7M

-39.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$117 SEK 1,168

$122 ARS 185.2K

-4.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.97 SEK 320

$97.4 ARS 147.8K

-67.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 SEK 1,202

$117 ARS 177.4K

2.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$161 SEK 1,611

$140 ARS 211.9K

15.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$778 SEK 7,773

$763 ARS 1.2M

1.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$581 SEK 5,811

$505 ARS 766.1K

15.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,418 SEK 14.2K

$1,598 ARS 2.4M

-11.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,098 SEK 11.0K

$1,185 ARS 1.8M

-7.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,049 SEK 30.5K

$2,678 ARS 4.1M

13.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,254 SEK 22.5K

$1,858 ARS 2.8M

21.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,595 SEK 25.9K

$954 ARS 1.4M

171.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

57.25

-93.28%

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

Last update for Lulea: October 3, 2026

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lulea

$581 32%

Buenos Aires

$505 30.4% 13.1% $76

Groceries & Markets

Lulea

$404 22.2%

Buenos Aires

$284 17.1% 29.7% $120

Eating Out

Lulea

$258 14.2%

Buenos Aires

$279 16.8% 8% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lulea

$219 12.1%

Buenos Aires

$273 16.4% 24.5% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Lulea

$194 10.7%

Buenos Aires

$214 12.9% 10.7% $21

Getting Around

Lulea

$88 4.9%

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2% 58.4% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Lulea

$72 4%

Buenos Aires

$71 4.3% 1.9% $1.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $778 in Lulea and $763 in Buenos Aires. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lulea pays 172% 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: $96.0 in Lulea vs $64.0 in Buenos Aires for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $404 vs $284 per month, with Buenos Aires cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇪 Lulea

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🕒 Local time

06:58 6:58 AM

01:58 1:58 AM

5 h behind Lulea

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

73,864

2,891,082 Capital

💱 Currency

Swedish Krona SEK kr

Argentine Peso ARS $

📈 Exchange rate

100 SEK = 10.01 USD

100 SEK = 8.92 EUR

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ARS, USD, EUR to SEK – Swedish Krona Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇪 Swedish Krona (kr)

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).

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).

USD to SEK in detail →

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Lulea Buenos Aires 13,060 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Lulea
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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

Lulea vs Buenos Aires: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lulea and Buenos Aires differ by about 8% in total monthly costs ($1,823 vs $1,685 including rent). Buenos Aires is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 172% higher in Lulea, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $778 in Lulea versus $763 in Buenos Aires. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $153 in Lulea versus $466 in Buenos Aires. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 42% higher in Lulea. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,685 in Buenos Aires versus $1,823 in Lulea, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Buenos Aires but tight or insufficient in Lulea. 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, Lulea and Buenos Aires 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 8% less than in Lulea. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.