Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Reykjavik and Buenos Aires

For one person, living is cheaper in Buenos Aires: $1,685 a month against $4,037 in Reykjavik, rent and utilities included – about $28,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

193

Cost of Living Index in Reykjavik
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Reykjavik Living Index
81

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
Learn more

Buenos Aires Living Index

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Reykjavik

🇮🇸 Iceland

$4,037

/mo nomad

Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,685

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Reykjavik 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 Reykjavik and in Buenos Aires actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,037 in Reykjavik versus $1,685 in Buenos Aires.

Reykjavik $4,037
Buenos Aires $1,685

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,666 in Reykjavik versus $2,742 in Buenos Aires.

Reykjavik $5,666
Buenos Aires $2,742

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,295 in Reykjavik versus $3,799 in Buenos Aires.

Reykjavik $7,295
Buenos Aires $3,799

Living in Reykjavik is roughly 139% more expensive than in Buenos Aires, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Reykjavik 201% above, Buenos Aires 26% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.59 ISK 3,727

$18.73 ARS 28.4K

63.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$136 ISK 16.5K

$64.5 ARS 97.7K

110.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$27.08 ISK 3,300

$12.88 ARS 19.5K

110.25%

Cappuccino

$6.72 ISK 818

$3.98 ARS 6,027

68.84%

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

$3.27 ISK 399

$2.05 ARS 3,102

59.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 ISK 386

$1.55 ARS 2,348

103.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.91 ISK 1,695

$3.84 ARS 5,828

262.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.06 ISK 1,469

$4.60 ARS 6,968

162.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 ISK 248

$1.44 ARS 2,180

41.67%

White Bread (500g)

$4.32 ISK 526

$2.46 ARS 3,737

75.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.67 ISK 447

$1.63 ARS 2,466

125.15%

Eggs

$7.02 ISK 855

$2.89 ARS 4,384

142.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.01 ISK 2,682

$10.65 ARS 16.1K

106.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$24.70 ISK 3,009

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

147.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$42.66 ISK 5,198

$13.74 ARS 20.8K

210.48%

Apples (1kg)

$3.37 ISK 411

$2.75 ARS 4,165

22.55%

Banana (1kg)

$2.85 ISK 347

$2.18 ARS 3,299

30.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.17 ISK 387

$1.45 ARS 2,204

118.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.39 ISK 779

$1.99 ARS 3,012

221.11%

Potato (1kg)

$4.01 ISK 489

$1.24 ARS 1,884

223.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 ISK 200

$1.27 ARS 1,920

29.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.80 ISK 462

$1.70 ARS 2,574

123.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ISK 212

$1.73 ARS 2,616

0.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.80 ISK 1,681

$4.18 ARS 6,335

230.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.38 ISK 2,849

$5.80 ARS 8,787

303.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.53 ISK 430

$2.09 ARS 3,162

68.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 ISK 420

$2.77 ARS 4,197

24.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.77 ISK 703

$0.75 ARS 1,131

669.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.1 ISK 11.6K

$27.15 ARS 41.2K

250.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.63 ISK 808

$1.62 ARS 2,450

309.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.79 ISK 340

$0.98 ARS 1,480

184.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$81.4 ISK 9,915

$7.72 ARS 11.7K

954.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 ISK 257

$1.36 ARS 2,057

55.15%

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

$50.8K ISK 6.2M

$28.0K ARS 42.5M

81.42%

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

$52.7K ISK 6.4M

$34.5K ARS 52.3M

52.73%

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

$88.7 ISK 10.8K

$216 ARS 326.8K

-58.87%

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

$31.53 ISK 3,842

$25.61 ARS 38.8K

23.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.6 ISK 10.3K

$31.36 ARS 47.5K

169.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$100 ISK 12.2K

$49.82 ARS 75.5K

101.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$48.20 ISK 5,873

$17.06 ARS 25.9K

182.53%

Cinema Ticket

$19.87 ISK 2,422

$10.43 ARS 15.8K

90.51%

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

$1,277 ISK 155.7K

$466 ARS 706.5K

174.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.0K ISK 3.8M

$9,057 ARS 13.7M

241.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$161 ISK 19.6K

$122 ARS 185.1K

31.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.9 ISK 7,908

$97.4 ARS 147.7K

-33.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$183 ISK 22.3K

$117 ARS 177.3K

56.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$254 ISK 30.9K

$140 ARS 211.8K

81.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,499 ISK 304.6K

$763 ARS 1.2M

227.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,000 ISK 243.7K

$505 ARS 765.8K

295.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,452 ISK 420.6K

$1,598 ARS 2.4M

115.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,742 ISK 334.2K

$1,185 ARS 1.8M

131.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,001 ISK 974.9K

$2,678 ARS 4.1M

198.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,249 ISK 761.5K

$1,858 ARS 2.8M

236.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,691 ISK 571.6K

$954 ARS 1.4M

391.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.81

57.25

-84.61%

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

Last update for Reykjavik: October 4, 2026

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Reykjavik

$2K 50.9%

Buenos Aires

$505 30.4% 74.7% $1.5K

Groceries & Markets

Reykjavik

$625 15.9%

Buenos Aires

$284 17.1% 54.5% $341

Eating Out

Reykjavik

$526 13.4%

Buenos Aires

$279 16.8% 47% $247

Clothing & Footwear

Reykjavik

$298 7.6%

Buenos Aires

$214 12.9% 28.1% $84

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Reykjavik

$205 5.2%

Buenos Aires

$273 16.4% 33.1% $68

Sport & Entertainment

Reykjavik

$140 3.6%

Buenos Aires

$71 4.3% 49.6% $69

Getting Around

Reykjavik

$139 3.5%

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2% 73.6% $102

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,499 in Reykjavik and $763 in Buenos Aires. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Reykjavik pays 391% 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: $136 in Reykjavik vs $64.0 in Buenos Aires for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $625 vs $284 per month, with Buenos Aires cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇸 Reykjavik

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🕒 Local time

02:55 2:55 AM

23:55 11:55 PM

3 h behind Reykjavik

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

136,894 Capital

2,891,082 Capital

💱 Currency

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

Argentine Peso ARS $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 ISK = 8.21 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.32 EUR

10,000 ARS = 6.6 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ARS, USD, EUR to ISK – Icelandic Króna Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇸 Icelandic Króna (kr)

Icelandic Króna exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 122 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.21 USD). 1 EUR = 137 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.32 EUR).

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,516 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.6 USD). 1 EUR = 1,700 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR).

USD to ISK in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Reykjavik
Buenos Aires

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

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

Reykjavik and Buenos Aires differ by about 139% in total monthly costs ($4,037 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 391% higher in Reykjavik, 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: $2,499 in Reykjavik versus $763 in Buenos Aires. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,277 in Reykjavik 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 120% higher in Reykjavik. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,685 in Buenos Aires versus $4,037 in Reykjavik, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Buenos Aires but tight or insufficient in Reykjavik. 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, Reykjavik 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 139% less than in Reykjavik. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.