Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Umea and Buenos Aires

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

80

Cost of Living Index in Umea
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Umea Living Index
81

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
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Buenos Aires Living Index

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Umea

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,608

/mo nomad

Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,685

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Umea $1,608
Buenos Aires $1,685

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

Umea $2,579
Buenos Aires $2,742

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

Umea $3,550
Buenos Aires $3,799

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.02 SEK 150

$18.73 ARS 28.4K

-19.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.3 SEK 793

$64.5 ARS 97.8K

23.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.00 SEK 120

$12.88 ARS 19.5K

-6.83%

Cappuccino

$3.99 SEK 39.90

$3.98 ARS 6,029

0.25%

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

$3.20 SEK 31.99

$2.05 ARS 3,103

56.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 SEK 23.59

$1.55 ARS 2,349

52.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.30 SEK 83.0

$3.84 ARS 5,830

116.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.40 SEK 74.0

$4.60 ARS 6,970

60.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 SEK 16.29

$1.44 ARS 2,181

13.19%

White Bread (500g)

$3.44 SEK 34.42

$2.46 ARS 3,738

39.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.07 SEK 40.68

$1.63 ARS 2,467

149.69%

Eggs

$3.90 SEK 38.95

$2.89 ARS 4,385

34.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.24 SEK 112

$10.65 ARS 16.1K

5.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.73 SEK 107

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

7.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.23 SEK 172

$13.74 ARS 20.8K

25.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.46 SEK 24.57

$2.75 ARS 4,166

-10.55%

Banana (1kg)

$2.26 SEK 22.63

$2.18 ARS 3,300

3.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.82 SEK 28.16

$1.45 ARS 2,205

94.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.30 SEK 43.00

$1.99 ARS 3,013

116.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.64 SEK 16.35

$1.24 ARS 1,885

32.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 SEK 16.60

$1.27 ARS 1,921

30.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.49 SEK 24.90

$1.70 ARS 2,575

46.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 SEK 12.83

$1.73 ARS 2,617

-26.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.89 SEK 68.9

$4.18 ARS 6,337

64.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.89 SEK 98.9

$5.80 ARS 8,790

70.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 SEK 22.66

$2.09 ARS 3,163

8.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 SEK 24.40

$2.77 ARS 4,198

-11.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 SEK 29.16

$0.75 ARS 1,132

289.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.9 SEK 568

$27.15 ARS 41.2K

109.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.80 SEK 68.0

$1.62 ARS 2,451

319.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$5.02 SEK 50.2

$0.98 ARS 1,481

412.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.72 ARS 11.7K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 SEK 17.37

$1.36 ARS 2,058

27.94%

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

$33.0K SEK 330.0K

$28.0K ARS 42.5M

17.90%

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

$33.6K SEK 336.3K

$34.5K ARS 52.4M

-2.56%

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

$86.0 SEK 860

$216 ARS 326.9K

-60.09%

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

$32.39 SEK 324

$25.61 ARS 38.8K

26.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.15 SEK 271

$31.36 ARS 47.6K

-13.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.96 SEK 489

$49.82 ARS 75.6K

-1.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.34 SEK 353

$17.06 ARS 25.9K

107.15%

Cinema Ticket

$16.17 SEK 162

$10.43 ARS 15.8K

55.03%

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

$137 SEK 1,368

$466 ARS 706.7K

-70.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,057 ARS 13.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.5 SEK 995

$122 ARS 185.2K

-18.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.44 SEK 364

$97.4 ARS 147.8K

-62.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 SEK 1,166

$117 ARS 177.4K

-0.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 SEK 1,405

$140 ARS 211.9K

0.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$736 SEK 7,357

$763 ARS 1.2M

-3.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$504 SEK 5,040

$505 ARS 766.1K

-0.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,105 SEK 11.0K

$1,598 ARS 2.4M

-30.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$823 SEK 8,227

$1,185 ARS 1.8M

-30.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,542 SEK 45.4K

$2,678 ARS 4.1M

69.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,043 SEK 30.4K

$1,858 ARS 2.8M

63.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,674 SEK 26.7K

$954 ARS 1.4M

180.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.65

57.25

-93.62%

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

Last update for Umea: 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

Umea

$504 30.7%

Buenos Aires

$505 30.4% 0.2% $0.8

Groceries & Markets

Umea

$350 21.3%

Buenos Aires

$284 17.1% 18.8% $66

Eating Out

Umea

$283 17.2%

Buenos Aires

$279 16.8% 1.3% $3.7

Clothing & Footwear

Umea

$177 10.8%

Buenos Aires

$214 12.9% 21.1% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Umea

$146 8.9%

Buenos Aires

$273 16.4% 87.2% $127

Getting Around

Umea

$100 6.1%

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2% 63.5% $64

Sport & Entertainment

Umea

$81 5%

Buenos Aires

$71 4.3% 13.1% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $736 in Umea and $763 in Buenos Aires. 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: $79.0 in Umea vs $64.0 in Buenos Aires for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $284 per month, with Buenos Aires cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇪 Umea

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🕒 Local time

12:26 12:26 PM

07:26 7:26 AM

5 h behind Umea

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,594

2,891,082 Capital

💱 Currency

Swedish Krona SEK kr

Argentine Peso ARS $

📈 Exchange rate

100 SEK = 10.01 USD

100 SEK = 8.93 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 = 11.2 SEK (100 SEK = 8.93 EUR).

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,699 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR).

USD to SEK in detail →

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

From you

Umea
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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

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

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

Average pay runs 180% higher in Umea, 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: $736 in Umea versus $763 in Buenos Aires. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $137 in Umea versus $466 in Buenos Aires. 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, Umea 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 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.