Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Mar del Plata Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Mar del Plata

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,392 in Buenos Aires versus $833 in Mar del Plata.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,230 in Buenos Aires versus $1,421 in Mar del Plata.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,068 in Buenos Aires versus $2,010 in Mar del Plata.

Living in Buenos Aires is roughly 67% more expensive than Mar del Plata, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Buenos Aires is 3% above, Mar del Plata is 38% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.18 ARS 20.8K

$9.43 ARS 12.9K

60.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.9 ARS 82.2K

$37.33 ARS 51.2K

60.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.81 ARS 16.2K

$8.19 ARS 11.2K

44.20%

Cappuccino

$4.03 ARS 5,533

$2.37 ARS 3,249

70.04%

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

$2.10 ARS 2,885

$2.27 ARS 3,113

-7.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ARS 2,102

$2.09 ARS 2,866

-26.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.66 ARS 5,031

$3.30 ARS 4,524

10.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.01 ARS 5,507

$3.32 ARS 4,556

20.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 ARS 2,193

$1.07 ARS 1,467

49.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 ARS 3,351

$1.43 ARS 1,967

70.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.21 ARS 3,035

$2.16 ARS 2,960

2.31%

Eggs

$3.20 ARS 4,392

$1.58 ARS 2,172

102.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.98 ARS 16.5K

$6.97 ARS 9,571

71.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.08 ARS 11.1K

$5.31 ARS 7,289

52.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ARS 12.8K

$7.66 ARS 10.5K

21.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.46 ARS 3,375

$2.80 ARS 3,848

-12.14%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 ARS 2,808

$2.20 ARS 3,022

-6.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.32 ARS 1,805

$1.55 ARS 2,129

-14.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.52 ARS 3,454

$2.39 ARS 3,284

5.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.43 ARS 1,964

$1.28 ARS 1,752

11.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ARS 2,005

$0.96 ARS 1,314

52.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.85 ARS 2,538

$0.62 ARS 853

198.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 ARS 1,962

$1.20 ARS 1,649

19.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 ARS 4,518

$3.42 ARS 4,698

-3.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.59 ARS 9,042

$5.11 ARS 7,012

28.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.21 ARS 3,032

$1.32 ARS 1,817

67.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 ARS 4,328

$2.04 ARS 2,796

54.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 ARS 980

$0.71 ARS 973

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.08 ARS 22.1K

$9.85 ARS 13.5K

63.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.56 ARS 2,140

$1.52 ARS 2,091

2.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.91 ARS 1,255

$0.77 ARS 1,054

18.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.93 ARS 8,139

$8.15 ARS 11.2K

-27.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 ARS 1,544

$1.14 ARS 1,561

-0.88%

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

$25.4K ARS 34.9M

$27.8K ARS 38.1M

-8.44%

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

$29.1K ARS 39.9M

$39.2K ARS 53.8M

-25.73%

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

$113 ARS 155.1K

$86.6 ARS 118.9K

30.46%

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

$21.38 ARS 29.3K

$10.34 ARS 14.2K

106.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.06 ARS 39.9K

$25.60 ARS 35.1K

13.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.47 ARS 56.9K

$17.00 ARS 23.3K

143.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.59 ARS 15.9K

$8.21 ARS 11.3K

41.17%

Cinema Ticket

$9.09 ARS 12.5K

$3.93 ARS 5,400

131.30%

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

$326 ARS 447.1K

$161 ARS 221.7K

101.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,178 ARS 7.1M

$3,217 ARS 4.4M

60.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 ARS 149.6K

$55.8 ARS 76.6K

95.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$87.0 ARS 119.4K

$63.3 ARS 86.9K

37.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 ARS 171.7K

$65.8 ARS 90.4K

90.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 ARS 177.2K

$62.0 ARS 85.1K

108.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$660 ARS 906.3K

$286 ARS 392.0K

131.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$432 ARS 592.6K

$208 ARS 285.0K

107.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,185 ARS 1.6M

$707 ARS 970.8K

67.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$806 ARS 1.1M

$588 ARS 806.6K

37.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,675 ARS 3.7M

$2,164 ARS 3.0M

23.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,017 ARS 2.8M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$793 ARS 1.1M

$621 ARS 851.8K

27.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

52.71

58.5

-9.90%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: April 12, 2026

Last update for Mar del Plata: April 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $660 in Buenos Aires and $286 in Mar del Plata. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buenos Aires pays 28% 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: $60 in Buenos Aires vs $37 in Mar del Plata for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $271 vs $199 per month, with Mar del Plata cheaper across the board.

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 Mar del Plata: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires and Mar del Plata differ by about 67% in total monthly costs ($1,392 vs $833 including rent). Mar del Plata is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Buenos Aires pays 28% more on average, 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: $660 in Buenos Aires versus $286 in Mar del Plata. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $326 in Buenos Aires versus $161 in Mar del Plata. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 36% higher in Buenos Aires. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $833 in Mar del Plata versus $1,392 in Buenos Aires, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Mar del Plata but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes Mar del Plata 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 Mar del Plata 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 Mar del Plata gentler on the wallet – expenses run 67% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.