Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between La Plata and Mar del Plata

For one person, living is cheaper in La Plata: $1,019 a month against $1,161 in Mar del Plata, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

49

Cost of Living Index in La Plata
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La Plata Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Mar del Plata
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Mar del Plata Living Index

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La Plata

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,019

/mo nomad

Mar del Plata

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,161

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in La Plata and in Mar del Plata

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

A single person spends $1,019 per month in La Plata vs $1,161 in Mar del Plata, rent included.

La Plata $1,019
Mar del Plata $1,161

A couple spends around $1,757 per month in La Plata vs $2,072 in Mar del Plata, rent included.

La Plata $1,757
Mar del Plata $2,072

A family of three spends $2,495 per month in La Plata vs $2,983 in Mar del Plata, rent included.

La Plata $2,495
Mar del Plata $2,983

La Plata is about 12% cheaper than Mar del Plata, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both La Plata and Mar del Plata are more affordable than the global median – La Plata 25% lower, Mar del Plata 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.97 ARS 24.7K

$19.87 ARS 30.7K

-19.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.5 ARS 78.0K

$80.5 ARS 124.3K

-37.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.71 ARS 19.6K

$11.63 ARS 18.0K

9.29%

Cappuccino

$3.80 ARS 5,867

$3.28 ARS 5,064

15.85%

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

$1.59 ARS 2,455

$2.47 ARS 3,816

-35.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 ARS 1,346

$2.02 ARS 3,124

-56.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.38 ARS 5,216

$3.58 ARS 5,536

-5.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 ARS 4,603

$3.43 ARS 5,297

-13.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 ARS 1,661

$1.22 ARS 1,884

-11.48%

White Bread (500g)

$2.18 ARS 3,362

$2.27 ARS 3,499

-3.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.82 ARS 1,266

$2.76 ARS 4,269

-70.29%

Eggs

$2.22 ARS 3,422

$3.95 ARS 6,097

-43.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.87 ARS 13.7K

$12.52 ARS 19.3K

-29.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.40 ARS 8,348

$8.35 ARS 12.9K

-35.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.21 ARS 14.2K

$11.47 ARS 17.7K

-19.70%

Apples (1kg)

$1.99 ARS 3,067

$3.03 ARS 4,682

-34.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 ARS 3,000

$2.34 ARS 3,622

-17.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.71 ARS 1,093

$1.94 ARS 2,991

-63.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 ARS 2,295

$2.58 ARS 3,978

-42.25%

Potato (1kg)

$0.55 ARS 849

$0.73 ARS 1,133

-24.66%

Onion (1kg)

$0.65 ARS 1,001

$0.73 ARS 1,131

-10.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ARS 1,572

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 ARS 1,554

$0.69 ARS 1,064

46.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.12 ARS 4,823

Wine (Bottle)

$4.78 ARS 7,386

$4.25 ARS 6,567

12.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.08 ARS 3,207

$2.33 ARS 3,603

-10.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ARS 4,187

$5.17 ARS 7,980

-47.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 ARS 1,097

$1.35 ARS 2,088

-47.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$4.52 ARS 6,975

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.54 ARS 2,381

$1.49 ARS 2,302

3.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.68 ARS 1,046

$0.79 ARS 1,219

-13.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.60 ARS 11.7K

$6.32 ARS 9,765

20.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 ARS 1,790

$1.46 ARS 2,253

-20.55%

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

$22.3K ARS 34.5M

$31.9K ARS 49.2M

-29.98%

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

$32.4K ARS 50.0M

$45.2K ARS 69.8M

-28.39%

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

$70.9 ARS 109.5K

$106 ARS 164.0K

-33.25%

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

$10.86 ARS 16.8K

$10.59 ARS 16.4K

2.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.69 ARS 36.6K

$23.56 ARS 36.4K

0.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.49 ARS 39.4K

$31.16 ARS 48.1K

-18.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.97 ARS 16.9K

$32.29 ARS 49.9K

-66.03%

Cinema Ticket

$5.44 ARS 8,395

$9.84 ARS 15.2K

-44.72%

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

$138 ARS 212.8K

$257 ARS 396.5K

-46.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,133 ARS 6.4M

$5,698 ARS 8.8M

-27.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 ARS 162.2K

$125 ARS 192.7K

-15.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.00 ARS 32.4K

$70.8 ARS 109.4K

-70.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 ARS 148.4K

$108 ARS 166.9K

-11.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.3 ARS 85.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$412 ARS 635.8K

$492 ARS 760.1K

-16.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$294 ARS 453.7K

$279 ARS 430.5K

5.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,158 ARS 1.8M

$932 ARS 1.4M

24.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$779 ARS 1.2M

$777 ARS 1.2M

0.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,976 ARS 3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,177 ARS 1.8M

$1,006 ARS 1.6M

17.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$707 ARS 1.1M

$1,336 ARS 2.1M

-47.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for La Plata: November 1, 2026

Last update for Mar del Plata: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

La Plata

$294 28.8%

Mar del Plata

$279 24% 5.1% $15

Eating Out

La Plata

$244 24%

Mar del Plata

$276 23.8% 13% $32

Groceries & Markets

La Plata

$202 19.9%

Mar del Plata

$268 * 23.1% 32.4% $65

Clothing & Footwear

La Plata

$125 12.3%

Mar del Plata

$137 * 11.8% 9.5% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

La Plata

$105 10.4%

Mar del Plata

$140 12.1% 33.1% $35

Sport & Entertainment

La Plata

$36 3.6%

Mar del Plata

$51 4.4% 39.8% $14

Getting Around

La Plata

$12 1.2%

Mar del Plata

$11 * 0.9% 11.7% $1.4

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $412 in La Plata versus $492 in Mar del Plata. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 89% higher in Mar del Plata. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50 in La Plata versus $80 in Mar del Plata. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $202 vs $268 – making La Plata the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇷 La Plata

🇦🇷 Mar del Plata

🕒 Local time

09:26 9:26 AM

Same time as La Plata

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

193,144

593,337

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.47 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.76 EUR

10,000 ARS = 6.47 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.76 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

La Plata vs Mar del Plata: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,019 in La Plata, $1,161 in Mar del Plata – La Plata comes out roughly 12% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,529 per month in La Plata and $1,742 in Mar del Plata. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in La Plata, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $412 there versus $492 in Mar del Plata.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50 in La Plata and $80 in Mar del Plata. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 32% more in Mar del Plata, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,019 in La Plata and $1,161 in Mar del Plata, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward La Plata – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with La Plata. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mar del Plata makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.