Cost of Living Comparison Between La Plata and Mar del Plata Cost of Living Comparison Between La Plata and Mar del Plata

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $877 per month in La Plata vs $838 in Mar del Plata, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,492 per month in La Plata vs $1,425 in Mar del Plata, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,107 per month in La Plata vs $2,011 in Mar del Plata, rent included.

La Plata costs about 5% more than Mar del Plata, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both La Plata and Mar del Plata are more affordable than the global median – La Plata 35% lower, Mar del Plata 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.80 ARS 16.6K

$9.87 ARS 13.9K

19.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.27 ARS 39.8K

$36.84 ARS 51.9K

-23.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.35 ARS 7,535

$8.28 ARS 11.7K

-35.39%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ARS 4,272

$2.42 ARS 3,402

25.21%

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

$0.77 ARS 1,078

$2.20 ARS 3,097

-65.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 ARS 1,017

$2.05 ARS 2,891

-64.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.01 ARS 1,429

$3.20 ARS 4,503

-68.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.01 ARS 5,651

$3.31 ARS 4,664

21.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 ARS 1,711

$1.11 ARS 1,560

9.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.58 ARS 2,218

$1.42 ARS 2,000

11.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 ARS 2,267

$2.08 ARS 2,936

-22.60%

Eggs

$2.30 ARS 3,239

$1.49 ARS 2,104

54.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ARS 10.5K

$6.73 ARS 9,475

10.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.80 ARS 8,169

$5.33 ARS 7,507

8.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.18 ARS 11.5K

$7.45 ARS 10.5K

9.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.48 ARS 3,489

$2.72 ARS 3,829

-8.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 ARS 2,549

$2.12 ARS 2,987

-14.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.11 ARS 1,558

$1.51 ARS 2,121

-26.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.56 ARS 3,601

$2.52 ARS 3,551

1.59%

Potato (1kg)

$0.73 ARS 1,021

$1.29 ARS 1,810

-43.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ARS 1,570

$1.00 ARS 1,401

11.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.88 ARS 2,642

$0.63 ARS 881

198.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 ARS 1,795

$1.20 ARS 1,696

5.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.07 ARS 4,321

$3.54 ARS 4,987

-13.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.02 ARS 7,067

$4.94 ARS 6,960

1.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.21 ARS 3,117

$1.34 ARS 1,892

64.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 ARS 4,273

$1.95 ARS 2,747

55.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 ARS 458

$0.76 ARS 1,069

-56.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.90 ARS 13.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.50 ARS 2,119

$1.53 ARS 2,158

-1.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.91 ARS 1,278

$0.77 ARS 1,079

18.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.04 ARS 8,511

$7.91 ARS 11.1K

-23.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 ARS 1,314

$1.13 ARS 1,595

-17.70%

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

$24.6K ARS 34.6M

$27.9K ARS 39.2M

-11.75%

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

$29.2K ARS 41.1M

$40.2K ARS 56.6M

-27.40%

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

$35.33 ARS 49.8K

$83.7 ARS 117.8K

-57.78%

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

$15.99 ARS 22.5K

$10.36 ARS 14.6K

54.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.24 ARS 32.7K

$25.20 ARS 35.5K

-7.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.38 ARS 31.5K

$17.02 ARS 24.0K

31.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.99 ARS 19.7K

$7.93 ARS 11.2K

76.42%

Cinema Ticket

$7.13 ARS 10.0K

$3.89 ARS 5,481

83.29%

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

$330 ARS 465.1K

$159 ARS 223.8K

107.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,279 ARS 7.4M

$3,227 ARS 4.5M

63.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.0 ARS 131.0K

$55.5 ARS 78.1K

67.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$87.1 ARS 122.7K

$61.7 ARS 86.9K

41.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 ARS 175.2K

$63.9 ARS 89.9K

94.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ARS 187.7K

$63.6 ARS 89.6K

109.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$300 ARS 423.1K

$281 ARS 395.1K

7.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$183 ARS 257.2K

$206 ARS 290.0K

-11.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$645 ARS 908.0K

$734 ARS 1.0M

-12.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$514 ARS 724.4K

$575 ARS 809.5K

-10.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,981 ARS 2.8M

$2,203 ARS 3.1M

-10.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,448 ARS 2.0M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 ARS 920.2K

$604 ARS 850.3K

8.22%

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 La Plata: April 26, 2026

Last update for Mar del Plata: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $300 in La Plata versus $281 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 8% higher in La Plata, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $28.00 in La Plata versus $37.00 in Mar del Plata. Groceries tell a different story – $214 in La Plata vs $197 in Mar del Plata – so Mar del Plata wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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: $877 in La Plata, $838 in Mar del Plata – roughly 5% apart. La Plata costs more across the board, with Clothing & Footwear showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,315 per month in La Plata and $1,257 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 Mar del Plata, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $28.00 in La Plata and $37.00 in Mar del Plata. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 9% more in La Plata, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $877 in La Plata and $838 in Mar del Plata, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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