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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $844 in Mar del Plata.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $1,417 in Mar del Plata.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $1,991 in Mar del Plata.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 170% more expensive than in Mar del Plata, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Mar del Plata is 37% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.74

$9.53 ARS 14.2K

65.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.3

$37.25 ARS 55.7K

70.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.11

$8.17 ARS 12.2K

27.91%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.54

$2.41 ARS 3,603

20.75%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$2.18 ARS 3,260

5.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.31

$2.05 ARS 3,072

-26.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.11

$3.34 ARS 4,993

6.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.46

$3.19 ARS 4,764

24.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.05 ARS 1,570

2.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.38 ARS 2,063

27.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.48

$2.06 ARS 3,084

-17.48%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.83

$1.52 ARS 2,279

113.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.55

$6.93 ARS 10.4K

91.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.72

$5.22 ARS 7,810

47.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.75

$7.47 ARS 11.2K

111.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.99

$2.74 ARS 4,091

-16.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.44

$2.17 ARS 3,244

-23.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.76

$1.55 ARS 2,318

30.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.16

$2.45 ARS 3,661

0.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.56

$1.22 ARS 1,827

46.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.80

$0.95 ARS 1,417

117.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.72

$0.63 ARS 945

212.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.73

$1.20 ARS 1,796

-30.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.71

$3.48 ARS 5,201

88.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.85

$2.95 ARS 4,406

88.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.16

$1.39 ARS 2,082

-4.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.62

$1.98 ARS 2,966

52.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.98

$0.76 ARS 1,136

198.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.41

$9.94 ARS 14.9K

366.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.69

$1.49 ARS 2,226

183.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.76 ARS 1,137

11.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.41

$8.18 ARS 12.2K

130.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.76

$1.15 ARS 1,722

75.65%

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

$35.0K €30.5K

$28.2K ARS 42.2M

23.77%

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

$39.6K €34.6K

$38.9K ARS 58.2M

1.83%

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

$148 €129

$85.2 ARS 127.4K

73.57%

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

$20.52 €17.89

$10.11 ARS 15.1K

102.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.46

$25.00 ARS 37.4K

58.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €42.00

$17.57 ARS 26.3K

174.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €16.03

$7.84 ARS 11.7K

134.57%

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.93

$4.10 ARS 6,124

121.95%

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

$615 €536

$159 ARS 238.4K

285.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.2K

$3,177 ARS 4.7M

412.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.6

$56.7 ARS 84.7K

79.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.69

$61.5 ARS 92.0K

-31.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €80.5

$65.0 ARS 97.2K

42.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$62.7 ARS 93.7K

94.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,405

$283 ARS 422.4K

470.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,093

$202 ARS 301.3K

521.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,676

$726 ARS 1.1M

322.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,776

$585 ARS 874.5K

248.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,757

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,737

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,396

$616 ARS 921.3K

159.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

58.5

-93.49%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 27, 2026

Last update for Mar del Plata: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $283 in Mar del Plata. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 160% 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: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $37.00 in Mar del Plata for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $192 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

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

Lisbon and Mar del Plata differ by about 170% in total monthly costs ($2,280 vs $844 including rent). Mar del Plata is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 160% higher in Lisbon, 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: $1,612 in Lisbon versus $283 in Mar del Plata. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $615 in Lisbon versus $159 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 39% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $844 in Mar del Plata versus $2,280 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Mar del Plata but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. 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, Lisbon 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 170% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.