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: $2,227 in Lisbon versus $838 in Mar del Plata.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,305 in Lisbon versus $1,425 in Mar del Plata.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,384 in Lisbon versus $2,011 in Mar del Plata.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 166% more expensive than Mar del Plata, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 66% above, Mar del Plata is 37% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 €13.84

$9.87 ARS 13.8K

63.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 €55.3

$36.84 ARS 51.4K

75.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.88

$8.28 ARS 11.5K

25.36%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.37

$2.42 ARS 3,371

14.46%

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

$2.25 €1.92

$2.20 ARS 3,069

2.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$2.05 ARS 2,865

-23.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €2.99

$3.20 ARS 4,462

9.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 €3.43

$3.31 ARS 4,622

20.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.11 ARS 1,545

-2.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.42 ARS 1,982

22.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 €1.49

$2.08 ARS 2,909

-16.35%

Eggs

$3.18 €2.72

$1.49 ARS 2,085

113.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.43 €11.50

$6.73 ARS 9,388

99.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.84

$5.33 ARS 7,438

49.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 €13.77

$7.45 ARS 10.4K

115.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.95

$2.72 ARS 3,794

-16.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.48

$2.12 ARS 2,959

-18.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.66

$1.51 ARS 2,102

28.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.18

$2.52 ARS 3,519

0.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$1.29 ARS 1,793

41.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.00 ARS 1,389

104.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 €1.69

$0.63 ARS 873

214.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.73

$1.20 ARS 1,681

-29.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.85 €5.87

$3.54 ARS 4,941

93.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €4.94

$4.94 ARS 6,896

17.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.34 ARS 1,874

2.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.48

$1.95 ARS 2,722

48.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.95

$0.76 ARS 1,060

200.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.84 €40.10

$9.90 ARS 13.8K

373.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.49

$1.53 ARS 2,139

166.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.77 ARS 1,069

6.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.27 €15.64

$7.91 ARS 11.0K

130.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.72

$1.13 ARS 1,580

77.88%

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

$35.3K €30.2K

$27.9K ARS 38.9M

26.54%

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

$38.5K €32.9K

$40.2K ARS 56.0M

-4.18%

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

$145 €124

$83.7 ARS 116.8K

73.74%

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

$20.96 €17.94

$10.36 ARS 14.5K

102.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.05 €34.29

$25.20 ARS 35.2K

58.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.79 €41.76

$17.02 ARS 23.8K

186.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 €16.00

$7.93 ARS 11.1K

135.69%

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 €7.76

$3.89 ARS 5,431

132.90%

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

$607 €519

$159 ARS 221.8K

281.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$3,227 ARS 4.5M

406.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.6

$55.5 ARS 77.4K

88.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.95 €35.06

$61.7 ARS 86.1K

-33.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 €80.1

$63.9 ARS 89.1K

46.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €101

$63.6 ARS 88.7K

86.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,373

$281 ARS 391.5K

471.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 €1,058

$206 ARS 287.4K

499.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,046 €2,607

$734 ARS 1.0M

314.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 €1,761

$575 ARS 802.1K

257.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,709 €6,599

$2,203 ARS 3.1M

249.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,266 €3,652

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,584 €1,356

$604 ARS 842.6K

162.33%

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Mar del Plata: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Lisbon and $281 in Mar del Plata. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 162% 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $37.00 in Mar del Plata for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $271 vs $197 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 166% in total monthly costs ($2,227 vs $838 including rent). Mar del Plata is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 162% 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: $1,604 in Lisbon versus $281 in Mar del Plata. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $607 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 37% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $838 in Mar del Plata versus $2,227 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 166% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.