Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mar del Plata and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Mar del Plata: $1,038 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $20,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Mar del Plata
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Mar del Plata Living Index
129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index

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Mar del Plata

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,038

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mar del Plata and in Austin, TX

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,038 in Mar del Plata versus $2,704 in Austin, TX.

Mar del Plata $1,038
Austin, TX $2,704

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,787 in Mar del Plata versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Mar del Plata $1,787
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,536 in Mar del Plata versus $5,562 in Austin, TX.

Mar del Plata $2,536
Austin, TX $5,562

Living in Mar del Plata costs roughly 62% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mar del Plata is 23% below, Austin, TX is 102% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.74 ARS 29.9K

$20.22 $20.22

-2.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.3 ARS 91.4K

$85.0 $85.0

-29.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.52 ARS 19.0K

$12.35 $12.35

1.38%

Cappuccino

$3.13 ARS 4,741

$5.47 $5.47

-42.78%

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

$2.51 ARS 3,812

$3.82 $3.82

-34.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 ARS 3,070

$2.50 $2.50

-18.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.06 ARS 6,149

$8.06 $8.06

-49.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 ARS 4,584

$8.99 $8.99

-66.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 ARS 1,634

$1.13 $1.13

-4.42%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 ARS 3,329

$3.78 $3.78

-41.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.16 ARS 4,784

$3.25 $3.25

-2.77%

Eggs

$2.36 ARS 3,573

$4.14 $4.14

-43.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.86 ARS 8,882

$13.08 $13.08

-55.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.65 ARS 10.1K

$14.31 $14.31

-53.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.52 ARS 19.0K

$15.96 $15.96

-21.55%

Apples (1kg)

$3.32 ARS 5,028

$4.38 $4.38

-24.20%

Banana (1kg)

$2.43 ARS 3,685

$1.45 $1.45

67.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.48 ARS 2,241

$4.54 $4.54

-67.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 ARS 3,114

$4.19 $4.19

-51.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 ARS 1,532

$2.36 $2.36

-57.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.60 ARS 5,461

$9.81 $9.81

-63.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$2.94 ARS 4,455

$14.72 $14.72

-80.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.29 ARS 1,954

$1.49 $1.49

-13.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.63 ARS 2,467

$2.67 $2.67

-38.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ARS 967

$1.58 $1.58

-59.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.40 ARS 9,704

$35.29 $35.29

-81.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ARS 2,063

$0.99 $0.99

37.37%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

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

$27.2K $27.2K

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

$79.0 ARS 119.8K

$219 $219

-63.97%

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

$8.23 ARS 12.5K

$58.0 $58.0

-85.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.10 ARS 45.6K

$68.4 $68.4

-55.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.31 ARS 47.5K

$57.9 $57.9

-45.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

Cinema Ticket

$10.07 ARS 15.3K

$14.13 $14.13

-28.73%

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

$304 ARS 460.3K

$1,509 $1,509

-79.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 ARS 133.0K

$51.7 $51.7

69.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 ARS 184.2K

$85.1 $85.1

42.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.8 ARS 83.1K

$105 $105

-47.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$328 ARS 497.0K

$1,932 $1,932

-83.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$253 ARS 383.8K

$1,272 $1,272

-80.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ARS 1.2M

$3,670 $3,670

-78.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 ARS 992.0K

$2,525 $2,525

-74.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$610 ARS 925.2K

$5,105 $5,105

-88.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

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

Last update for Mar del Plata: October 4, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Eating Out

Mar del Plata

$278 27%

Austin, TX

$348 13.2% 25.4% $71

Accommodation & Living

Mar del Plata

$253 24.7%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2% 403% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Mar del Plata

$198 * 19.3%

Austin, TX

$403 15.3% 103% $204

Clothing & Footwear

Mar del Plata

$119 * 11.6%

Austin, TX

$129 4.9% 8.4% $9.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mar del Plata

$117 11.4%

Austin, TX

$346 13.1% 195% $228

Sport & Entertainment

Mar del Plata

$51 5%

Austin, TX

$86 3.3% 67.5% $35

Getting Around

Mar del Plata

$10 * 1%

Austin, TX

$57 2.2% 472% $47

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $328 in Mar del Plata and $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 736% 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: $60.0 in Mar del Plata vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $198 vs $403 per month, with Mar del Plata cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Mar del Plata

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

08:33 8:33 AM

06:33 6:33 AM

2 h behind Mar del Plata

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

593,337

974,447

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.6 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.89 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to ARS – Argentine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇷 Argentine Peso ($)

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,516 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.6 USD). 1 EUR = 1,699 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.89 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mar del Plata Austin, TX 8,660 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Mar del Plata
Austin, TX

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Mar del Plata vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mar del Plata wins on cost – living expenses run 160% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mar del Plata the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 736% lower in Austin, TX. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $328 in Mar del Plata versus $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $304 in Mar del Plata versus $1,509 in Austin, TX. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Mar del Plata – a meal for two runs $60.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,038 in Mar del Plata versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Mar del Plata but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. 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, Mar del Plata and Austin, TX 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 160% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.