Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mar del Plata and Mendoza

For one person, living is cheaper in Mar del Plata: $1,081 a month against $1,387 in Mendoza, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

53

Cost of Living Index in Mar del Plata
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Mar del Plata Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Mendoza
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Mendoza Living Index

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Mar del Plata

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,081

/mo nomad

Mendoza

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,387

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Mendoza actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,081 in Mar del Plata versus $1,387 in Mendoza.

Mar del Plata $1,081
Mendoza $1,387

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,026 in Mar del Plata versus $2,185 in Mendoza.

Mar del Plata $2,026
Mendoza $2,185

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,971 in Mar del Plata versus $2,984 in Mendoza.

Mar del Plata $2,971
Mendoza $2,984

Living in Mar del Plata costs roughly 22% less than in Mendoza, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mar del Plata is 20% below, Mendoza is 3% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.07 ARS 30.5K

$10.98 ARS 16.7K

82.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.4 ARS 120.5K

$49.80 ARS 75.6K

59.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.55 ARS 17.5K

$14.36 ARS 21.8K

-19.57%

Cappuccino

$3.26 ARS 4,947

$4.54 ARS 6,896

-28.19%

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

$2.60 ARS 3,939

$2.32 ARS 3,517

12.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 ARS 2,955

$1.94 ARS 2,949

0.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 ARS 5,265

$4.08 ARS 6,191

-14.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 ARS 5,202

$4.46 ARS 6,775

-23.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 ARS 1,853

$1.38 ARS 2,102

-11.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 ARS 3,257

$2.21 ARS 3,358

-2.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.79 ARS 4,231

$2.66 ARS 4,034

4.89%

Eggs

$3.16 ARS 4,796

$3.19 ARS 4,836

-0.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.75 ARS 11.8K

$14.72 ARS 22.3K

-47.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.50 ARS 11.4K

$6.23 ARS 9,447

20.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 ARS 17.6K

$11.05 ARS 16.8K

5.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 ARS 4,491

$2.29 ARS 3,478

29.26%

Banana (1kg)

$2.39 ARS 3,624

$2.23 ARS 3,386

7.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 ARS 2,950

$1.34 ARS 2,036

44.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.66 ARS 4,043

$3.28 ARS 4,974

-18.90%

Potato (1kg)

$0.74 ARS 1,128

$2.02 ARS 3,067

-63.37%

Onion (1kg)

$0.80 ARS 1,211

$1.49 ARS 2,268

-46.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.03 ARS 3,074

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ARS 962

$2.47 ARS 3,743

-74.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.52 ARS 5,342

$2.82 ARS 4,275

24.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.20 ARS 6,375

$5.08 ARS 7,712

-17.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 ARS 3,582

$1.72 ARS 2,608

37.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 ARS 7,944

$3.02 ARS 4,583

73.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ARS 2,062

$0.98 ARS 1,486

38.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 ARS 29.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 ARS 2,188

$2.02 ARS 3,059

-28.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.87 ARS 1,318

$0.99 ARS 1,495

-12.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.43 ARS 9,764

$4.82 ARS 7,318

33.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ARS 1,963

$1.25 ARS 1,897

3.20%

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

$31.4K ARS 47.6M

$27.6K ARS 41.9M

13.68%

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

$45.8K ARS 69.4M

$33.0K ARS 50.1M

38.52%

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

$106 ARS 160.4K

$144 ARS 218.4K

-26.56%

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

$6.49 ARS 9,850

$17.72 ARS 26.9K

-63.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.16 ARS 35.1K

$23.92 ARS 36.3K

-3.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.15 ARS 47.3K

$32.32 ARS 49.0K

-3.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$32.91 ARS 49.9K

$18.07 ARS 27.4K

82.13%

Cinema Ticket

$9.83 ARS 14.9K

$7.10 ARS 10.8K

38.45%

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

$252 ARS 382.3K

$176 ARS 266.3K

43.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,178 ARS 6.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.2 ARS 136.9K

$127 ARS 192.2K

-28.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$141 ARS 214.2K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 ARS 162.6K

$144 ARS 217.9K

-25.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.5 ARS 82.8K

$157 ARS 238.0K

-65.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$337 ARS 510.8K

$553 ARS 838.5K

-39.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$248 ARS 375.9K

$350 ARS 531.6K

-29.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$798 ARS 1.2M

$993 ARS 1.5M

-19.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$882 ARS 1.3M

$680 ARS 1.0M

29.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,751 ARS 2.7M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,043 ARS 1.6M

$1,141 ARS 1.7M

-8.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,058 ARS 1.6M

$766 ARS 1.2M

38.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Mar del Plata: October 11, 2026

Last update for Mendoza: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Eating Out

Mar del Plata

$277 25.6%

Mendoza

$232 16.7% 16.2% $45

Accommodation & Living

Mar del Plata

$248 22.9%

Mendoza

$350 25.3% 41.4% $103

Groceries & Markets

Mar del Plata

$245 * 22.7%

Mendoza

$286 20.6% 16.5% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mar del Plata

$135 12.5%

Mendoza

$186 13.4% 37.1% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Mar del Plata

$113 * 10.5%

Mendoza

$256 18.4% 126% $142

Sport & Entertainment

Mar del Plata

$51 4.7%

Mendoza

$47 3.4% 8.5% $4.3

Getting Around

Mar del Plata

$11 * 1%

Mendoza

$31 2.2% 173% $19

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 $337 in Mar del Plata and $553 in Mendoza. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mar del Plata pays 38% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $79.0 in Mar del Plata vs $50.0 in Mendoza. Groceries flip the comparison at $245 vs $286, with Mar del Plata cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Mar del Plata

🇦🇷 Mendoza

🕒 Local time

08:04 8:04 AM

Same time as Mar del Plata

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

593,337

937,154

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Mar del Plata Mendoza 1,170 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Mar del Plata
Mendoza

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 Mendoza: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mar del Plata wins on cost – living expenses run 28% lower than in Mendoza. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mar del Plata the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 38% higher in Mar del Plata, 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: $337 in Mar del Plata versus $553 in Mendoza. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Mendoza. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,081 per month in Mar del Plata versus $1,387 in Mendoza – a 28% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,081 in Mar del Plata versus $1,387 in Mendoza, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Mar del Plata but tight or insufficient in Mendoza. The gap between the two cities makes Mar del Plata the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Mar del Plata delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,081 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Mar del Plata hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Mar del Plata and Mendoza 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 28% less than in Mendoza. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.