Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mar del Plata and Reykjavik

For one person, living is cheaper in Mar del Plata: $1,038 a month against $4,037 in Reykjavik, rent and utilities included – about $36,000 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
193

Cost of Living Index in Reykjavik
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Reykjavik Living Index

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Mar del Plata

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,038

/mo nomad

Reykjavik

🇮🇸 Iceland

$4,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,038 in Mar del Plata versus $4,037 in Reykjavik.

Mar del Plata $1,038
Reykjavik $4,037

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,787 in Mar del Plata versus $5,666 in Reykjavik.

Mar del Plata $1,787
Reykjavik $5,666

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,536 in Mar del Plata versus $7,295 in Reykjavik.

Mar del Plata $2,536
Reykjavik $7,295

Living in Mar del Plata costs roughly 74% less than in Reykjavik, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mar del Plata is 23% below, Reykjavik is 201% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.74 ARS 29.9K

$30.59 ISK 3,727

-35.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.3 ARS 91.4K

$136 ISK 16.5K

-55.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.52 ARS 19.0K

$27.08 ISK 3,300

-53.77%

Cappuccino

$3.13 ARS 4,741

$6.72 ISK 818

-53.42%

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

$2.51 ARS 3,812

$3.27 ISK 399

-23.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 ARS 3,070

$3.16 ISK 386

-35.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.06 ARS 6,149

$13.91 ISK 1,695

-70.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 ARS 4,584

$12.06 ISK 1,469

-74.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 ARS 1,634

$2.04 ISK 248

-47.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 ARS 3,329

$4.32 ISK 526

-49.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.16 ARS 4,784

$3.67 ISK 447

-13.90%

Eggs

$2.36 ARS 3,573

$7.02 ISK 855

-66.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.86 ARS 8,882

$22.01 ISK 2,682

-73.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.65 ARS 10.1K

$24.70 ISK 3,009

-73.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.52 ARS 19.0K

$42.66 ISK 5,198

-70.65%

Apples (1kg)

$3.32 ARS 5,028

$3.37 ISK 411

-1.48%

Banana (1kg)

$2.43 ARS 3,685

$2.85 ISK 347

-14.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.48 ARS 2,241

$3.17 ISK 387

-53.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 ARS 3,114

$6.39 ISK 779

-67.92%

Potato (1kg)

$4.01 ISK 489

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 ARS 1,532

$1.64 ISK 200

-38.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.80 ISK 462

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ISK 212

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.60 ARS 5,461

$13.80 ISK 1,681

-73.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$2.94 ARS 4,455

$23.38 ISK 2,849

-87.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.53 ISK 430

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 ISK 420

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.29 ARS 1,954

$5.77 ISK 703

-77.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.1 ISK 11.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.63 ARS 2,467

$6.63 ISK 808

-75.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ARS 967

$2.79 ISK 340

-77.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.40 ARS 9,704

$81.4 ISK 9,915

-92.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ARS 2,063

$2.11 ISK 257

-35.55%

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

$50.8K ISK 6.2M

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

$52.7K ISK 6.4M

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

$79.0 ARS 119.8K

$88.7 ISK 10.8K

-10.89%

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

$8.23 ARS 12.5K

$31.53 ISK 3,842

-73.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.10 ARS 45.6K

$84.6 ISK 10.3K

-64.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.31 ARS 47.5K

$100 ISK 12.2K

-68.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$48.20 ISK 5,873

Cinema Ticket

$10.07 ARS 15.3K

$19.87 ISK 2,422

-49.32%

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

$304 ARS 460.3K

$1,277 ISK 155.7K

-76.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.0K ISK 3.8M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 ARS 133.0K

$161 ISK 19.6K

-45.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.9 ISK 7,908

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 ARS 184.2K

$183 ISK 22.3K

-33.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.8 ARS 83.1K

$254 ISK 30.9K

-78.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$328 ARS 497.0K

$2,499 ISK 304.6K

-86.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$253 ARS 383.8K

$2,000 ISK 243.7K

-87.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ARS 1.2M

$3,452 ISK 420.6K

-76.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 ARS 992.0K

$2,742 ISK 334.2K

-76.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,001 ISK 974.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,249 ISK 761.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$610 ARS 925.2K

$4,691 ISK 571.6K

-86.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.81

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 Reykjavik: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Eating Out

Mar del Plata

$278 27%

Reykjavik

$526 13.4% 89.5% $248

Accommodation & Living

Mar del Plata

$253 24.7%

Reykjavik

$2K 50.9% 690% $1.7K

Groceries & Markets

Mar del Plata

$198 * 19.3%

Reykjavik

$625 15.9% 215% $427

Clothing & Footwear

Mar del Plata

$119 * 11.6%

Reykjavik

$298 7.6% 151% $179

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mar del Plata

$117 11.4%

Reykjavik

$205 5.2% 74.6% $88

Sport & Entertainment

Mar del Plata

$51 5%

Reykjavik

$140 3.6% 172% $89

Getting Around

Mar del Plata

$10 * 1%

Reykjavik

$139 3.5% 1293% $129

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 $2,499 in Reykjavik. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Reykjavik pays 669% 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 $136 in Reykjavik for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $198 vs $625 per month, with Mar del Plata cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Mar del Plata

🇮🇸 Reykjavik

🕒 Local time

03:49 3:49 AM

06:49 6:49 AM

3 h ahead of Mar del Plata

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

593,337

136,894 Capital

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.6 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR

1,000 ISK = 8.21 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.32 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ISK, 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 = 1,700 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR).

Icelandic Króna exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 122 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.21 USD). 1 EUR = 137 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.32 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mar del Plata Reykjavik 11,780 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Mar del Plata
Reykjavik

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 Reykjavik: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mar del Plata wins on cost – living expenses run 289% lower than in Reykjavik. 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 669% lower in Reykjavik. 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 $2,499 in Reykjavik. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 215% higher in Reykjavik. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,038 per month in Mar del Plata versus $4,037 in Reykjavik – a 289% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,038 in Mar del Plata versus $4,037 in Reykjavik, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Mar del Plata but tight or insufficient in Reykjavik. 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 $1,038 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 Reykjavik 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 289% less than in Reykjavik. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.