Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mar del Plata and San Martin de los Andes

For one person, living is cheaper in Mar del Plata: $1,137 a month against $1,264 in San Martin de los Andes, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

55

Cost of Living Index in Mar del Plata
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Mar del Plata Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in San Martin de los Andes
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San Martin de los Andes Living Index

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Mar del Plata

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,137

/mo nomad

San Martin de los Andes

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,264

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mar del Plata and in San Martin de los Andes

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 San Martin de los Andes actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,137 in Mar del Plata versus $1,264 in San Martin de los Andes.

Mar del Plata $1,137
San Martin de los Andes $1,264

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,096 in Mar del Plata versus $2,136 in San Martin de los Andes.

Mar del Plata $2,096
San Martin de los Andes $2,136

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,055 in Mar del Plata versus $3,007 in San Martin de los Andes.

Mar del Plata $3,055
San Martin de los Andes $3,007

Living in Mar del Plata costs roughly 10% less than in San Martin de los Andes, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Mar del Plata 16% lower, San Martin de los Andes 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.64 ARS 30.3K

$18.03 ARS 27.8K

8.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.1 ARS 120.3K

$57.1 ARS 88.1K

36.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 ARS 17.8K

$13.84 ARS 21.3K

-16.33%

Cappuccino

$3.26 ARS 5,021

$3.30 ARS 5,091

-1.21%

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

$2.60 ARS 4,008

$1.97 ARS 3,041

31.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 ARS 3,123

$2.02 ARS 3,122

0.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.41 ARS 5,262

$3.44 ARS 5,309

-0.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 ARS 5,542

$4.66 ARS 7,191

-22.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 ARS 1,892

$1.42 ARS 2,183

-13.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 ARS 3,426

$2.37 ARS 3,656

-6.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.84 ARS 4,383

$1.98 ARS 3,048

43.43%

Eggs

$3.25 ARS 5,017

$2.92 ARS 4,506

11.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.40 ARS 19.1K

$10.62 ARS 16.4K

16.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.72 ARS 11.9K

$7.95 ARS 12.3K

-2.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.60 ARS 17.9K

$9.95 ARS 15.3K

16.58%

Apples (1kg)

$3.08 ARS 4,748

$2.13 ARS 3,291

44.60%

Banana (1kg)

$2.41 ARS 3,716

$2.31 ARS 3,568

4.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 ARS 2,961

$1.49 ARS 2,296

28.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.60 ARS 4,014

$2.48 ARS 3,815

4.84%

Potato (1kg)

$0.74 ARS 1,140

$1.17 ARS 1,797

-36.75%

Onion (1kg)

$0.78 ARS 1,200

$1.11 ARS 1,706

-29.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 ARS 1,061

$1.44 ARS 2,220

-52.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.55 ARS 5,479

$3.44 ARS 5,303

3.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.16 ARS 6,414

$5.39 ARS 8,314

-22.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 ARS 3,513

$2.13 ARS 3,279

7.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 ARS 8,059

$3.03 ARS 4,670

72.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.31 ARS 2,014

$0.93 ARS 1,433

40.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 ARS 2,185

$1.58 ARS 2,429

-10.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.80 ARS 1,238

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.26 ARS 9,651

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 ARS 2,128

$1.22 ARS 1,876

13.11%

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

$31.2K ARS 48.1M

$27.5K ARS 42.4M

13.56%

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

$45.7K ARS 70.5M

$30.9K ARS 47.7M

47.71%

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

$107 ARS 165.7K

$134 ARS 206.8K

-19.89%

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

$10.60 ARS 16.3K

$15.99 ARS 24.7K

-33.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.56 ARS 36.3K

$27.53 ARS 42.4K

-14.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.49 ARS 48.5K

$31.26 ARS 48.2K

0.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$32.32 ARS 49.8K

$19.28 ARS 29.7K

67.63%

Cinema Ticket

$9.82 ARS 15.1K

$8.74 ARS 13.5K

12.36%

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

$254 ARS 391.2K

$239 ARS 368.6K

6.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,832 ARS 9.0M

$4,149 ARS 6.4M

40.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.2 ARS 140.6K

$106 ARS 163.7K

-14.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$69.9 ARS 107.8K

$85.5 ARS 131.8K

-18.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 ARS 168.8K

$126 ARS 194.9K

-13.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.3 ARS 85.3K

$130 ARS 200.6K

-57.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$489 ARS 754.1K

$465 ARS 717.2K

5.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$251 ARS 386.5K

$311 ARS 479.0K

-19.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$823 ARS 1.3M

$1,006 ARS 1.6M

-18.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$857 ARS 1.3M

$823 ARS 1.3M

4.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,039 ARS 1.6M

$1,249 ARS 1.9M

-16.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,056 ARS 1.6M

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

Last update for Mar del Plata: October 26, 2026

Last update for San Martin de los Andes: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Eating Out

Mar del Plata

$274 24.1%

San Martin de los Andes

$268 21.2% 2.1% $5.8

Groceries & Markets

Mar del Plata

$262 * 23.1%

San Martin de los Andes

$252 * 20% 3.8% $9.9

Accommodation & Living

Mar del Plata

$251 22.1%

San Martin de los Andes

$311 24.6% 24% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Mar del Plata

$147 12.9%

San Martin de los Andes

$202 16% 37.5% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mar del Plata

$142 12.5%

San Martin de los Andes

$178 14.1% 25.5% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Mar del Plata

$51 4.5%

San Martin de los Andes

$49 3.9% 4.7% $2.4

Getting Around

Mar del Plata

$11 * 0.9%

San Martin de los Andes

$5.3 * 0.4% 50.4% $5.4

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 $489 in Mar del Plata and $465 in San Martin de los Andes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $78 in Mar del Plata vs $57 in San Martin de los Andes for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $262 vs $252 per month, with San Martin de los Andes cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Mar del Plata

🇦🇷 San Martin de los Andes

🕒 Local time

23:31 11:31 PM

Same time as Mar del Plata

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

593,337

36,913

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.49 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.83 EUR

10,000 ARS = 6.49 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.83 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Mar del Plata San Martin de los Andes 1,210 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Mar del Plata
San Martin de los Andes

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 San Martin de los Andes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mar del Plata wins on cost – living expenses run 10% lower than in San Martin de los Andes. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Mar del Plata the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,705 in Mar del Plata and $1,897 in San Martin de los Andes to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $489 in Mar del Plata versus $465 in San Martin de los Andes. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in San Martin de los Andes pay roughly 4% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you’ll spend $1,137 per month in Mar del Plata versus $1,264 in San Martin de los Andes – Mar del Plata is about 10% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Mar del Plata is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 San Martin de los Andes are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.