Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mar del Plata and Ubon Ratchathani

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubon Ratchathani: $781 a month against $1,133 in Mar del Plata, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Mar del Plata
🇦🇷 Argentina
$1,133
/mo nomad
Ubon Ratchathani
🇹🇭 Thailand
$781
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mar del Plata and in Ubon Ratchathani

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,133 in Mar del Plata versus $781 in Ubon Ratchathani.

  • Mar del Plata $1,133
  • Ubon Ratchathani $781

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,097 in Mar del Plata versus $1,444 in Ubon Ratchathani.

  • Mar del Plata $2,097
  • Ubon Ratchathani $1,444

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,062 in Mar del Plata versus $2,106 in Ubon Ratchathani.

  • Mar del Plata $3,062
  • Ubon Ratchathani $2,106

Living in Mar del Plata is roughly 45% more expensive than in Ubon Ratchathani, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Mar del Plata 16% lower, Ubon Ratchathani 42% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mar del Plata
Ubon Ratchathani
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.50 ARS 29.6K
$4.66 ฿156
318.45%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$77.9 ARS 118.2K
$20.60 ฿689
278.20%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.89 ARS 18.0K
$7.41 ฿248
60.46%
Cappuccino
$3.25 ARS 4,931
$1.81 ฿60.3
79.56%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.52 ARS 3,817
$1.30 ฿43.60
93.85%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.97 ARS 2,984
$0.54 ฿17.99
264.81%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.57 ARS 5,411
$2.40 ฿80.2
48.75%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.43 ARS 5,199
$3.62 ฿121
-5.25%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mar del Plata
Ubon Ratchathani
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.18 ARS 1,794
$1.81 ฿60.6
-34.81%
White Bread (500g)
$2.17 ARS 3,297
$1.46 ฿48.84
48.63%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.74 ARS 4,157
$1.38 ฿46.15
98.55%
Eggs
$3.16 ARS 4,794
$2.05 ฿68.6
54.15%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.65 ARS 19.2K
$17.08 ฿571
-25.94%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.78 ARS 11.8K
$2.35 ฿78.6
231.06%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.60 ARS 17.6K
$11.02 ฿368
5.26%
Apples (1kg)
$3.02 ARS 4,577
$2.99 ฿99.9
1.00%
Banana (1kg)
$2.43 ARS 3,684
$1.01 ฿33.59
140.59%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.91 ARS 2,901
$2.13 ฿71.2
-10.33%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.58 ARS 3,919
$2.06 ฿68.9
25.24%
Potato (1kg)
$0.74 ARS 1,129
$1.42 ฿47.54
-47.89%
Onion (1kg)
$0.79 ARS 1,192
$1.06 ฿35.58
-25.47%
Lettuce (1 head)
-
$1.12 ฿37.44
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.69 ARS 1,047
$0.49 ฿16.51
40.82%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.45 ARS 5,230
$4.25 ฿142
-18.82%
Wine (Bottle)
$4.15 ARS 6,301
$13.55 ฿453
-69.37%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.25 ARS 3,419
$1.66 ฿55.4
35.54%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.39 ARS 8,178
$2.85 ฿95.1
89.12%
🚌 Getting Around
Mar del Plata
Ubon Ratchathani
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.34 ARS 2,030
$0.85 ฿28.51
57.65%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.48 ARS 2,245
$1.21 ฿40.40
22.31%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.81 ARS 1,235
$1.04 ฿34.82
-22.12%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$6.26 ARS 9,504
$6.56 ฿219
-4.57%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.39 ARS 2,112
$1.22 ฿40.86
13.93%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$31.1K ARS 47.2M
$28.1K ฿939.2K
10.64%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$46.0K ARS 69.8M
$31.4K ฿1.1M
46.30%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mar del Plata
Ubon Ratchathani
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$107 ARS 163.1K
$81.4 ฿2,719
32.08%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$10.53 ARS 16.0K
$12.16 ฿407
-13.40%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$23.64 ARS 35.9K
$14.40 ฿481
64.17%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mar del Plata
Ubon Ratchathani
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$30.63 ARS 46.5K
$47.95 ฿1,603
-36.12%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$33.34 ARS 50.6K
$13.14 ฿439
153.73%
Cinema Ticket
$10.12 ARS 15.4K
$6.70 ฿224
51.04%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mar del Plata
Ubon Ratchathani
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$256 ARS 388.0K
$497 ฿16.6K
-48.50%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,841 ARS 8.9M
$12.4K ฿413.4K
-52.77%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mar del Plata
Ubon Ratchathani
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$92.4 ARS 140.2K
$56.4 ฿1,885
63.79%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$70.4 ARS 106.8K
$28.54 ฿954
146.64%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$111 ARS 168.3K
$85.2 ฿2,847
30.22%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$53.9 ARS 81.8K
$75.8 ฿2,534
-28.87%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mar del Plata
Ubon Ratchathani
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$487 ARS 738.3K
$235 ฿7,843
107.33%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$247 ARS 375.0K
$143 ฿4,785
72.60%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$799 ARS 1.2M
$1,049 ฿35.1K
-23.85%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$865 ARS 1.3M
$724 ฿24.2K
19.37%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$2,096 ฿70.0K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,017 ARS 1.5M
$1,243 ฿41.5K
-18.15%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mar del Plata
Ubon Ratchathani
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,051 ARS 1.6M
$353 ฿11.8K
197.30%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
0
5.57
-

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

Last update for Mar del Plata: October 18, 2026

Last update for Ubon Ratchathani: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Eating Out
Mar del Plata
$273
Ubon Ratchathani
$108 60.6% $166
Groceries & Markets
Mar del Plata
$261 *
Ubon Ratchathani
$240 8.1% $21
Accommodation & Living
Mar del Plata
$247
Ubon Ratchathani
$143 42.1% $104
Clothing & Footwear
Mar del Plata
$147
Ubon Ratchathani
$111 24.9% $37
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mar del Plata
$142
Ubon Ratchathani
$108 23.8% $34
Sport & Entertainment
Mar del Plata
$51
Ubon Ratchathani
$61 20.6% $10
Getting Around
Mar del Plata
$11 *
Ubon Ratchathani
$9.8 * 9.8% $1.1

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 $487 in Mar del Plata and $235 in Ubon Ratchathani. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mar del Plata pays 197% 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: $78.0 in Mar del Plata vs $21.00 in Ubon Ratchathani for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $261 vs $240 per month, with Ubon Ratchathani cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇦🇷 Mar del Plata
🇹🇭 Ubon Ratchathani
🕒 Local time
00:17 12:17 AM
10:17 10:17 AM
10 h ahead of Mar del Plata
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
593,337
74,977
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to ARS – Argentine Peso Converter

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,706 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mar del Plata Ubon Ratchathani 16,950 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Mar del Plata
  • Ubon Ratchathani

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 Ubon Ratchathani: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Mar del Plata or Ubon Ratchathani?
Ubon Ratchathani wins on cost – living expenses run 45% lower than in Mar del Plata. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ubon Ratchathani the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Mar del Plata or in Ubon Ratchathani?
Average pay runs 197% 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.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Mar del Plata compared to Ubon Ratchathani?
Rent for a central apartment: $487 in Mar del Plata versus $235 in Ubon Ratchathani. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Are groceries more expensive in Mar del Plata or in Ubon Ratchathani?
Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Mar del Plata. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How much does it cost to live in Mar del Plata compared to Ubon Ratchathani?
All in, you'll spend $1,133 per month in Mar del Plata versus $781 in Ubon Ratchathani – a 45% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Mar del Plata or in Ubon Ratchathani?
At $781 in Ubon Ratchathani versus $1,133 in Mar del Plata, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ubon Ratchathani but tight or insufficient in Mar del Plata. The gap between the two cities makes Ubon Ratchathani the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Mar del Plata or Ubon Ratchathani?
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.
How safe is Mar del Plata compared to Ubon Ratchathani?
Safety-wise, Mar del Plata and Ubon Ratchathani are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Ubon Ratchathani gentler on the wallet – expenses run 45% less than in Mar del Plata. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Mar del Plata vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?