Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mar del Plata and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Mar del Plata: $1,038 a month against $1,348 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ubud, Bali outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

42

Cost of Living Index in Mar del Plata
Learn more

Mar del Plata Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
Learn more

Ubud, Bali Living Index

Jump to prices

Mar del Plata

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,038

/mo nomad

Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,348

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mar del Plata and in Ubud, Bali

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,038 in Mar del Plata versus $1,348 in Ubud, Bali.

Mar del Plata $1,038
Ubud, Bali $1,348

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,787 in Mar del Plata versus $2,312 in Ubud, Bali.

Mar del Plata $1,787
Ubud, Bali $2,312

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,536 in Mar del Plata versus $3,276 in Ubud, Bali.

Mar del Plata $2,536
Ubud, Bali $3,276

Living in Mar del Plata costs roughly 23% less than in Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mar del Plata is 23% below, Ubud, Bali is 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.74 ARS 29.9K

$3.33 Rp 59.6K

492.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.3 ARS 91.4K

$35.42 Rp 633.1K

70.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.52 ARS 19.0K

$5.76 Rp 102.9K

117.36%

Cappuccino

$3.13 ARS 4,743

$2.63 Rp 47.0K

19.01%

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

$2.51 ARS 3,813

$1.74 Rp 31.0K

44.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 ARS 3,071

$0.77 Rp 13.8K

163.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.06 ARS 6,151

$2.71 Rp 48.4K

49.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 ARS 4,585

$4.52 Rp 80.8K

-33.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 ARS 1,634

$1.53 Rp 27.4K

-29.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 ARS 3,330

$2.20 Rp 39.2K

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.16 ARS 4,785

$1.22 Rp 21.8K

159.02%

Eggs

$2.36 ARS 3,575

$2.14 Rp 38.2K

10.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.86 ARS 8,885

$17.73 Rp 316.9K

-66.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.65 ARS 10.1K

$3.86 Rp 68.9K

72.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.52 ARS 19.0K

$12.03 Rp 215.0K

4.07%

Apples (1kg)

$3.32 ARS 5,030

$3.61 Rp 64.5K

-8.03%

Banana (1kg)

$2.43 ARS 3,687

$1.51 Rp 27.1K

60.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.48 ARS 2,242

$2.32 Rp 41.4K

-36.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 ARS 3,115

$2.00 Rp 35.8K

2.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.81 Rp 32.4K

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 ARS 1,532

$2.39 Rp 42.7K

-57.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 Rp 17.8K

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 Rp 9,373

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.60 ARS 5,463

$2.18 Rp 39.0K

65.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$2.94 ARS 4,457

$22.98 Rp 410.7K

-87.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 Rp 42.8K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 Rp 53.6K

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.29 ARS 1,954

$0.24 Rp 4,255

437.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.99 Rp 125.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.63 ARS 2,468

$0.44 Rp 7,876

270.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ARS 967

$0.42 Rp 7,582

52.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.40 ARS 9,707

$5.45 Rp 97.4K

17.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ARS 2,064

$0.84 Rp 15.1K

61.90%

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

$24.3K Rp 434.8M

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

$31.9K Rp 570.0M

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

$79.0 ARS 119.8K

$80.8 Rp 1.4M

-2.25%

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

$8.23 ARS 12.5K

$6.58 Rp 117.6K

25.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.10 ARS 45.6K

$18.24 Rp 326.1K

65.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.31 ARS 47.5K

$55.1 Rp 985.4K

-43.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.51 Rp 330.9K

Cinema Ticket

$10.07 ARS 15.3K

$4.24 Rp 75.9K

137.50%

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

$304 ARS 460.4K

$486 Rp 8.7M

-37.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,676 Rp 101.5M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 ARS 133.1K

$45.18 Rp 807.6K

94.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.57 Rp 617.9K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 ARS 184.2K

$79.2 Rp 1.4M

53.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.8 ARS 83.1K

$77.6 Rp 1.4M

-29.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$328 ARS 497.2K

$1,127 Rp 20.1M

-70.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$253 ARS 383.9K

$674 Rp 12.1M

-62.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ARS 1.2M

$3,618 Rp 64.7M

-77.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 ARS 992.3K

$1,735 Rp 31.0M

-62.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,829 Rp 50.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,307 Rp 41.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$610 ARS 925.5K

$166 Rp 3.0M

268.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

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 Ubud, Bali: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Eating Out

Mar del Plata

$278 27%

Ubud, Bali

$108 8% 61.1% $169

Accommodation & Living

Mar del Plata

$253 24.7%

Ubud, Bali

$674 49.6% 166% $421

Groceries & Markets

Mar del Plata

$198 * 19.3%

Ubud, Bali

$290 21.4% 46.2% $92

Clothing & Footwear

Mar del Plata

$119 * 11.6%

Ubud, Bali

$106 7.8% 10.4% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mar del Plata

$117 11.4%

Ubud, Bali

$106 7.8% 10% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Mar del Plata

$51 5%

Ubud, Bali

$64 4.7% 23.7% $12

Getting Around

Mar del Plata

$10 * 1%

Ubud, Bali

$11 0.8% 5.3% $0.5

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 $1,127 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mar del Plata pays 268% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $60.0 in Mar del Plata vs $35.00 in Ubud, Bali. Groceries flip the comparison at $198 vs $290, with Mar del Plata cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Mar del Plata

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🕒 Local time

06:50 6:50 AM

17:50 5:50 PM

11 h ahead of Mar del Plata

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

593,337

74,800

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.99 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to ARS – Argentine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇷 Argentine Peso ($)

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,699 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 17,875 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD). 1 EUR = 20,030 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.99 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mar del Plata Ubud, Bali 14,790 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Mar del Plata
Ubud, Bali

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 Ubud, Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mar del Plata wins on cost – living expenses run 30% lower than in Ubud, Bali. 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 268% 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: $328 in Mar del Plata versus $1,127 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 46% higher in Ubud, Bali. 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 $1,348 in Ubud, Bali – a 30% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,038 in Mar del Plata versus $1,348 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Mar del Plata but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. 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 Ubud, Bali 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 30% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.