Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Mar del Plata Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Mar del Plata

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,028 in Medellin versus $838 in Mar del Plata.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,586 in Medellin versus $1,439 in Mar del Plata.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,144 in Medellin versus $2,040 in Mar del Plata.

Living in Medellin is roughly 23% more expensive than Mar del Plata, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Mar del Plata 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.00 COP 20.6K

$9.92 ARS 14.2K

-39.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.84 COP 112.5K

$38.15 ARS 54.8K

-13.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 COP 25.4K

$8.34 ARS 12.0K

-11.03%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,659

$2.38 ARS 3,414

-30.67%

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

$1.07 COP 3,663

$2.23 ARS 3,198

-52.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 COP 2,607

$2.06 ARS 2,955

-63.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,908

$3.20 ARS 4,599

-46.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 COP 11.0K

$3.29 ARS 4,722

-2.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,597

$1.09 ARS 1,573

-3.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 COP 4,479

$1.44 ARS 2,061

-9.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 COP 4,591

$2.08 ARS 2,988

-35.58%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,521

$1.58 ARS 2,269

38.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.41 COP 15.1K

$6.75 ARS 9,703

-34.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.69 COP 19.5K

$5.28 ARS 7,582

7.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.52 COP 29.2K

$7.79 ARS 11.2K

9.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,023

$2.80 ARS 4,028

-16.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,804

$2.20 ARS 3,159

-49.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,210

$1.50 ARS 2,153

1.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,680

$2.41 ARS 3,463

-43.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 3,950

$1.24 ARS 1,777

-7.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 COP 4,043

$1.01 ARS 1,449

16.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 COP 2,885

$0.66 ARS 954

27.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 COP 2,931

$1.21 ARS 1,736

-28.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.26 COP 7,753

$3.57 ARS 5,130

-36.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.60 COP 39.8K

$3.02 ARS 4,344

284.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,109

$1.39 ARS 1,991

-13.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 8,484

$2.05 ARS 2,946

20.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,721

$0.71 ARS 1,018

11.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.83 COP 139.9K

$10.16 ARS 14.6K

301.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,023

$1.54 ARS 2,217

-4.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,568

$0.74 ARS 1,060

159.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.77 COP 26.6K

$8.22 ARS 11.8K

-5.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,464

$1.10 ARS 1,576

-8.18%

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

$17.7K COP 60.5M

$28.2K ARS 40.6M

-37.47%

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

$26.5K COP 90.7M

$39.3K ARS 56.4M

-32.65%

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

$81.1 COP 277.9K

$83.9 ARS 120.5K

-3.30%

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

$9.43 COP 32.3K

$10.45 ARS 15.0K

-9.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.86 COP 81.8K

$25.44 ARS 36.5K

-6.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.99 COP 89.1K

$17.30 ARS 24.9K

50.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.71 COP 64.1K

$7.88 ARS 11.3K

137.44%

Cinema Ticket

$4.09 COP 14.0K

$3.98 ARS 5,715

2.76%

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

$315 COP 1.1M

$159 ARS 228.4K

97.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,022 COP 20.6M

$3,212 ARS 4.6M

87.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.7 COP 204.6K

$55.4 ARS 79.6K

7.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.97 COP 109.6K

$63.7 ARS 91.6K

-49.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 346.9K

$64.2 ARS 92.2K

57.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 COP 360.3K

$62.2 ARS 89.3K

69.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$485 COP 1.7M

$288 ARS 414.3K

68.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$365 COP 1.3M

$207 ARS 297.4K

76.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$827 COP 2.8M

$724 ARS 1.0M

14.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.5M

$579 ARS 831.9K

26.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,992 COP 10.3M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,314 COP 4.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$551 COP 1.9M

$616 ARS 885.3K

-10.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

58.5

-77.04%

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

Last update for Medellin: June 15, 2026

Last update for Mar del Plata: June 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $485 in Medellin and $288 in Mar del Plata. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mar del Plata pays 12% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $38.00 in Mar del Plata for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $195 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

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

Medellin vs Mar del Plata: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mar del Plata wins on cost – living expenses run 23% lower than in Medellin. 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, Mar del Plata earns 12% less. 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: $485 in Medellin versus $288 in Mar del Plata. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,028 per month in Medellin versus $838 in Mar del Plata – a 23% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Mar del Plata runs roughly 302% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $838 in Mar del Plata versus $1,028 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Mar del Plata but tight or insufficient in Medellin. 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 $838 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Mar del Plata hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Mar del Plata 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 23% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.