Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mendoza and La Plata

For one person, living is cheaper in La Plata: $1,024 a month against $1,389 in Mendoza, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

66

Cost of Living Index in Mendoza
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Mendoza Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in La Plata
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La Plata Living Index

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Mendoza

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,389

/mo nomad

La Plata

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,024

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mendoza and in La Plata

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mendoza and in La Plata actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,389 per month in Mendoza vs $1,024 in La Plata, rent included.

Mendoza $1,389
La Plata $1,024

A couple spends around $2,178 per month in Mendoza vs $1,755 in La Plata, rent included.

Mendoza $2,178
La Plata $1,755

A family of three spends $2,967 per month in Mendoza vs $2,486 in La Plata, rent included.

Mendoza $2,967
La Plata $2,486

Mendoza costs about 36% more than La Plata, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Mendoza sits 2% above the global median, while La Plata is 25% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.87 ARS 16.7K

$15.74 ARS 24.2K

-30.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.24 ARS 75.5K

$49.23 ARS 75.5K

0.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.44 ARS 22.2K

$13.06 ARS 20.0K

10.57%

Cappuccino

$4.43 ARS 6,799

$3.93 ARS 6,022

12.72%

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

$2.36 ARS 3,617

$1.58 ARS 2,424

49.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 ARS 2,988

$0.88 ARS 1,345

121.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.11 ARS 6,298

$3.38 ARS 5,189

21.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ARS 6,858

$2.95 ARS 4,522

51.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 ARS 2,112

$1.04 ARS 1,602

32.69%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 ARS 3,380

$2.06 ARS 3,160

6.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.81 ARS 4,307

$0.83 ARS 1,272

238.55%

Eggs

$3.21 ARS 4,922

$2.23 ARS 3,416

43.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.63 ARS 22.4K

$8.65 ARS 13.3K

69.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.30 ARS 9,658

$5.56 ARS 8,531

13.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.00 ARS 16.9K

$9.56 ARS 14.7K

15.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ARS 3,513

$2.08 ARS 3,197

10.10%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 ARS 3,331

$1.91 ARS 2,924

13.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.35 ARS 2,069

$0.69 ARS 1,062

95.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.33 ARS 5,104

$1.54 ARS 2,365

116.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.01 ARS 3,077

$0.55 ARS 841

265.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.52 ARS 2,337

$0.61 ARS 934

149.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 ARS 2,962

$1.05 ARS 1,610

83.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.53 ARS 3,876

$1.06 ARS 1,621

138.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.80 ARS 4,294

$3.13 ARS 4,797

-10.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.99 ARS 7,655

$4.85 ARS 7,438

2.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ARS 2,733

$2.03 ARS 3,118

-12.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ARS 4,478

$2.67 ARS 4,095

9.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.03 ARS 1,577

$0.67 ARS 1,035

53.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.16 ARS 30.9K

$4.60 ARS 7,062

338.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.04 ARS 3,131

$1.52 ARS 2,327

34.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ARS 1,562

$0.72 ARS 1,104

41.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.95 ARS 7,593

$8.06 ARS 12.4K

-38.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 ARS 1,864

$1.12 ARS 1,722

8.04%

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

$27.5K ARS 42.2M

$22.0K ARS 33.8M

25.08%

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

$33.4K ARS 51.2M

$32.4K ARS 49.7M

3.09%

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

$146 ARS 223.4K

$69.3 ARS 106.4K

110.04%

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

$17.24 ARS 26.5K

$11.26 ARS 17.3K

53.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.11 ARS 37.0K

$24.52 ARS 37.6K

-1.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.33 ARS 48.1K

$25.32 ARS 38.8K

23.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 ARS 28.2K

$10.79 ARS 16.6K

70.44%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 ARS 10.6K

$5.46 ARS 8,369

26.56%

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

$171 ARS 262.7K

$139 ARS 212.9K

23.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,084 ARS 6.3M

$4,124 ARS 6.3M

-0.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$128 ARS 196.2K

$105 ARS 161.8K

21.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$142 ARS 217.3K

$20.29 ARS 31.1K

598.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$144 ARS 220.3K

$97.8 ARS 150.1K

46.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$156 ARS 240.0K

$55.4 ARS 85.0K

182.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$557 ARS 853.9K

$424 ARS 650.6K

31.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$352 ARS 540.6K

$297 ARS 454.9K

18.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$966 ARS 1.5M

$1,128 ARS 1.7M

-14.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$666 ARS 1.0M

$772 ARS 1.2M

-13.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,699 ARS 2.6M

$1,978 ARS 3.0M

-14.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,127 ARS 1.7M

$1,182 ARS 1.8M

-4.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$778 ARS 1.2M

$713 ARS 1.1M

9.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.48%

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

Last update for Mendoza: October 27, 2026

Last update for La Plata: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mendoza

$352 25.4%

La Plata

$297 29% 15.9% $56

Groceries & Markets

Mendoza

$287 20.6%

La Plata

$203 19.8% 29.2% $84

Clothing & Footwear

Mendoza

$256 18.5%

La Plata

$126 12.3% 51% $131

Eating Out

Mendoza

$230 16.6%

La Plata

$245 23.9% 6.4% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mendoza

$187 13.5%

La Plata

$105 10.3% 43.8% $82

Sport & Entertainment

Mendoza

$45 3.3%

La Plata

$36 3.5% 19.8% $8.9

Getting Around

Mendoza

$31 2.3%

La Plata

$12 1.2% 60.4% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $557 in Mendoza versus $424 in La Plata. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 9% higher in Mendoza, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $49 in Mendoza versus $49 in La Plata. Groceries tell a different story – $287 in Mendoza vs $203 in La Plata – so La Plata wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Mendoza

🇦🇷 La Plata

🕒 Local time

07:09 7:09 AM

Same time as Mendoza

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

937,154

193,144

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.52 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.84 EUR

10,000 ARS = 6.52 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.84 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Mendoza La Plata 1,030 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Mendoza
La Plata

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

Mendoza vs La Plata: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,389 in Mendoza, $1,024 in La Plata – La Plata comes out roughly 26% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,084 per month in Mendoza and $1,536 in La Plata. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in La Plata, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $424 there versus $557 in Mendoza.

Public transport costs about 77% less in La Plata. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 41% more in Mendoza, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,389 in Mendoza and $1,024 in La Plata, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward La Plata – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with La Plata. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mendoza makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.