Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Mar del Plata

For one person, living is cheaper in Mar del Plata: $1,038 a month against $5,142 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $49,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

New York, NY
🇺🇸 United States
$5,142
/mo nomad
Mar del Plata
🇦🇷 Argentina
$1,038
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in Mar del Plata

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $5,142 in New York, NY versus $1,038 in Mar del Plata.

  • New York, NY $5,142
  • Mar del Plata $1,038

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,455 in New York, NY versus $1,787 in Mar del Plata.

  • New York, NY $7,455
  • Mar del Plata $1,787

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,767 in New York, NY versus $2,536 in Mar del Plata.

  • New York, NY $9,767
  • Mar del Plata $2,536

Living in New York, NY is roughly 395% more expensive than in Mar del Plata, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: New York, NY is 284% above, Mar del Plata is 23% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
New York, NY
Mar del Plata
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$26.46 $26.46
$19.74 ARS 29.9K
34.04%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$119 $119
$60.3 ARS 91.4K
96.93%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$14.43 $14.43
$12.52 ARS 19.0K
15.26%
Cappuccino
$6.55 $6.55
$3.13 ARS 4,741
109.27%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.84 $3.84
$2.51 ARS 3,812
52.99%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.00 $3.00
$2.03 ARS 3,070
47.78%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.27 $8.27
$4.06 ARS 6,149
103.69%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$10.05 $10.05
$3.02 ARS 4,584
232.78%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
New York, NY
Mar del Plata
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.31 $1.31
$1.08 ARS 1,634
21.30%
White Bread (500g)
$4.90 $4.90
$2.20 ARS 3,329
122.73%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$7.16 $7.16
$3.16 ARS 4,784
126.58%
Eggs
$5.92 $5.92
$2.36 ARS 3,573
150.85%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.06 $19.06
$5.86 ARS 8,882
225.26%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$17.38 $17.38
$6.65 ARS 10.1K
161.35%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.94 $18.94
$12.52 ARS 19.0K
51.28%
Apples (1kg)
$6.96 $6.96
$3.32 ARS 5,028
109.64%
Banana (1kg)
$2.08 $2.08
$2.43 ARS 3,685
-14.40%
Oranges (1kg)
$6.10 $6.10
$1.48 ARS 2,241
312.16%
Tomato (1kg)
$6.95 $6.95
$2.05 ARS 3,114
239.02%
Potato (1kg)
$3.98 $3.98
-
-
Onion (1kg)
$4.44 $4.44
$1.01 ARS 1,532
339.60%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.81 $2.81
-
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.51 $2.51
-
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$19.27 $19.27
$3.60 ARS 5,461
435.28%
Wine (Bottle)
$19.67 $19.67
$2.94 ARS 4,455
569.05%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.08 $3.08
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 $3.68
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
New York, NY
Mar del Plata
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.02 $3.02
$1.29 ARS 1,954
134.11%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$140 $140
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.07 $3.07
$1.63 ARS 2,467
88.34%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.13 $2.13
$0.64 ARS 967
232.81%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$41.21 $41.21
$6.40 ARS 9,704
543.91%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.11 $1.11
$1.36 ARS 2,063
-18.38%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.0K $35.0K
-
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.4K $25.4K
-
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
New York, NY
Mar del Plata
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$217 $217
$79.0 ARS 119.8K
175.27%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$74.0 $74.0
$8.23 ARS 12.5K
799.39%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$72.5 $72.5
$30.10 ARS 45.6K
140.80%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
New York, NY
Mar del Plata
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$120 $120
$31.31 ARS 47.5K
284.70%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$66.9 $66.9
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$22.32 $22.32
$10.07 ARS 15.3K
121.65%
🧸 Childcare & Education
New York, NY
Mar del Plata
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$3,425 $3,425
$304 ARS 460.3K
1027.99%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$61.2K $61.2K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
New York, NY
Mar del Plata
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$76.3 $76.3
$87.7 ARS 133.0K
-13.04%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$55.5 $55.5
-
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$119 $119
$121 ARS 184.2K
-1.85%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$131 $131
$54.8 ARS 83.1K
138.33%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
New York, NY
Mar del Plata
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$4,506 $4,506
$328 ARS 497.0K
1274.48%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,155 $3,155
$253 ARS 383.8K
1146.27%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$8,817 $8,817
$801 ARS 1.2M
1000.73%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$5,532 $5,532
$654 ARS 992.0K
745.37%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$19.4K $19.4K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,754 $6,754
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
New York, NY
Mar del Plata
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,290 $5,290
$610 ARS 925.2K
766.74%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.82
0
-

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

Last update for New York, NY: October 3, 2026

Last update for Mar del Plata: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
New York, NY
$3.2K
Mar del Plata
$253 92% $2.9K
Groceries & Markets
New York, NY
$546
Mar del Plata
$198 * 63.7% $348
Eating Out
New York, NY
$422
Mar del Plata
$278 34.3% $145
Monthly Utilities & Internet
New York, NY
$364
Mar del Plata
$117 67.8% $247
Clothing & Footwear
New York, NY
$172
Mar del Plata
$119 * 30.8% $53
Getting Around
New York, NY
$165
Mar del Plata
$10 * 94% $155
Sport & Entertainment
New York, NY
$165
Mar del Plata
$51 68.8% $114

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 $4,506 in New York, NY and $328 in Mar del Plata. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New York, NY pays 767% 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: $119 in New York, NY vs $60.0 in Mar del Plata for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $546 vs $198 per month, with Mar del Plata cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 New York, NY
🇦🇷 Mar del Plata
🕒 Local time
05:55 5:55 AM
06:55 6:55 AM
1 h ahead of New York, NY
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
8,804,190
593,337
Exchange rates and currency converter

ARS, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,516 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.6 USD). 1 EUR = 1,699 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • New York, NY Mar del Plata 8,910 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • New York, NY
  • Mar del 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
New York, NY vs Mar del Plata: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, New York, NY or Mar del Plata?
Mar del Plata wins on cost – living expenses run 395% lower than in New York, NY. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mar del Plata the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in New York, NY or in Mar del Plata?
Average pay runs 767% higher in New York, NY, 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 New York, NY compared to Mar del Plata?
Rent for a central apartment: $4,506 in New York, NY versus $328 in Mar del Plata. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Are groceries more expensive in New York, NY or in Mar del Plata?
Supermarket bills run roughly 175% higher in New York, NY. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How much does it cost to live in New York, NY compared to Mar del Plata?
All in, you'll spend $5,142 per month in New York, NY versus $1,038 in Mar del Plata – a 395% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Can you live on $1,000/month in New York, NY or in Mar del Plata?
At $1,038 in Mar del Plata versus $5,142 in New York, NY, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Mar del Plata but tight or insufficient in New York, NY. The gap between the two cities makes Mar del Plata the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, New York, NY or Mar del Plata?
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.
How safe is New York, NY compared to Mar del Plata?
Safety-wise, New York, NY 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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Mar del Plata gentler on the wallet – expenses run 395% less than in New York, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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