Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Quilmes and Mar del Plata

For one person, living is cheaper in Quilmes: $965 a month against $1,161 in Mar del Plata, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. The total is higher in Mar del Plata despite lower rent and utilities.

46

Cost of Living Index in Quilmes
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Quilmes Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Mar del Plata
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Mar del Plata Living Index

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Quilmes

🇦🇷 Argentina

$965

/mo nomad

Mar del Plata

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,161

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Quilmes 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 Quilmes and in Mar del Plata actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $965 in Quilmes versus $1,161 in Mar del Plata.

Quilmes $965
Mar del Plata $1,161

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,625 in Quilmes versus $2,072 in Mar del Plata.

Quilmes $1,625
Mar del Plata $2,072

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,285 in Quilmes versus $2,983 in Mar del Plata.

Quilmes $2,285
Mar del Plata $2,983

Living in Quilmes costs roughly 17% less than in Mar del Plata, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Quilmes 29% lower, Mar del Plata 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.65 ARS 8,724

$19.87 ARS 30.7K

-71.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.35 ARS 53.1K

$80.5 ARS 124.3K

-57.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.09 ARS 14.0K

$11.63 ARS 18.0K

-21.84%

Cappuccino

$2.92 ARS 4,516

$3.28 ARS 5,064

-10.98%

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

$1.71 ARS 2,640

$2.47 ARS 3,816

-30.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 ARS 2,636

$2.02 ARS 3,124

-15.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.91 ARS 6,044

$3.58 ARS 5,536

9.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 ARS 3,505

$3.43 ARS 5,297

-33.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 ARS 1,578

$1.22 ARS 1,884

-16.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 ARS 2,421

$2.27 ARS 3,499

-30.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 ARS 2,571

$2.76 ARS 4,269

-39.86%

Eggs

$2.28 ARS 3,525

$3.95 ARS 6,097

-42.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.23 ARS 20.4K

$12.52 ARS 19.3K

5.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.91 ARS 9,128

$8.35 ARS 12.9K

-29.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.85 ARS 15.2K

$11.47 ARS 17.7K

-14.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.01 ARS 3,099

$3.03 ARS 4,682

-33.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 ARS 2,357

$2.34 ARS 3,622

-34.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.05 ARS 1,626

$1.94 ARS 2,991

-45.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.98 ARS 4,607

$2.58 ARS 3,978

15.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 ARS 1,540

$0.73 ARS 1,133

36.99%

Onion (1kg)

$0.63 ARS 979

$0.73 ARS 1,131

-13.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ARS 1,104

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 ARS 1,133

$0.69 ARS 1,064

5.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ARS 7,649

Wine (Bottle)

$4.15 ARS 6,414

$4.25 ARS 6,567

-2.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 ARS 1,910

$2.33 ARS 3,603

-46.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 ARS 3,018

$5.17 ARS 7,980

-62.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.98 ARS 1,521

$1.35 ARS 2,088

-27.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 ARS 2,360

$1.49 ARS 2,302

2.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ARS 1,586

$0.79 ARS 1,219

30.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.32 ARS 9,765

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ARS 1,694

$1.46 ARS 2,253

-24.66%

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

$49.8K ARS 76.9M

$31.9K ARS 49.2M

56.09%

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

$38.9K ARS 60.0M

$45.2K ARS 69.8M

-14.07%

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

$59.9 ARS 92.5K

$106 ARS 164.0K

-43.62%

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

$14.37 ARS 22.2K

$10.59 ARS 16.4K

35.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.27 ARS 34.4K

$23.56 ARS 36.4K

-5.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.86 ARS 49.2K

$31.16 ARS 48.1K

2.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.27 ARS 31.3K

$32.29 ARS 49.9K

-37.23%

Cinema Ticket

$9.99 ARS 15.4K

$9.84 ARS 15.2K

1.52%

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

$233 ARS 359.3K

$257 ARS 396.5K

-9.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,175 ARS 6.4M

$5,698 ARS 8.8M

-26.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.3 ARS 147.2K

$125 ARS 192.7K

-23.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.60 ARS 53.4K

$70.8 ARS 109.4K

-51.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.1 ARS 99.0K

$108 ARS 166.9K

-40.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.4 ARS 110.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$516 ARS 796.9K

$492 ARS 760.1K

4.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$328 ARS 506.5K

$279 ARS 430.5K

17.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ARS 1.7M

$932 ARS 1.4M

15.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$814 ARS 1.3M

$777 ARS 1.2M

4.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,356 ARS 3.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,275 ARS 2.0M

$1,006 ARS 1.6M

26.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 ARS 1.7M

$1,336 ARS 2.1M

-16.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

100

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

Last update for Quilmes: November 1, 2026

Last update for Mar del Plata: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Quilmes

$328 34%

Mar del Plata

$279 24% 15% $49

Groceries & Markets

Quilmes

$213 22.1%

Mar del Plata

$268 * 23.1% 25.6% $55

Eating Out

Quilmes

$145 15.1%

Mar del Plata

$276 23.8% 89.9% $131

Clothing & Footwear

Quilmes

$119 12.4%

Mar del Plata

$137 * 11.8% 14.4% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Quilmes

$97 10%

Mar del Plata

$140 12.1% 45.4% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Quilmes

$52 5.4%

Mar del Plata

$51 4.4% 1.9% $1

Getting Around

Quilmes

$11 * 1.1%

Mar del Plata

$11 * 0.9% 2.3% $0.2

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 $516 in Quilmes and $492 in Mar del Plata. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mar del Plata pays 20% 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: $34 in Quilmes vs $80 in Mar del Plata for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $213 vs $268 per month, with Quilmes cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Quilmes

🇦🇷 Mar del Plata

🕒 Local time

10:22 10:22 AM

Same time as Quilmes

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

230,810

593,337

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.47 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.76 EUR

10,000 ARS = 6.47 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.76 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Quilmes Mar del Plata 370 km

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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

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

Quilmes wins on cost – living expenses run 17% lower than in Mar del Plata. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Quilmes the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 17% lower in Quilmes. 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: $516 in Quilmes versus $492 in Mar del Plata. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 26% higher in Mar del Plata. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $965 per month in Quilmes versus $1,161 in Mar del Plata – Quilmes is about 17% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Quilmes is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.

Safety-wise, Quilmes and Mar del Plata are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Quilmes wins on affordability, Mar del Plata on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.